For those still looking to play who don't own the game, you can now get the game and play for free here.
Now, for those of us that bought the game before the change happened, here is some information for you:
Q: What is the Elite Agent package?
The Elite Agent package bundles a large set of premium gameplay enhancers for a single, one-time purchase. Elite Agents progress their characters more quickly through the game by earning double the XP, tokens, and credits. Elite Agents earn an Elite Loot drop at the end of each mission. And Elite Agents have access to premium features such as in-game mail, auction house, priority access to servers, creation of player Agencies and the ability to choose your game mode preference when queuing for Mercenary PvP missions. You can purchase Elite Agent lifetime status for a one-time payment of $19.99. No subscription required.
Q: What is the difference between a Free Agent and Elite Agent?
Free Agents are those Global Agenda players who have chosen to play the game without purchasing the Elite package. Elite Agents are those who’ve elected to buy the Elite Agent package. The full set of differences between the two player statuses is described in the Features Matrix.
So, what they call the Elite package is actually the one time purchase price of the game. Not a bad sell if you ask me. If you want to know more, here is their news item.