It looks like the verdict is conclusively out- Evolve, the asymmetric multiplayer action game by Turtle Rock Studios, is no longer able to earn its keep, and support for it will be discontinued. Shocking though the news is, coming as it does just months after the game went free to play on PC, there will be many who probably saw this coming.

“It’s always hard to leave one of our games behind,” studio co-founders Phil Robb and Chris Ashton wrote on the game’s forum. “Left4Dead was no different and now it’s Evolve’s turn. There will always be a special place in our hearts for our past projects. No matter what happens with Evolve in the future, we’ll know it was born in this studio and developed by this team alongside this beautiful community.”

Robb and Ashton sounded a bit dejected at the prospect of another one of their games being taken away from them so early, decrying the fact that they don’t get to call the shots on their own games since theiy don’t own the IP.

“This is the life of AAA game developers who aren’t self-funded and don’t own their own IP. We don’t get to make the call. We all know that going in but we still sign the dotted line because we love what we do. We are happy to have gotten the opportunity to do something risky, something new and innovative. We created a brand new Sci-Fi world. We got to go to planet Shear and interact with alien flora and fauna. We got to hunt down, trap and kill giant monsters together. We got to BE the monster. What an awesome experience.”

That said, they don’t seem to hold any grudges against the publishers. They went on to thank THQ, who had originally picked up the game before they went bankrupt, and current publisher 2K both, for making the game happen. But more than that, they thank their player base, such as it was.

“Most of all, we want to thank you, our players, for supporting Evolve and Evolve: Stage 2, many of you from the very beginning,” the continued. “You embraced our vision and fell in love with it just as we did. We have learned so much from you. Thank you all for your feedback, your support and your dedication.”

As for what this means? Well, there will certainly be no future content or events for Evolve. There is a possibility that servers will be taken down for it some time soon, as well- that all depends on the publisher 2K, and how much money the game is losing them. They are unlikely to want to piss off the people who own the game on consoles, where it never transitioned to free to play.

Robb and Ashton, nonetheless, promise that this is not the end of Turtle Rock, and that they will return with a new game in the future some time.

Turtle Rock Studios’ Evolve Stage 2 has received the second portion of its “Shear Madness” event – a co-op map which pits four players against enemy AI.

Dubbed Operation The Deepest Dark, it sees four Hunters teaming up to battle wildlife and other horrors. The Queen of Gorgons has essentially taken over a Wraith facility and it’s up to your team to stop her, although her rapidly hatching minions don’t make things easier. There’s even a neat little story behind it to solve the mystery of the Queen’s arrival on the planet of Shear.

Evolve Stage 2 is currently available on Steam as a free to play and acts as a re-launch of the initial 4 vs. 1 PvP title from 2015. Though your previously purchased and unlocked skins carry over from before, it’s now possible to earn everything by simply playing through the game. Several skills and the overall progression have been reworked as well to accommodate the free to play experience.

Turtle Rock Studios continues to roll on with Evolve: Stage 2, it’s free to play version of Evolve that released recently. As part of the “Shear Madness” event, a new update called Cataclysm has been added that brings a brand new map into the fray.

It’s essentially a land of lava and fire with the sky covered in soot. Meteors fall from the heavens once matches begin and can leave area of effect damage where they land. Interestingly, since the planet seems to be using some of the Hunter’s healing tech, there will also be Generyst meteors that leave healing areas on impact. This can affect both the monster and Hunters.

The co-op mode allows for players vs. AI matchmaking which lets players battle against a squad of AI bots. 2K Games noted that, “This is the first of two co-op specific updates coming during Shear Madness and lays the groundwork for an all-new co-op mode coming later this month.” Players can look forward to more DLC thanks to the Shear Madness event in August.

What are your thoughts on Evolve: Stage 2 since its free to play launch? Let us know below.

Turtle Rock Studios’ Evolve: Stage 2, a relaunch of the original asymmetrical multiplayer title in a free to play format, has attracted its fair share of attention in the past week. It was noted on Twitter the game attracted one million new players since releasing on PC.

To celebrate this fact, players can claim Griffin’s Blood Eagle Hunter skin completely for free if you login to Evolve: Stage 2 from now to July 18th, 10 AM PT.

It should be noted that Evolve: Stage 2 is free on PC with no micro-transactions and all cosmetic items, Hunters and Monsters can be earned entirely in-game. If you already own the game, you receive access to everything unlocked/purchases from before with plans to provide “gifts, rewards and special access” to said fans.

The game is currently in the beta stage and will eventually head to consoles once Turtle Rock irons out all the bugs. What are your thoughts on Evolve: Stage 2? Let us know in the comments.

Turtle Rock Studios’ Evolve has now gone free to play on Steam and is now being referred to as Evolve Stage 2. Head here to download the beta, which includes seven Hunters, 24 Monsters and plenty of perks to unlock. Not a bad amount of content from the retail version, especially since it includes four maps that have been redesigned for the beta.

As for the Founders program, Turtle Rock has noted that if you own Evolve and bought DLC, these will carry over to Stage 2. Founders also get 3000 Silver Keys, past and future Hunters and Monsters and even exclusive cosmetic skins and badges in the future.

The developer will be keeping a close eye on the beta program and changing things accordingly based on feedback. The UI, maps and classes have already been changed based on player inputs. We’ll see what other maps and modes join the beta in the coming days but for now, it’s certainly appealing to try out for free.