After more than 7 weeks, fans of the 4vs1 shooter Evolve have been waiting for the first major patch, but now it is finally here. In addition to some significant balancing changes, 5 new playable characters, and two new maps, there are mainly numerous bug fixes and performance improvements, as well as measures against cheaters.
4 new Hunters and 1 new Monster
With Torvald, Sunny, Slim, and Crow, the Hunter team receives some upgrades and alternatives. The “Tier 4” Hunters can be purchased for €7.50 each, or as part of the season pass with some discounts. New weapon types, such as shield-piercing cannons or healing drones, are included in the repertoire, along with a jetpack booster that accelerates allied hunters.
But the Monster side is also getting an increase! For a proud €15, players can roll through the maps as Behemoth and leave a trail of fire and destruction. The hurling of magma projectiles and the creation of rock walls offer completely new tactical elements and provide much variety for those who have had enough of Goliath, Kraken, and Wraith.
2 new maps – Initially only on Xbox
Two new maps are available for all players for free – at least in theory. Until April 30, only Xbox players can try out the new maps, then PC and PlayStation owners will follow. Both maps are part of the “Broken Hill” complex, a large industrial facility on Shear. Unlike before, they are not set in the wilderness of the planet, but in the middle of a populated area, or in the large cave complex beneath the area. There are few wild animals, but there are nutrient-rich borium crates that the monster can break open and consume to grow further.
Both maps can also of course be played in the “Evacuation” campaign, where they trigger new, unique effects for winners and losers in the subsequent battle.
Balance changes: The Wraith gets nerfed!
The biggest changes will be made to the Wraith, whose mobility will be reduced and the lethality of its “Supernova” decreased, as it now lasts only half as long. The Kraken will be slightly weakened as well, the vortex now has a slightly increased cooldown period and no longer knocks hunters back as strongly as before.
The Hunters will also have to deal with changes: Markov’s arc mine does 20% less damage, can be destroyed faster, and becomes active later. Hyde’s gas grenade becomes stronger and can now also explode in the air, if it hits, for example, a flying Kraken. Caira, on the other hand, has to live with an extension of the cooldown time of her acceleration field, which is increased by a whopping 15 seconds.
Bug fixes: Many small bugs eliminated
Some sound bugs and issues that caused the game to crash in rare cases have been fixed, and measures have now been implemented against the “most well-known cheats,” which they do not want to elaborate on in detail. The list of small changes is long and generally leads to a rounder gaming experience.
For PC, the patch is a hefty 7.1 GB – anyone wanting to play in the near future should start the download in good time.
