Gundam Evolution will shut down this November

By Tomas Franzese July 20, 2023

Bandai Namco’s free-to-play Gundam FPS Gundam Evolution will shut down service this November.

Announced and released last year, Gundam Evolution is a team-based FPS inspired by games like Overwatch where players fight against each other while also completing objectives in teams of six. Digital Trends enjoyed the game, with reviewer DeAngelo Epps giving it a three-and-a-half star review and writing “Gundam Evolution brings enough unique twists to make it a true contender in the team hero shooter genre.” Sadly, it doesn’t seem that the free-to-play game could attract many players, with Steam Charts showing its 24-hour player count being just 657 players.

“We wanted to create a title that brought FPS fans and Gundam fans together. We challenged ourselves to create an authentic Gundam FPS game that could be played globally. Unfortunately, we have determined that it is no longer possible for us to provide a service that satisfies our players,” executive producer Kazuya Maruyama wrote in a blog post about the shutdown on the game’s website. “We want to express our gratitude to everyone who has played the game and supported us to this point. At the same time, we would like to sincerely apologize to our fans and players.”

Service for Gundam Evolution will end at 5 p.m. PT on November 29, while the sale of in-game EVO Coins currency will stop at 6 p.m. on July 26. Bandai Namco isn’t offering any refunds for money spent on the game. At least Gundom Evolution actually has a bit of new content coming before it shuts down. On August 23, Season 6 of the game will begin and introduce one new unit and two new maps; then, on October 25, Season 7 will introduce Gundam Evolution’s final new unit and map.

Gundam Evolution is available for free across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S until November 29. It will not be playable after that date.

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Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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Lego Brawls pushes the boundaries of what a Smash Bros. clone can be

The cast of Lego Brawls stands together in this game's key art.

Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series single-handedly created the platform fighter subgenre of fighting games. As such, a lot of games try to replicate its formula almost completely, especially mechanics like the wavedash from Super Smash Bros. Melee. While the makers of many Smash clones seem to feel like they need to be exactly like Nintendo’s classic series in order to entice players, Lego Brawls showed me that doesn’t have to be the case at Summer Game Fest Play Days.
Just as MultiVersus did last month, Lego Brawls demonstrates that games inspired by Super Smash Bros. can still have a unique gameplay identity. From being able to customize your characters and attacks to having unique modes not found in any other game in the genre, Lego Brawls looks like it's a fun Smash-like time for the whole family, even if it probably won’t be the top game at EVO anytime soon.
LEGO Brawls - Announcement Trailer
Building blocks
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Speaking of Mario Kart, some stages even have vehicles to drive, and these often provide a nice way to shake up a battle.

Lego Brawls' also has modes that players can't find in other Smash clones. A more traditional free-for-all mode lets players fight to be the last one standing on a small stage. But Lego Brawl's primary focus is actually on bigger maps that support modes like one where two teams of four try to hold capture points and another where eight players compete to defeat as many other players as possible within a time limit. These modes show just how much potential there is within the platform fighter genre outside of just competitively trying to ring out opponents.
A new era of Smash clones
Last month, MultiVersus impressed me because of its primary 2v2 setup and abilities that made it feel really different to play from Smash. With deep customization and those varied modes, Lego Brawls does the same. It doesn't seem like that deep of a fighting game, but that also means it will be easy for players of any skill level to pick up and play.

Gaming

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Jotaro Kujo stands before a battle in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R.

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To be continued
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JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R - Early Access Demo
Even the voiceovers and character models got updates to match the voice acting and styles fans will remember from the anime. We don't get many video games based on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, so it's nice to see this one put in extra care to respect the source material and improve upon the original release. That said, graphics will only get you so far in a fighting game. It's the gameplay mechanics that really ensure a fighting game lives or dies.
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Gaming

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Luffy and the Straw Hat pirates walk through a forest in One Piece Odyssey.

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One Piece Odyssey - Announcement Trailer
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