Darwin Project free-to-play is now available on Steam, with developer Scavengers Studio having decided to move away from the paid-for entry model. As we’ve seen with Fortnite, and most recently Radical Heights, a battle royale title that goes free-to-play can attract a lot of attention from curious players.
Like other battle royale games, Darwin Project pits players against each other until only one is left standing. What makes this title unique, however, is the ability for players to track enemies using environmental clues. The cold environment is also a major hazard that has to be considered and planned for. Then there’s the “Show Director,” which gives a player the role of controlling the arena and dropping bombs, traps and other nasty surprises for the contenders battling below to deal with. With a big emphasis on spectator and player interaction — stream viewers can actually influence the game in a big way — Darwin Project can make for a great Twitch title.
Scavengers Studio has explained that the change to free-to-play is in response to the community “report[ing] longer queue times and difficulty finding matches in lesser populated servers.” And so, “to bring in new players and maintain a level of activity that ensures players are able to get the most of out of Darwin Project, [the developer] has decided to make it more accessible by removing the price tag.”
The early adopters that paid for the game will be getting compensated with a “Founder’s Pack.” This will be awarded on April 24 and contains two Legendary sets, two Legendary Axes, three Legendary Bows, a full jumpsuit collection, and five Fan Gifts. This should help those players stand out amongst the newbies!
The developer has assured players that Darwin Project will never be pay-to-win, with all paid-for premium items being cosmetic and never offering a competitive advantage.
[via Steam Community]
