Superhero MMORPG Champions Online will be headed to the Free-to-Play space during the first quarter of next year, according to a press release from developer Cryptic Studios.  The game will branch off into two subscriber formats, free Silver membership and pay-to-play Gold service.  Silver players will have access to the full game, with Gold members getting access to extra characters slots, customization, and social options (many social options will be blocked to Silver players until they log 20 hours of gameplay).

The free-to-play service will go into Beta November 9, though the exact date for full release is still to be determined.  You can head over to Champions Online's site for more details on the Gold-Silver member service breakdown, or to scan their FAQ.