Pay to Play

From Valwiki

In 2001 Graal Online went from a free service to an account purchasing system. Many people hold this choice responsible for a decline in popularity, others believe it to be the only means for Graal to have survived at all. Its effect on the population of Valikorlia at the time was somewhat devastating, as many of the initial players were too young to afford the cost and subsequently moved on. Very few players remain from before those days, though many of the original characters' actions went on to shape the setting in tremendous ways.