Due to a new promotion, dubbed "The Living Legacy", former players (in good standing) of EQ and EQII will be able to play the games for free until the end of July.

SAN DIEGO, CA – June 2, 2008 – The EverQuest ® franchise, the groundbreaking, award-winning fantasy series that redefined massively multiplayer online (MMO) video games for a generation of gamers around the globe, is bringing a near decade of success back to millions of fans with a new Living Legacy program from Sony Online Entertainment LLC, which will feature in-game events, promotions, game updates and more.

Living Legacy, announced today, is a brand-new initiative aimed at the millions of players who have experienced the vast, engaging online worlds of EverQuest ® (EQ) and EverQuest® II (EQII) since the original EQ game was launched in 1999. The celebration starts today and continues through the end of September. As part of the promotion, both EQ and EQII subscribers with inactive accounts who left in good standing will be able to log back in to the games and play for free until the end of July.

“The EverQuest franchise has touched so many lives since the launch of EverQuest in 1999, and with the 10th anniversary of EverQuest just around the corner, we felt it was the best time to give back to all the players who made it the cultural phenomenon it is today,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “We are grateful for the continued support from our legions of fans and are extremely excited about the groundswell of interest surrounding Living Legacy.”

While the Living Legacy program is aimed at former EQ and EQII players, the program also offers a perfect way for new players to experience the world of Norrath. Nostalgic NPCs and group PvE encounters, as well as brand new raid content, will commemorate EQ’s hardcore heritage. The program features bonus XP weekends, several live events, new content updates and the introduction of new zones all taking place in EQII. Returning EQII players will also be able to experience Rise of Kunark, EQII’s fourth expansion, which just became the game’s best-selling expansion of all time.

Key features of the Living Legacy program include:

All qualified returning EQ players will receive the EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer all-in-one compilation and bonus in-game items at no additional cost.

All qualified returning EQII players will receive the EverQuest II Rise of Kunark all-in-one compilation and bonus in-game items at no additional cost.

All software provided during the promotional period will be credited to any EQ or EQII account that is converted to a valid, paying monthly subscription.

Current EQII players who recruit a friend to play the game who converts to a valid subscription will receive free gameplay-time added upon conclusion of their then-current subscription .

In the spirit of honoring the players, the Living Legacy program is supported by an online and print advertising campaign that features real EQ and EQII players.

More on the promotion here.