Hm. This sort of came out of nowhere. Well, maybe not nowhere, exactly. I mean, free-to-play has voraciously consumed the hearts of every other business model and gained their powers, and Croteam’s been known to host the occasional F2P weekend from time-to-time on Steam. But it still surprised me, OK? Gosh. At any rate, this is exactly what it sounds like: Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter’s versus and survival multiplayer modes will – beginning May 15 – attempt to carve out their own niche in an increasingly crowded F2P landscape. Probably with bombs.

So, how much bang will you be getting for your unspent buck? Well, Croteam’s specifically mentioned CTF, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Instant Kill, Last Man Standing, My Burden, Survival, and Team Survival, but actual business model details remain shrouded in… something. Probably bombs. Will we purchase cosmetic upgrades? Guns? DLC? I’ve mailed Croteam for more info, so you’ll know as soon as I do. The developer has, however, given concrete info on a new $4.99/£3 “Legend of the Beast” DLC pack, which will include three maps a piece for campaign, versus, and survival.

Also, here’s this thing, which is probably the best worst PR quote ever:

“Just the thought of all that extra cash is making me download some content into my pants,” claimed Fork Parker, CFO of Devolver Digital, “Profit makes me horny.”

So, er, right. Regardless, it’s an interesting move – and an uncharacteristically cautious one for a company whose answer to piracy is a giant pink scorpion monster. I imagine, though, that success here could see Serious Sam: BFE’s multiplayer make a somewhat louder entrance into the rowdy, shootout-prone F2p saloon. In truth, though, I usually play Serious Sam for single-player. Does its multiplayer have any long-term value? Or is it mostly a sideshow to SP’s main event?