Jul 7, 2016
Founders Status in Evolve Stage 2
Evolve Stage 2 - Grimm
With the launch of Evolve Stage 2 as a Free title on Steam, we did not want to forget the players who believed in Turtle Rock Studios from the very beginning and supported Evolve when we first launched back in February 2015. When returning Steam players login to Evolve Stage 2 for the first time, they will be granted ‘Founders Status’. This includes a number of bonus items and continued exclusive unlocks as we continue to update Evolve Stage 2. Below is a breakdown of what it means to be a Founder in Evolve Stage 2.

What is a Founder?
Any player who previously owned Evolve on Steam or bought any DLC content such as skins or characters will have all paid content carry over into Evolve Stage 2. Not only do you get all your old content, Founders will get exclusive badges, skins and other cosmetic items as we continue to update Evolve Stage 2 in the weeks to come.

What do Founders get on Launch Day?
All content currently available for Founders is detailed below:
  • 3,000 Silver Keys, all past and future Adaptations for previously owned Hunters and Monsters, dozens of Weapon Skins, and four unique, animated Founder badges.
  • If you owned any Hunters, Monsters, or Skins previously, those will be carried over to Evolve Stage 2.

Future Founder Content
As a further show of our appreciation to our Founders, we’ll continue to add new Founder exclusive cosmetic items and Adaptations that our Founders will get as soon as they launch.

Thanks again for being a supporter of Evolve, we can’t wait to see you back on Shear.

For more information about Evolve Stage 2, please also check out:



Jul 7, 2016
Evolve Stage 2 Patch Notes
Evolve Stage 2 - Grimm
Release notes 2.00
The Evolve Stage 2 beta releases today, free on Steam. This is more than just an update; we overhauled almost every system and achieved our goal of converting Evolve into a free game. We’ve added and updated numerous features, fixed tons of bugs, improved stability and performance across the board, and completely redesigned many aspects of the game. These notes are just a sample of the features that the Turtle Rock Studios team has been working hard on and is proud to share with you today. Read the full notes here.

Without further ado, let's dive into Evolve Stage 2!

NEW AND UPDATED FEATURES
In-Game Currency and New Content
Everything in the Evolve Stage 2 beta can be unlocked by simply playing the game.
  • Weekly Free Character Rotation
    • Each week features four Hunters and one Monster available to play for free. We switch the characters up every week, so be on the lookout on social media and our forums!
      • If you’re new to Evolve Stage 2, you’ll always have at least four Hunters and one Monster to play. You’ll also unlock two additional characters by completing the Markov and Goliath tutorials!
  • In-Game Currency: Silver Keys
    • Earn Silver Keys by playing matches, completing Challenges, signing in every day, and levelling up your account and character progression.
    • Use Silver Keys to unlock Hunters, Monsters, Skins, and Perks. These can be unlocked through the in-game store or the pre-round screens.
    • Silver Keys are tied to your profile, and cannot be transferred to another player.
  • Hunter Skins
    • There are plenty of new ways to express yourself with new Hunter skins ranging from a crazy Chemtrooper wearing pink spandex to a blood-soaked robot.
    • You can equip separate Weapon Skins and Hunter skin simultaneously.
Returning Players
Any player who owned a copy of Evolve previously is now granted Founder status.
  • What is a Founder?
    • We created the Founder Status to thank those players who supported us before Evolve Staged up.
    • Through the post-launch support of Evolve Stage 2, Founders will receive special in-game items, currency, and other benefits for believing in Evolve and Turtle Rock Studios.
  • What do I get as a Founder?
    • 3,000 Silver Keys, all past and future Adaptations for previously owned Hunters and Monsters, dozens of Weapon Skins, and four unique, animated Founder badges.
    • If you owned any Hunters, Monsters, or Skins previously, those will be carried over to Evolve Stage 2.
  • What about Non-Founders?
    • When you download Evolve Stage 2 for the first time you start fresh
Updated Tutorials
The tutorial experience for Evolve Stage 2 is now smoother, shorter, and more focused on getting players the information they need before going out into the wild for their first Hunt.
  • Tutorial Rewards
    • Completing both the Hunter and Monster tutorials will unlock Markov and Goliath for your account.
    • If you already own both characters, you’ll receive a large sum of Silver Keys for completing the tutorials.
Progression System Overhaul
  • Account Progression
    • We've introduced account level progression; everyone will start out at level 1.
    • The max level for account progression is level 30: on the way, you’ll unlock unique badges and Silver Keys rewards.
  • Character Progression
    • Each Character (Hunters/Monsters) has a unique level progression tied to the character.
    • There are 40 levels per character: progressing through the character levels will unlock Silver Keys, badges, and perks.
  • Masteries Removed
The Monthly Punch Card
  • Rewards for Regular Play
    • Each reward is tied to the number of sign-ins, not to any specific day of the month.
    • Every day you log in to Evolve, you’ll receive the reward for the correlating day on the Punch Card. You’ll want to log in every day to make sure you get all the rewards for the month!
  • Punch Card Rewards
    • Rewards include Silver Keys, Badges, Hunter Skins, Monster Skins, and could even be a Hunter, Monster, or an Adaptation!
    • For example our first month will include the latest Hunter if you reach enough logins over the month.
    • If you have already unlocked a Punch Card reward, you will be granted a percentage of the current store value in Silver Keys as compensation.
Challenges
Along with progression and the Punch Card, there are daily and periodic challenges that reward additional Silver Keys upon completion.
  • Completing Challenges
    • You can only complete these challenges in Hunt and Ranked matches, unless the description states otherwise.
    • You cannot complete Challenges in solo or custom games. However, custom games in Training provide a limited pool of Silver Keys and XP every day.
Pick 3 Perk System
We have redesigned the way perks are used in Evolve to allow players to better customize their gameplay experience. As such, all Perk unlocks have been reset due to the creation of a new progression and Perk system.
  • Perk Categories
    • Perks are divided into three categories: Minor, Major, and Superior. Each category relates to its impact on gameplay.
    • In each category you may select one Perk that is available at the current time.
  • Unlocking Perks
    • Perks unlock with Silver Keys on the Perk select screen or through the character progression system.
  • Upgrading Perks
    • Each Perk has three levels, and Perks are level one when first unlocked. It can then be upgraded to level two and level three using Silver Keys or by unlocking additional levels through character progression.
UI Flow
Navigating through the Evolve Stage 2 UI is now faster, more intuitive, and a more enjoyable user experience.
  • Overhauled Menu Structure
    • Streamlined our menu flow so you can get into games faster than ever.
  • Reduced to Single Loading Screen
  • Updated Visual and Audio Language
    • We created more breathable, open, and inviting menus with updated effects and audio to match.
  • More Accessible Options Menu
    • You can now adjust all your options before loading into a match, including your audio settings!
  • Pre-Round
    • Character, Perks, and Skins are all selected before ever hitting a loading screen.
    • Added win-streaks to the Versus screen. It’s extra-satisfying to break someone’s win-streak, it turns out!
  • Post-Round Summary
    • Updated to support all-new challenges, rewards, and progression.
Profile System Revamp
From the Profile, players can navigate to the new Character grid, the rebuilt badge system, and more.
  • Profile Widget
    • You now have an at-a-glance view of your account level, Silver Keys amount, and badge using the profile widget located in the upper right corner throughout the front-end. Click on it to access the Profile from any screen!
  • Account/Character Progression
    • Your profile page displays account level, statistics, and unlocked items.
    • On the character page, you can view your character-specific stats, progression, and upcoming unlocks.
  • Character Grid
    • You can view all of your characters at a glance and easily see which ones you own, which are locked, and which are on rotation.
  • Revised the Badge System
    • Badge color unlocks are now tied to account and character progression.
    • Badge colors can be awarded through the Punch Card, community events, and other avenues.
    • Please note that due to the change in the badge system, all badge unlocks have been reset.
Performance Overhaul
Alongside our Main Menu refactor, we cut down load times and improved performance and stability across all of Evolve.
  • Performance Improvements
    • Reduced the download size by more than 50%!
      • This download only includes your Steam-specified language. To download additional languages, you’ll need to set it to your desired language via Steam.
    • Created a new “Minimum” video setting for lower-end PCs.
    • Performance improvements across all graphic specs (Medium/High/Very High).
    • Decreased the number of loading screens required to get into a match.
    • Optimized and redesigned numerous VFX to improve in-game performance and readability.
  • Focus on Stability
    • Thanks to our ability to update weekly, we are able to fix any game-breaking bugs or crashes quicker than ever before.
GAMEPLAY FEATURES AND UPDATES
Gameplay is one of the most important aspects of Evolve Stage 2. Games are faster than ever; they require less running and give all players a sense of direction during gameplay. We redesigned Hunt to eliminate the “Flee ‘Til 3” tactics and put the focus back on the action.
Hunter Shared Dome
The Mobile Arena is moved off the Trapper and is now a team-wide ability for Hunters. The Shared Dome is a critical part of the Evolve Stage 2 Hunt experience.
  • What is the Shared Dome?
    • If a Hunter damages the Monster or is within a certain range, a prompt will appear to Dome the Monster.
    • After a short cast time, the Dome will be deployed over the Monster's current location.
    • The Dome cooldown is 80 seconds which is shared across all Hunters.
  • Shared Dome Gameplay
    • The Dome Timer starts at 5 minutes.
    • The timer can be decreased in two ways:
      • If the Monster incaps a Hunter, the timer decreases by 3.5 minutes (210 seconds).
      • If the Hunters deal health damage to the Monster, the timer is reduced in 60 second increments.
        • Stage 1: -60 seconds for every 4% of health lost
        • Stage 2: -60 seconds for every 6.5% of health lost
        • Stage 3: -60 seconds for every 8.5% of health lost
      • Once the timer decreases to 0:00, the Dome will drop.
      • A loud buzzer sound is triggered as the Dome counts down before dropping.
  • Hold the Dome Countermeasures
    • ‘Hold the Dome' was an infamous and toxic mechanic from Evolve. With Evolve Stage 2, we've modified our dome design to counteract this behavior.
    • If a Hunter gets incapped while the Dome is ready to cast, a 10 second delay will be applied to the Shared Dome.
    • A HUD prompt will appear when this countermeasure is in effect.
New Hunter Class Abilities
Trapper: Planet Scanner
  • Upon activation, the Planet Scanner detects the direction the Monster is in, and relays that information on each Hunter’s compass. The Monster will also get a UI prompt whenever the ability is activated.
  • Not only do Trappers get this advanced tracking ability, they will get a movement speed and jetpack thrust boost for a short time to keep on the Monster’s tracks.
    • This ability currently has a 30 second cooldown.
Support: Shield Burst
  • The Shield Burst will apply a temporary shield to all Hunters in a 30m radius and blocks a chunk of incoming damage on activation.
Assault: Defense Matrix
  • Upon activation, the Defense Matrix will create a defensive energy around the Assault, blocking 75% percentage of incoming damage for the Assault Hunter for a short period of time. It currently has a 30 second cooldown.
Matchmaking Updates
  • Quick Match Replaced with “Hunt”
    • Matchmake into the flagship Evolve experience: Hunt.
    • This serves as the pick-up-and-play matchmaking mode.
  • Hunt 2.0 is Now “Ranked”
    • All rankings are reset with the launch of Evolve Stage 2 beta.
    • You must now reach account level 20 to enter Ranked.
    • Refined the matchmaking algorithm so you find matches quicker.
    • Your score is now hidden, but we’ve reworked how the numbers are calculated so you can work towards your rightful skill ranking on the leaderboards.
  • No More Joining Matches In-Progress
    • You’ll no longer be matched into a game that has already begun.
    • You can still be invited into a game if a friend invites you, or join into a friend’s game.
    Floating Damage and Healing Numbers
    • Damage Numbers
      • Whenever you damage a Monster with Hunter equipment or land a Monster ability, you’ll see a number appear on screen.
      • This can be turned off at any time under the gameplay options.
    • Healing Numbers
      • Like Damage Numbers, whenever you heal another Hunter you’ll see the Healing Number pop up to show you how much you’re healing with each ability.
    • Damage and Healing Numbers Colorblind Support
    HUD Improvements
    • Compass Update
      • The Compass has been put center screen for Hunters for better directional callouts.
      • This is also used for the Planet Scanner indicator.
    • Successful Hunter Revive
      • This prompt is displayed for both Hunters and Monsters.
    • Persistent Markers
      • This highly requested feature makes it so markers and health bars now remain on screen while using the minimap.
    • Hunter Team Class Icons
      • Hunters can now see class icons regardless of colorblind mode being on.
      • This can be turned on via the options menu.
    Scaling Dropship Timer
    • The timer always starts at zero when the Hunters first land onto the map at the start of a Hunt game.
    • If a Hunter is incapped (or if you have 2 strikes and are killed) it will add 10 seconds to the dropship timer.
    • If a Monster stages up, 25 seconds are added to the dropship timer.
    • The dropship doors will always open and spawn hunters once the countdown timer hits zero. Hunters must enter the dropship before the timer hits zero in order to respawn.
    • The maximum timer on the dropship is two minutes.
    Achieving Visual Clarity
    With the launch of Evolve Stage 2, we revisited almost every visual effect in the game and spent countless hours polishing four hand-picked maps for Hunt gameplay.
    VFX
    • Rebuilt and Redesigned 30+ Hunter VFX
      • All “Cloud” based gear have been revised to no longer block vision when spammed.
      • Any explosive impact shows the radius within the explosion, as opposed to it being a bit hidden.
      • All deployables display their range and a light around their general location.
      • Hunters now have a jetpack stream tied to all jetpacks associated with the color of your class. For example, Assault jetpack streams are red.
    • Rebuilt and Redesigned 20+ Monster VFX
      • All Monster abilities now telegraph if it will hit the Hunter or not to assist you in learning what is actually going on during fights.
      • Any large area of effect ability has a clearly defined radius.
      • Goliath Leap Smash has a better defined impact zone before the ability finishes.
      • Wraith Supernova no longer blocks your vision with VFX overload.
      • Kraken Lightning Strike now has a clear defined radius around the ability impact.
    • Improved Hunter 3rd Person VFX
      • New 3rd person effects:
        • Healing
        • Shielding
        • Damage Reduction
        • Bucket’s new ability: Mechanized Recharge (ability information below)
    • New Hunter 1st Person VFX
      • These effects will have a specific icon that is tied to a color that will display on the edges of your screen to further communicate what’s going on in the game.
      • New 1st person effects:
        • Healing
        • Shielding
        • Damage Reduction
    Map Redesigns
    Arguably one of the most important parts of Evolve was and always will be the maps. We redesigned and rebuilt the four best maps for the new gameplay we’re bringing forward to our community in the update.
    • Map Rotation: Orbital Drill, Wraith Trap, Distillery, and Weather Control
      • These four maps were hand-picked and rebuilt to fit our new gameplay standards.
      • Each has increased in size (Distillery and Weather Control have gained the most).
      • All brush and vegetation has been cleaned up to not obscure vision.
      • All collision (think bumpy rocks) has been cleaned up to allow for a smoother traversal for both Hunters and Monsters.
      • Weather has been optimized and improved across all four levels.
      • All cliffs have been reduced in size.
      • Each map has gone through an art pass and point of interest improvements to create more memorable areas.
      • Our environment artists have revised/rebuilt lighting in all four maps.
    Audio Update
    In-Game Announcer
    • Events from “Dome Ready!” to when the Monster evolves, and more are now vocalized by an Announcer. Did we mention that the Announcer is voiced by our very own Chloe Skew? Go, Chloe!
    SFX Pass
    • Numerous sounds have been redesigned and cleaned up.
    • The in-game mix for Monsters has been standardized for consistency.
    • Revised all wildlife sound for Hunters to allow for better tracking and spatial awareness with wildlife.
    • Tuned high-impact Hunter abilities to stand out more from the Monster perspective.
    • General cleanup of the in-game mix to better convey distance.
    Hunt Gameplay Changes
    With a big focus on getting players into games and more fights instead of running, we’ve revised the whole design of Hunt.
    General
    • Round Duration
      • A Hunt round duration has been shortened to 12 minutes from 20 minutes.
      • The Sudden Death timer now begins at 4 minutes. It previously began with only 2 minutes remaining.
        • When the Hunters or Monsters are fighting, the timer will stop until the Monster is no longer in combat range.
        • While sudden death is active the game time can go past 12 minutes.
    • Relay Shield
      • The Power Relay now has a defensive shield that is applied when Hunters are within an 80m radius of the Power Relay.
        • Once a Hunter enters the radius, the announcer will notify the Hunters the Relay shield has been activated.
        • Each Hunter inside the radius increases the Relay health by 15%.
    • New Wildlife Spawning System
      • Refactored to create a more efficient and consistent spawning system.
      • The new system does not use random spawns and always generates a set amount of wildlife in a spawn area.
      • Wildlife will spawn more often and in areas where Monsters can actually kill and eat wildlife.
    • Wildlife Changes
      • All wildlife health has been decreased by 50%.
      • Trapjaws no longer have energy (food) values.
      • The Tyrant has been removed until further notice.
        • We are working towards a complete refactor of how the Tyrant behaves in our game.
      • Reavers no longer slow Hunter movement with attacks.
      • Reavers can now climb up cliffs. This basically means our AI team wanted
      • Reavers to take over Shear. Beware! The unseen Reaver is the deadliest.
    • Wildlife Buff System Redesign
      • All Buff spawns are now static locations based on the wildlife type.
      • Spawn times are set depending on the tier of the Buff.
        • Tier 1 spawns at 3 minutes which includes the Reaver, Blitz Leopard, Cephaladon, Megamouth, and Spotter.
        • Tier 2 spawns at 6 minutes which includes the Venom Hound, Marsh Strider, Canyon Strider, Obsidian Grub, Nomad, Steamadon.
        • Tier 3 spawns at 10 minutes which includes Mammoth Bird, Crowbill Sloth, Armadon.
    • Limb Damage Removed
      • Bullets will always deal a set amount of damage to the Monster.
        • All bullet-based Hunter weapons have had their damage lowered to compensate for the increased consistency.
      • Headshots will still deal double damage for bullet-based Hunter weapons.
    • Improved Weather Cycles for Orbital Drill, Wraith Trap, Distillery, and Weather Control
      • The timing for each map is as follows (each map will have a different weather theme):
        • 0:00 to 1:30 minutes will be Fair Weather
        • 1:30 to 4:00 minutes will be Heavy Weather
        • 4:00 to 6:00 minutes will be Light Weather
        • 6:00 to 12:00 minutes will be Fair Weather
        • 12:00 minutes to the end of round will be Heavy Weather
      • Removed the lightning flash that was present on various storm weather effects for: Orbital Drill, Weather Control, Distillery, and The Murder Pits.
    • Controller Aim Assist Improvements
      • The new aim assist will latch onto the Monster with greater strength than before.
      • It is no longer a snap onto the target, but a gradual pull towards the Monster.
    Hunters
    • General Hunter Changes
      • Movement Speed reduced from 5.5m/s to 5.2m/s.
      • Jetpacks no longer take fuel to climb a wall.
      • Jetpacks will always give a Hunter four boosts when at maximum capacity.
      • All hunters now have 15 hp/s regen out of combat.
    • Daisy AI Overhaul
      • Always tracks the Monster directly, choosing the quickest path to the Monster's current location. Will no longer follow tracks.
      • Within a certain distance of the Monster, she’ll go into head-down mode and slow down to start sniffing around for the Monster.
      • Daisy will point once she’s honed in on the location of the Monster, signalling to the Hunters that the Monster is close and able to be captured inside a Dome.
    • Daisy now grants Hunters a movement speed boost aura
      • Daisy now grants a 15% speed boost in a 15 radius around her.
        • This does not apply to the Combat Trapjaw. She still has normal movement attributes.
      • Daisy will grant the movement speed bonus until she is killed.
      • There are no VFX tied with this currently.
      • Gotta go fast!
    • New Bucket Ability: Mechanized Recharge
      • Bucket’s UAV has been replaced with a new ability called Mechanized Recharge.
      • On activation, any Hunter in a 30m radius of Bucket will have their class ability recharged at a rapid pace.
    • Jack Repulsor Revision
      • The red beam will no longer drain large amounts of energy when holding it on the Monster.
      • When a Monster walks into the beam and it turns yellow, it’ll drain less energy than before.
      • Whenever a Monster uses a traversal into the beam, it’ll take a large chunk of energy.
      • The Repulsor can only be used when it is fully recharged. The reload speed has been improved to go along with this new change.
    • Hyde Toxic Grenade Revision
      • No longer kills Banshee mines, plants, and other various items with the damage over time ability.
        • Now has the ability to break sneak pounce grapples on impact.
        • Will destroy any items on explosion, but not with the damage over time.
    • Slim Spore Cloud Rework
      • Previously, Spore Cloud took away the Monster's ability to smell completely while in the cloud. It will now limit the Monster's smell range by a set percentage.
    Monsters
    • Feeding Damage Threshold
      • Monsters must take a set amount of damage before eating is cancelled.
      • The closer Hunters are to the Monster, the lower the threshold.
      • The further away Hunters are to the Monster, the higher the threshold.
    • General Monster Changes
      • Armor and health adjustments:
        • Each Monster has gained faster out-of-combat armor regen.
        • Each Monster has increased armor and health.
      • Stamina has been increased for each Monster.
        • With the removal of in-combat stamina, each Monster now has a set Stamina value at all times.
      • Energy required to Evolve:
        • Stage 1 energy required to stage up is now 21 energy.
        • Stage 2 energy required to stage up is now 25 energy.
      • Contextual Combat improvements (Monster Melee Combat)
        • Further improvements to the contextual combat system allow Monsters to have more consistent melee attacks while in combat.
    • Ability Points and Stat Restructure
      • Each Monster now starts with four points to spend at Stage 1.
        • You still have three at Stage 2, but you only have two at Stage 3.
        • Overall, it is still 9 points to spend through the Stages.
      • Restructured ability upgrade system.
        • Level 1 abilities still give you basic function and enough damage to break through Hunters.
        • Level 2 abilities give you a decreased cooldown and/or increased radius/speed to give more usability for Level 2 abilities.
        • Level 3 abilities increase in damage and further improve the ability’s utility depending on the ability type.
    • Armor Channeling in the Dome
      • Monsters rapidly regenerate armor while in the Dome after not taking damage while standing still for 3-4 seconds,.
      • Once activated, a UI prompt and sound will play to notify both sides that the armor channeling has begun.
      • To break the armor channel, a Hunter simply deals damage to the Monster.
      • Our goal with this feature is to allow Monsters to reset the fight in their favor.
    • Gorgon Web Snare Functionality Change
      • No longer slows Hunter movement speed on impact.
      • Now lowers the jump height and jetpack dodge distance and slows the speed of jetpack flight as well.
    • Kraken Banshee Mine Rework
      • Banshee Mines have three states: launched, armed, and active.
      • When in the launched state, they are invulnerable until they land on geometry or close to a Hunter.
      • Once they become planted at the aimed location, they’ll be ready to activate whenever a target comes into the active range. This is the armed state.
      • Mines home in on the target and explode on impact once a target is in range. They are vulnerable in this active state.
      • Banshee Mines now have 3 mines at each level.
    • Goliath Air Tracks
      • Similar to Gorgon and Wraith, Goliath will now leaves tracks in air.
      • Whenever Goliath leaps or uses leap smash, tracks will appear below Goliath.

    Behemoth Unlocking Disabled
    Unfortunately, Behemoth currently has some issues we’d like to tackle and needs some pending refactors before we feel comfortable having players unlock him with Silver Keys. If you already own Behemoth, he is still playable on your account but any player who did not purchase Behemoth before the launch of Evolve Stage 2 will not be able to unlock Behemoth until we re-release him. Bob will be back soon!
Jul 6, 2016
Evolve goes free-to-play, beta starts tomorrow
Evolve Stage 2

Following the appearance of a mysterious counter on the Evolve website this week, and the game's removal from Steam, many speculated that the game was about to go free-to-play. Well, it turns out those speculations were correct, because studio Turtle Rock has confirmed as much in its official forums.

Studio co-founder Chris Aston made the announcement, revealing that the newly resurrected monster shooter will go into beta on July 7 (or July 8 in the southern hemisphere), allowing time to iron out bugs "over a period of weeks and months". Those who already own Evolve will get "Founder status" in the free-to-play version, with all owned content still accessible, and the promise of "gifts, rewards and special access" in the future.

Meanwhile, the studio is making a series of improvements to the game. Most importantly, experienced trapper and medic players won't be as essential as they were. Maps and UI are being tweaked, more customisation options will be available, and the game's progression system and tutorials are being completed "reworked". Performance and loading times are being seen to as well.

In the announcement, Ashton admitted that while the original version of the game was highly anticipated, it failed to have the impact the team expected. "We worked on it for years and then, suddenly, people got to experience our game, controller in-hand," he said. "There was genuine excitement real joy when people played. It was like nothing they d ever played before and watching it happen was like no high we ever felt."

But the game's well-documented and heavily criticised season pass removed most of that lustre. "When Evolve launched, the reception wasn t what we expected," he continued. "Sure, there were some good reviews. There were also bad reviews. Yes, there was excitement. There was also disappointment for players and for us. The DLC shitstorm hit full force and washed away people s enthusiasm, dragging us further and further from that first magical pick-up-and-play experience."

There's no word as yet on how the studio plans to make money from the free-to-play version, but whatever the case, it's worth having a go when the beta launches tomorrow. In his review, Evan Lahti described Evolve as "a refreshingly asymmetrical FPS with terrific competitive depth, but the thrill of the hunt eventually begins to wane."

Jul 6, 2016
The Evolve website is counting down to "StageUp" [Updated]
Evolve Stage 2

The asymmetric FPS Evolve has struggled pretty much from the moment it hit the ground. We actually liked it, but six months after our review it had fallen out of the top 100 games on Steam, and its peak user count today is just 157. According to Steam Charts (because Steam itself doesn't go that low), that puts it just below Bus Simulator 16 and the 13-year-old Star Wars game Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. But it ain't dead yet.

The top of the Evolve website is now festooned with a ticking countdown, currently with just under 24 hours left on the clock, labeled #StageUp. There's no sign of what that might mean the most recent news post was last week's Parnell's Pro Tip Tuesday, in which Parnell explains that if you're playing as the monster, you should probably act like a monster but it is worth remembering that not too long ago, Turtle Rock began looking for an animation programmer for a new game.

That listing (which has since been joined by postings for a narrative director, senior character artist, and technical artist) is for an unannounced new IP, which would presumably exclude anything related to Evolve. But possibly not, depending on how far you're willing to bend the semantics of "new IP." At a bare minimum, the timing is curious.

We'll found out the truth soon enough, but in the meantime I put it to you: After more than a year of release, punctuated by two season passes, an abundance of pricy DLC, and widespread gamer indifference, can Evolve bounce back?

Update: Evolve is still listed on Steam, but is not currently available for purchase. Could it finally be making the transition to free-to-play?

May 5, 2016
Evolve dev Turtle Rock hires for new project
Evolve Stage 2

Turtle Rock is hiring for "an unannounced, cutting edge game". The Evolve and Left 4 Dead developer has been quiet since Evolve's playerbase slipped into the abyss, but there's development pedigree within those walls, now stirring to life.

Unless you're interested in the specifics of a Turtle Rock animation programmer's skillset, the listing gives nothing away. There will be combat! And cinematics too! Truly we're living in the future.

After Evolve's post-release flop, I'll be curious to see if Turtle Rock plays safer that it has been prone to.

Mar 22, 2016
Daily Deal - Evolve, 75% Off
Evolve Stage 2 - Valve
Today's Deal: Save 75% on Evolve!*

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

*Offer ends Thursday at 10AM Pacific Time
Jan 27, 2016
Now Available | New Support Kala Kapur - Title Update 8
Evolve Stage 2 - KaliShane
Introducing Kala
Evolve’s newest Support character is now available!

Dr. Kala Kapur is an expert on Monster biology and has spliced their DNA into her own genome in order to control the Monsters’ abilities and use them in battle.

Her array of unique abilities include:
Siren Missiles

An improvement on Kraken technology, these airborne missiles home in on nearby enemies. When placed on the ground, they become more powerful, slower moving homing mines

Teleport Pads
An improvement on Wraith technology, these pads create rifts that allow teammates to move instantaneously from one part of the map to another;
Armor Reducer
Using Goliath’s armor technology, the Armor Reducer shoots a beam which temporarily eliminates the Monster’s armor. The armor quickly regenerates once the beam connection breaks.

Watch the video below to see her abilities in action, and for more Kala gameplay, tune into today’s Official Evolve stream http://www.twitch.tv/evolvegame at 12 PM PT for a closer look, LIVE from TRS.

Kala is now available on all platforms and in all regions, available individually or as part of Hunting Season 2, which also includes Gorgon (Monster), Lennox (Assault class), Jack (Trapper class) and Emet (Medic class).

This is also one of Evolve's biggest bug-fxing updates ever! For a complete list of patch notes, vist here!
Dec 17, 2015
Now Available - New Medic Emet - Title Update 7
Evolve Stage 2 - KaliShane
E.M.E.T. drones are used throughout the galaxy whenever disaster strikes and injured people need medical attention. They are reliable medical techs but not very good in battle situations, so Jack shoved a death commando logic core into this one!

It totally works! Heals like a medical drone, fights like a demon drone. Awesome!

Also, a little insane. Super awesome!



EMET
REPLAY CANNON
The Replay Cannon fires an explosive dart that tags a target and rapidly fires several homing missiles at that target.

HEALING BUOYS
Healing Buoys can be deployed in the field to regenerate health for nearby allies. When Emet uses his medic Heal Burst, a more powerful burst erupts from the buoys.

RESPAWN BEACON
The Respawn Beacon teleports Hunters directly from the dropship, reducing respawn times to a mere 30 seconds! If the Monster destroys the beacon before the countdown finishes, the Hunters must wait for the dropship.

TWO MORE FREE HUNTER ADAPTATIONS!

Coming soon, two more new Hunter adaptations are coming to Evolve, free to those who own the game. Wasteland Maggie and Tech Sgt. Hank on their way to Shear!


WASTELAND MAGGIE



Take classic Maggie, add a pinch of Griffin and a dash of Hyde and you’ll get Wasteland Maggie. Fire damage has been added to all her gear, including a flamethrower for Daisy!!! She only has a single harpoon trap, but it’s got big range and a quicker deploy speed. It’s sort of like having a deployable Griffin, only this one burns!

BURST PISTOL
The Burst Pistol spews short bursts of fire molten bullets, lighting enemies on fire and dealing damage over time.

FLAME SNARE
The Flame Snare not only halts a monster’s movement, it lights it on fire!

COMBAT TRAPJAW FLAMETHROWER
The Combat Trapjaw’s flamethrower backpack roasts Monsters that get too close.


TECH SGT. HANK



Tech Sergeant Hank’s strength is his ability to prepare his team for combat. Personal shields can be charged onto all teammates before battle. Though his in combat shielding strength is weaker than classic Hank’s, nothing makes a monster cut and run more quickly than the relentless killing machine that is the Orbital Drill.

LASER CUTTER
The Laser Cutter projects a continuous laser beam that deals damage over time.

SHIELD CHARGER
The Shield Charger can give any teammate a temporary shield. The longer the charger is fired, the stronger the shield. Now all teammates can head into battle with personal shields!

ORBITAL DRILL
The Orbital Drill is a satellite that fires a death beam from space! The beam automatically tracks nearby enemies, scorching anything that it touches. There is no better way to force a monster off a kill.

View patch notes here
Dec 17, 2015
Evolve now features a psychotic, homicidal robot named Emet
Evolve Stage 2

Turtle Rock has added a new Hunter to its asymmetric shooter Evolve named Emet, a medical drone that's been "repurposed" for combat. Naturally, the upgrade process didn't go entirely smoothly, and so Emet suffers from a sort of robotic split-personality disorder that's left it part extra-helpful Claptrap, and part HK-51, but more homicidally unhinged.

"E.M.E.T. drones are used throughout the galaxy whenever disaster strikes and injured people need medical attention," the Evolve website explains. "They are reliable medical techs but not very good in battle situations, so Jack shoved a death commando logic core into this one!"

Emet packs a Replay Cannon that tags a target with an explosive dart and then launches several rapid-fire homing missiles at it. He carries Healing Buoys into battle that will regenerate health in nearby allies, and a Respawn Beacon that teleports Hunters into combat directly from the Dropshop, thereby reducing respawn times to 30 seconds. He also has, when he's in murder-mode, a very foul mouth.

Emet launched yesterday alongside Evolve update 7, which features various fixes and balance tweaks, the addition of colorblind support, and plans for two free Hunter adaptations, Wasteland Maggie and Tech Sgt. Hank. Unfortunately for Turtle Rock and 2K, neither the android nor the update appear as though they'll do much to resurrect Evolve: The free weekend in September drove relatively strong numbers for that month, but its average player count over the past 30 days has sunk to just 333—well outside the lower limits of Steam's top 100 game rankings,

Dec 17, 2015
Daily Deal - Evolve, 66% Off
Evolve Stage 2 - Valve
Today's Deal: Save 66% on Evolve!*

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

*Offer ends Saturday at 10AM Pacific Time
...