Evolve is going free-to-play on PC

The speculation was correct – online shooter Evolve is dropping its upfront price on PC.

A F2P beta is due to go live today, with the idea being to test server loads and experiment with new ideas on what sounds like could be the long path to full release.

Those who previously paid full price fro the game will be granted ‘Founder’ status, meaning they retain access to content that will soon be premium. Unspecified special treatment is also promised.

There’s no word yet on when the console versions can expect a similar change.

We’ve been listening and now we’re taking Evolve in the direction that a lot of you have suggested since the beginning. We’re making Evolve free on PC. No buy-in or box required,” a statement from Turtle Rock co-founders Chris Ashton and Phil Robb stated.

Making Evolve free on PC is going to be a process that takes time and a lot of hard work, but we believe in Evolve and we believe in you, our players and want to do what’s best for both. As part of our promise to recapture the magic and improve the Evolve experience across-the-board, we’re going to ratchet up our communication with the community. We have lived and breathed Evolve for over four years and we feel like we are just getting started.”

Of course, nearly all studios who transition a game from premium to F2P do so because it isn’t making as much money as they’d like, and the developer admits that the game hasn’t been the hit it had hoped for.

When Evolve launched, the reception wasn’t what we expected. Sure, there were some good reviews. There were also bad reviews. Yes, there was excitement. There was also disappointment – for players and for us,” it added. 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.

We want that magic back and we aim to make it happen. We’ve made a lot of changes, improvements and additions to Evolve over the past year and we’ve got a lot more coming. In short, we’re giving this game a vigorous overhaul.”