Today, Turtle Rock rolled out a new update for Evolve — which was recently rebranded Evolve Stage 2 as part of its move to a free-to-play game — that includes a new playable Hunter, balance changes, a new "try before you buy" option and new advanced Hunter tutorials. Turtle Rock also says it's taking some "first steps towards improving widespread community issues on matchmaking and leavers."
Evolve's newest Hunter is Quantum Caira, a variation on the Medic Caira Diaz. You can see her in action in the trailer above, but here's a rundown of her abilities.
- Proton Field - Deploys a zone that damages enemies over time. Multiple fields stack.
- Regeneration Field - Deploys a Generyst zone that heals each nearby Hunter over time. Multiple Regeneration Fields stack.
- Neutron Barrier - Applies a short damage-resistance buff to all nearby Hunters.
- Generyst II Field - Heals hunters and damages monsters in the area for the duration of the effect.
Quantum Caira's rollout is part of a monthlong "Shear Madness" update for Evolve. Five updates over five weeks will add three additional character adaptations, three new map variants, a new cooperative game mode, and community-requested features and quality of life improvements, Turtle Rock said.
Evolve went free-to-play last month after more than a year as a traditional retail title. Turtle Rock co-founders Chris Ashton and Phil Robb said at the time they were giving the game "a vigorous overhaul" to bring back the game's "magic." Since then, the game has seen a massive increase in its player base, jumping from 100 to 200 average players per month to more than 15,000. On its website, Turtle Rock says Evolve now has more than 2 million players worldwide.
