Free release of MechWarrior 4 approved

Last July, Smith & Tinker--an offshoot company born from the demise of FASA Studios--announced that it had given MekTek Studios permission to release MechWarrior 4 online for free, in honor of the BattleTech series' 25th anniversary. However, the plan hit a snag when the pair realized Microsoft would also have to sign off on the move.

It looks like the complimentary launch of MechWarrior 4 will instead mark BattleTech's 26th anniversary. MekTek today announced that it had received clearance from Microsoft's legal department to distribute the game for free.

Developed by FASA, MechWarrior 4 received strong reviews upon its launch in the 2000 holiday season and was lauded as an accessible point of entry for the sim-heavy series. The game received a handful of expansions that were also planned for free release, as well as a stand-alone sequel titled MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries.

For more on the game, check out GameSpot's review of MechWarrior 4.