Yes, NTE is still playable as a F2P game, but that should be understood as steady progression, gradual saving, and access to most content, not as effortlessly getting every new release.
For F2P players, the practical takeaways are:
- Main story, exploration, and most regular content are not blocked by spending
- A-rank and standard characters can still carry a meaningful amount of content when built well
- Pull planning matters more, so you should commit to real patch priorities instead of chasing every banner
So the answer remains positive: NTE works as a long-term F2P game, especially for players willing to save and plan rather than pull impulsively.