How are race changes handled in the first 48 hours of the round?

[I_like_pie]

No, that will vary based on join date. For example, somebody who joins 5 ticks before the round starts will have 43 ticks to get a “free” race change. See below:

Evolution

So an extra race change would still be possible for late pre-round joiners, but only once. This is a reasonable tradeoff for the disadvantage and risk of joining pre-round late.

In other words, everybody can change their race within the first 48 hours, but whether or not it is free depends on your join date. The game will show you 2 different interfaces for this too, so you’ll know if you’re spending an evolution.