Set on an alien planet in the distant future, gamers hunt their prey in adrenaline-pumping 4v1 matches. Players experience Evolve as a first-person shooter when playing cooperatively as the four hunters, while they control the monster in the third-person perspective, providing a gameplay experience unique to Evolve.

Play as the Monster to use savage abilities and an animalistic sense to kill your human enemies, or choose one of four Hunter classes (Trapper, Support, Assault and Medic) and team up to take down the beast on the planet Shear, where flora and fauna act as an adversary to Hunter and Monster alike. Evolve includes three Monsters, 12 Hunters, 16 maps, and four game modes: Hunt, Nest, Rescue, and Defend.

Evolve as you know it has been completely overhauled and is being re-launched on PC today as Evolve Stage 2, with new game design, gameplay mechanics, and improved gameplay balance and system performance. Not only that, but starting today you can play Evolve Stage 2 completely FREE on PC via Steam.

Back in late 2016 Turtle Rock Studios revealed that it had been pulled off further development/support on Evolve by 2k Games, and on Sept. 3, 2018 Evolve’s dedicated servers will be shutting down 

Hello, everyone.

Evolve’s dedicated servers will be shutting down on September 3, 2018. This means several game features will no longer be available, such as Hunt (Ranked), leaderboards, and the in-game store. Stage 2 will no longer be available on PC, and players will have plenty of opportunity to spend their in-game and virtual currency before the store is removed. Peer-to-peer multiplayer will still be available in Legacy Evolve on PC and console, and we’d like to stress that all players will retain all purchased DLC content, such as Hunters, Monsters, and skins.

Here's a timeline of the planned server shutdown

• July 2, 2018: Virtual currency bundles removed from Evolve Stage 2 and will no longer be available for purchase
• September 3, 2018: Dedicated servers shut down, Evolve Stage 2 no longer available, in-game store no longer available 

Can I still play Evolve?

• Yes, if you purchased Evolve, you’ll be able to access Legacy Evolve after the dedicated servers are shut down. The free-to-play PC version, Evolve Stage 2, will not be available. See below for details on how to access Legacy Evolve.

What about my Gold and Silver Keys?

• Evolve Stage 2’s Gold Keys will be available to purchase via the in-game store until July 2, 2018. Gold and Silver Keys can be used to purchase Monsters, Hunters, and skins until September 3, 2018 when the dedicated servers are shut down and the in-game store becomes unavailable. Players will keep all purchased Monsters, Hunters, and skins, which can be accessed through the retail version of Evolve, AKA Legacy Evolve.

What will happen to the content I paid for?

• Players will keep all purchased Monsters, Hunters, and skins after the server shutdown on September 3, 2018. Be sure to spend your in-game currency as the store closes along with the servers on September 3. All content can be accessed through Legacy Evolve, which is the original retail version of Evolve.

How do I access Legacy Evolve?

• CONSOLE: To access the Legacy Evolve on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, just launch the game like you normally would.
• PC: Check out this link for instructions on how to access Legacy Evolve on PC.

What features will still be functional in Legacy Evolve?

• Multiplayer -
  • Peer-to-peer multiplayer: Players will be able to team up and play against each other through peer-to-peer matchmaking. Players are also able to use the party-up feature to create games.
    • Quick Play
      • Hunt
      • Nest
      • Rescue
      • Defend
      • Arena
    • Evacuation
    • Custom games
  • Single Player (solo vs. AI) –
    • Evacuation
    • Quick Play
    • Custom games
  • My2K login access
  • Access to all hunters, monsters, purchased DLC, skins & player badges

What features are going away?

• Hunt (Ranked)
  • Players will still be able to play Hunt by going into Quick play and Custom games
• Player Profile data
• Leaderboards will no longer be populated with player data
• The in-game store will be removed
• The newsfeed will be unavailable
• Player Badges will be unavailable

2K Games' statement

It’s been four months since we began the Evolve Stage 2 experiment, and in that time the team at Turtle Rock Studios has worked tirelessly to improve and expand the experience. The result is the best, most complete version of Evolve ever. Today, Turtle Rock finishes development on the project and has transitioned day-to-day server operation to 2K, as we take the operation of the Evolve franchise fully in-house.

Evolve Stage 2 will continue to be free-to-play on PC and players can expect the in-game experience to remain the same, as we continue to experiment with the business model. We’ll also continue to evaluate the possibility of bringing the Stage 2 experience to consoles in the future, though right now our focus is on bringing in new players and maintaining the game’s audience on PC.

We’d like to thank Chris Ashton, Phil Robb, and the rest of the Turtle Rock Studios team that have poured their heart and soul into one of the most unique and heart-pounding gaming experiences this industry has ever seen. We couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished together with Evolve and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Haven’t tried Evolve Stage 2 yet? Download and play for free on Steam.