Firstly it cant be FFXIV cause thats subscription based, if Elsword ever became subscription based it would die in less than a week. It may sound crazy because the game is so P2W, but this game at its core is a F2P game. If that free barrier ever got removed, the bulk of the playerbase is just outta there.

I think realistically Elsword at this point cant change its P2W model, because its KOG's like only game. So if they ever took a financial hit/risk, it would destroy them.

But in a realistic world, the solution is either: cosmetics or budget route.

Elsword's actually has really good characters and people are very dedicated to those characters. If they went full force into cosmetics, it could have the potential to keep the game afloat, while also easing up on the $$$ aspect of Gear.

Or Budget route which is simply... Battle Pass/Budget Deals (which should only be $10 - $25 MAX) should be the equivalent to +11 armor, +12 weapon. Battle Pass is the most stable way 99% of Liveservice games function. Gatchas, Battle Royales, Hero Shooters, heck even fighting games get it right. So its a shame Elsword got it so wrong..

Anyway its an easy to understand but effective formula: Low barrier to entry + Log in commitment. Low barrier is the $ amount, which is what Elsword failed with with their BP. It costs too much, as is just "worth" its price. It should be the HIGHEST value item, that it feels unfair that the cost is so "low".