Hunt: Showdown 1896 News

Post Malone's Murder Circus is Coming to Hunt!

Our biggest event to date is just around the corner, coming on December 12th!

#HuntShowdown1896 #PostMalonesMurderCircus #HuntPartner

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Along with the many other fixes and new features coming to Hunt with Update 2.2, we are also introducing improvements to our Hunter Evolution System. Designed to deepen the identity and progression of your Hunters, the new system has been revamped with enhanced progression tracking and more. Here’s an in-depth look at the evolution of this system, why changes were made, and what you can expect to see in the future.

[h3]The Original Recruitment System [/h3]

Previously, the recruitment system offered players two primary methods of acquiring new Hunters. You could directly purchase empty-handed Legendary Hunters with random Traits using Hunt Dollars or select from a random roster of rotating regular Hunters, all of whom varied in their gear, Traits, appearances, and names. These Hunters were organized into tiers, with early recruits appearing simple and inexperienced, while higher-tiered options displayed the grizzled, battle-worn look of seasoned veterans.

[h3]Changes with Update 2.0 [/h3]

With the launch of update 2.0, we simplified recruitment. We provided a consistent selection of four free Hunters with random basic equipment, while others became purchasable using Hunt Dollars, but were recruited with random traits and no gear.

This change also retired many beloved Hunter models, which had become iconic within the community as we updated them visually to take advantage of new tech our engine integration provided.

[h3]Changes Coming in Update 2.2 [/h3]

We’re expanding the evolution and recruitment systems to include more characters and new progression features. From the release of Update 2.2, you can expect to see the following:

• 18 Unlockable new Hunters: Players can now permanently unlock a roster of 18 Survivor and Hunters skins by progressing through the Rookie ranks. This will see the return of many fan-favorite Hunters, updated and adjusted to their new role as upgraded variants of existing Rookies.
  
• Progression-Based Unlocks:
  • Reaching Level 50 with any Rookie Hunter unlocks their Survivor Hunter tier.
    
  • Reaching Level 50 with any Survivor Hunter unlocks their Veteran Hunter tier.
  
  These progression rewards are permanent unlocks and persist through Prestige, allowing players to recruit more and more of these advanced Hunters as they progress through the game.
  
• Enhanced Progression Tracking:
  
  • A new Hunter Progression Screen lets players view all unlockable Hunters in one place.
    
  • Individual Hunter Progression Screens track progress and preview specific Hunters available in your line up

[h3]Hunters Progression in 2.2 [/h3]

Here’s the lineup of Rookie Hunters that offer Survivor and Veteran variant progression after the next big update:

• Default Bloodline Unlocks:
  • Oliver Whitman
    
  • Jane Eddings
• Unlockable at Bloodline Ranks:
  • Antonia Higuera (Rank 5)
    
  • Mercy Zener (Rank 34)
    
  • Ambrose Hazen (Rank 50)
    
  • Leon Ulitsky (Rank 75)
    
  • Joan Damon (Rank 90)
• Prestige Unlocks:
  • Jesse Buchanan (Prestige Rank 1)
    
  • Laura Gottschalk (Prestige Rank 3)

[h3]Why We Made Changes [/h3]

The updated system aimed to address several challenges:

Enhancing Player Experience: By introducing a structured progression from Rookie to Survivor to Veteran, we are able to allow players to see tangible growth in their Hunter roster. This evolution reflects the Hunters’ increasing experience and resilience, while creating a deeper connection between you and your favorite Hunters.

Streamlined Experience and Consistency: The new streamlined approach simplifies recruitment, enabling better oversight and a more unified, fair experience for all players.

Fostering Hunter Identity: Replacing generic recruits with distinct Hunters who possess unique identities and clear progressions not only deepens emotional engagement but also rewards you with a greater sense of accomplishment as your favorite Hunters evolve over time.

[h3]A Growing System [/h3]

The Hunter Evolution System is a significant step forward in not only improving player experience and clarity, but in building individual stories behind your favorite Hunters as they survive in the unforgiving world of Hunt.

We’re excited to hear your feedback on these changes and the direction of the Hunter Evolution System. Let us know your thoughts once update 2.2 goes live!

Coming in our next big content update, we’re introducing a new mechanic: ammo scarcity.
This change will allow us to cycle specific custom ammo types and items in and out of
availability, helping us fine-tune the game's balance, shift the meta, and encourage an even
wider range of unique player strategies.

[h3]What Is Ammo Scarcity?[/h3]
In Update 2.2, certain custom ammo types will gain the status of "Scarce", similar to our
Scarce Traits system. When an ammo type is marked as Scarce:

• It will no longer be available for purchase in the store
  
• Players can still pick it up during missions
  
• Existing inventory of the affected ammo types can still be used
  

[h3]What Ammo Has Been Marked Scarce?[/h3]
For Update 2.2, the following custom ammo types will receive scarcity status:

• Dolch 96 FMJ & Dumdum
  
• Centennial Dumdum
  
• Scottfield Dumdum
  
• Nagant Officer Dumdum
  
• Caldwell Conversion Dumdum
  

This change comes as we try to reach a good balance between the prevalence and power
level of certain ammo types. Some ammunitions dominate weapon choices through clear
advantages, which means less loadout variety and interest.

The new system we have adopted by making these ammo types discoverable but not easily
purchasable, transforms them into exceptional, valuable bonuses, instead of consistent
go-to choices. We're aiming to increase loadout variety and make the weapons that do
have specific ammo types available for purchase stand out.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts as we roll out these changes with Update 2.2. We want to experiment more with Scarce ammo types in future releases.

The Steam Awards Have Returned!

You have the chance to nominate the best and brightest games of the year.

We want to thank you all for your support and hope you will nominate us for the “Labor of Love” award.

You can find out more information here: https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/nominations

Last week, we all learned that Grammy-nominated songwriter Post Malone's favorite FPS is Hunt: Showdown 1896, telling Crytek in an interview that he's logged 400 hours in the extraction shooter since he discovered the game this year. Now we know what Malone and Crytek's new friendship was building to: a new season of Hunt called Post Malone's Murder Circus...
Read more.