Evolve’s free-to-play variant will be shutting down in September

Dedicated servers are gone, too

Publisher 2K games announced, yesterday, that Evolve Stage 2, the free-to-play variant of the game will be shutting down its servers on September 3, 2018. This will render the free version obsolete and close down all dedicated servers and leaderboards along with shuttering the in-game store. Ranked play is also getting the ax. Virtual currency bundles will be removed on June 2, 2018, but any content you’ve purchased will remain with you. If you intend to buy monsters, skins or guns, you’ll need to do so before the closure date if you have any money left on your account.

What will remain from Evolve is, basically, the paid version and peer-to-peer matchmaking. This won’t affect console players since Evolve never went free-to-play for PS4 or Xbox One. PC gamers, though, will have to jump through some hoops to get into Legacy Evolve (a.k.a. the original version). I’ve included a screengrab of the steps required, but you can also check if you’d rather read it on your tablet or phone.

Not everything is being lost; Solo matches with AI teammates will still be available as is Quick Play, Evacuation, and custom games. In all honesty, this sounds perfectly fine to me, but this move will more than likely spell the end for Evolve. If even a free version of the game couldn’t entice players back, I don’t see how shifting back to a paid option will get more players on board.

[2K Support]