Free-to-play
Also said as F2P, Freemium
The game costs nothing to download and earns money by selling things inside it. Most players never pay, so the few who do carry the rest.
It takes away the barrier to trying a game, so far more people will. It also means your income depends on people staying and spending, and that pressure will reach into every design decision if you let it. It can be done honestly, and it takes discipline.
Say it
“We are free-to-play and we sell only skins. Nothing in the store changes a match. If that means a smaller ARPDAU, I accept that, and we plan the budget for it.”
Where you’ve seen it
Fortnite earns its money from free players who choose to buy cosmetics, which shows a free game does not have to sell advantage.
Not to be confused with pay-to-win
Free-to-play is about when you pay. Pay-to-win is about what you pay for. A free game can sell only hats.