Hunt: Showdown 1896 News

31/08/2021 10:13 AM CEST Update

Hunters,

The PC servers are back online.

Hotfix#1 Notes can be found @ https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/594650/view/2940275543247400673

~Thank you for your patience, and Happy Hunting!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Hunters,

We will be bringing down PC Live servers Tomorrow, Aug 31th @ 9:00 AM CEST to deploy Hotfix #1 for Update 1.6.1.1

If you are playing at this time, please make sure to extract to save your Hunter and match progression.

Estimated Downtime: ~2 Hours

We'll make a post with the Hotfix notes once the server are back online.

Thanks
~The Hunt Team

The beginning of Hunt: Showdown's Light the Shadow event celebrates two exciting milestones for the game: the debut of the hunting bow, and the addition of four Legendary Indigenous Hunters – both long-standing community requests. Today we want to take a closer look at some of the historical context surrounding the creation of those new Legendary characters.

You won't find Stillwater Bayou, Lawson Delta, or DeSalle on any map, but in the world of Hunt, they are located in Louisiana. The Chitimacha were the original inhabitants of that area, and the Atakapa, Caddo, Houma, Natchez, Choctaw, and Tunica are just a few of the peoples who inhabited other parts of what is now called Louisiana. What is there now and what was there in 1895 – the year in which Hunt: Showdown is set – would not exist if it weren't for the violent murder and displacement of those people.

[h3]Local History and Supernatural Fiction[/h3]

Though Hunt: Showdown is a work of supernatural fiction, those fictions are embedded in real-world history. We have chosen not to recreate the horrible discrimination, violence, or oppression visited upon Native people, Black people, and Asian people (and many others) during that time period in the United States in the Hunt in the name of entertainment. We want all players to enjoy our game without asking them to relive any of these traumas. But we are committed to acknowledging them.

At the time of the arrival of the first European colonizers on the continent in 1492, there were between 5 and 15 million people already living there. By the end of the American-Indian Wars in the late 19 th century, there were fewer than 238,000 of those people remaining.

The Chitimacha originally settled the Bayou region of Louisiana around 500 AD. In the early 1700s, war and conflict with French and Spanish colonizers nearly annihilated the entire Chitimacha population, with many of the survivors forced into slavery. During the twelve years of conflict at the beginning of the 1700s, the Chitimacha were the most enslaved population in Louisiana, according to the tribal history recounted on the Chitmacha's website. Though Chitimacha land rights were recognized and provided protection through the U.S.C. Title 25, those protections and claims were violated again and again by the U.S. government in the following centuries. It was not until 1916 that the tribe was officially recognized by the U.S. government.

During the 1800s, officially sanctioned displacement programs continued this destruction across the country. The so-called Indian Removal Act, which was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson in 1830, is a particularly nasty example. This law demanded that Native populations leave their land and move west to make room for colonists. Those who refused were forced into what became a death march – later known as the Trail of Tears – during which thousands were displaced and thousands more died.

So it was with the aim to acknowledge this historical context – even if only peripherally – that we approached the creation of the four Native American Hunters that have joined the Hunter cast this month.

[h3]Behind the Narrative Scenes: Creating Legendary Characters[/h3]

In creating any new Legendary character for Hunt, we always need to balance several concerns. Every new character should both plausibly fit our concept of a person alive in 1895, as well as our concept of a Legendary Hunter. We also have to take into account various gameplay, visual, and technical requirements – things that shape every creative decision we make developing Hunt. Sometimes you end up with a pretty weird framework you have to work within. That is part of the fun of the job, but it can pose a big challenge, particularly when historical nuance is important. The point? There is a delicate balance between historical accuracy and game requirements to be considered with every narrative decision.

So, while we aim to ground our characters in history – both narratively and visually – any attempt at historical accuracy is shaped both by the framework of game design and by the inaccuracies and biases of the historical record. We could theoretically argue about the verisimilitude of a character's boots or face paint or hairstyle. What is inarguable is the devastating effect of colonial violence on Indigenous populations – effects that continue to have far-reaching consequences to this day.

When it came to the creation of Hunt's Native American characters, we decided that we would prioritize acknowledging that bigger historical picture. Every Indigenous person alive in 1895 would have been shaped by the displacement, the violence, and the discrimination visited upon them by colonists for generations. So, you will find that the Teche Wraith's family fled to the margins to avoid forced relocation, developing their own strategies to survive. The Exile's story is shaped by a cross-generational rage and sorrow at the same systematic displacement.

Are our characters historically accurate? That's a tricky question, and a philosophical rabbit hole that brings up arguments about the accuracy of the historical record itself. Yes and no. We have used history as a springboard from which to plunge into a fictional world, where monsters roam the Bayou, and anybody with a weapon and a death wish can make a few bucks hunting them. Hunt's characters are grounded in history, but they live in fiction.

[h3]Your Hunt Story[/h3]

Within Hunt's fictional framework, Indigenous people most certainly would have been Hunters, with their own culturally based interpretations of the situation at hand, and their own methodology for handling it. One of the main features of Hunt's story is that Hunters come from every walk of life – from every religion, from every culture, from every part of the world. Any you don't see in the game, well, we just haven't gotten to them yet. Every Hunter interprets the Louisiana situation through the lens of their own cultural and religious beliefs, and the same would be the case for any Indigenous Hunter.

The details of many of those cultural interpretations we have left up to our player's imaginations. They are your stories to live and to tell, as you fight your way through the Bayou every match. One thing, however, unifies them – a desire, whatever the reason, to rid the Bayou of those monstrous interlopers, to drive the horrors that infest the area out of the shadows where they thrive, and into the light.

[h3]Further Reading[/h3]
We'd like to encourage you to read more about the real-life history of Louisiana's original inhabitants, and what they have to say about it in their own words. There is only so much nuance that can be fit into a 40-word character description and a blog post, and we are talking about a history spanning centuries. Here are a few places to start:

Chitimacha History – chitimacha.gov
Coushatta History – koasatiheritage.org
Jena Band of Choctaw Website – www.jenachoctaw.org
Tunica-Biloxi History – www.tunicabiloxi.org

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Don't own Hunt yet? Get your copy for PC on Steam or from the Crytek shop. For Xbox, head to the MicrosoftStore, and for PS4, find Hunt on the PlayStationStore.

Got queries or questions? Stop by our social media channels and let us know:

Discord + XboxClub + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram + Xbox + Steam

They have been watching you, Hunters. They've seen every victory and defeat at the hands of the bayou. Heard of every monster you have had to face; human or otherwise. While they admit they're impressed by the work you've done these past few years, they're finally ready to show you what they can do.

Native American Hunters are entering the Bayou and with them the Light the Shadows Event! To celebrate their arrival, Hunters will get to travel two paths to earn Legendary weapons, Blood Bonds, Hunt Dollars, and the chance for two Legendary Native American Hunters to join your ranks. Which route will you take first: The Path of the Hunting Bow or the Path of the Throwing Axe? The choice is yours and the rewards are bountiful. If you manage to finish the first path you choose, you can return and travel the second.

As for how the rest of the event works, keep reading:

[h2]Path One: Pierce the Shadow
[/h2]
Many say the Hunting Bow is as old as humanity. Lovingly crafted by deft hands trained by generations, the bow will rarely fail you in a fight, and its arrows might even find their way back to you.

By choosing the Path of the Hunting Bow first, and destroying your targets with this old faithful weapon, you'll earn special ammo like the Concertina Arrows, traits like Hundred Hands, and recruit Legendary Hunter “The Exile." See a full list of rewards below:

• Two 25-Proof Vapours
  
• Hunting Bow
  
• Hunting Bow Ammo: Poison Arrows
  
• Hunting Bow Trait: Dewclaw
  
• Legendary Conversion Pistol “Faultless"
  
• Hunting Bow Ammo: Concertina Arrows
  
• Legendary Hunting Bow “The Wayfinder"
  
• Hunting Bow Trait: Hundred Hands
  
• Hunting Bow Ammo: Frag Arrows
  
• Legendary Hunter “The Exile"
  

Complete this path before the end of the event and you'll have the opportunity to take the Path of the Throwing Axe. But be warned: Your Event Points don't carry over and you'll be starting again from 0.

[h2]Path Two: Cleave the Shadow
[/h2]What better marriage of metal and wood than an axe? Take aim, take a breath, and throw so you can watch it spin through the air and bite into its target. Throwing axes are sold in pairs, so the discerning Hunter can send a barrage death towards their enemies.

By choosing the Path of the Throwing Axe first, and destroying targets with its gleaming blade, you'll earn Hunt Dollars, traits like Assailant, and recruit Legendary Hunter “The Third Son." See a full list of rewards below:

• Two 25-Proof Vapours
  
• Throwing Axe
  
• 500 Hunt Dollars
  
• 50 Blood Bonds
  
• Legendary Winfield Marksman “Bayou Phoenix"
  
• 1000 Hunt Dollars
  
• Legendary Throwing Axe “Tomahawk"
  
• Throwing Axe Trait: Assailant
  
• 150 Blood Bonds
  
• Legendary Hunter “The Third Son"
  

Complete this path before the end of the event and you'll have the opportunity to take the path of the Hunting Bow. But be warned: Your Event Points don't carry over and you'll be starting again from 0.

[h2]How to Earn Event Points
[/h2]Event Points speed up your progression and speeding up your progression will get you event-gear faster. After you've completed one path, you may start on the other to gain even more rewards.

You can earn Event Points by:

• Extinguishing Pyres (2 Event Points)
  
• Killing a Hive with a Hunting Bow (2 Event Points)
  
• Killing an Armored with a Throwing Axe (2 Event Points)
  
• Activating Event Wards (4 Event Points)
  
• Killing a boss (4 Event Points)
  
• Looting Hunter Corpses (5 Event Points)
  

After the event is over, any Event Points you have leftover (up to 10,000) will be converted automatically to Hunt Dollars.

When progressing through your first path, there will be daily caps on the amount of Event Points that can be earned, and you will receive Hunter XP instead once the cap is reached.

[h2]How Vapours Work
[/h2]Any Hunter worth their salt knows that health is of the utmost importance to keep up the fight. Why not trust the best physician in Louisiana and try The Doctor's Vapours? It'll help you gain more Event Points and taking it with your team will ensure the effects multiply and make you all masters of the bayou. This all-natural formula is made from local ingredients that not only ensure quality - but make those special event items visible in Dark Sight. So why not give The Doctor's Vapours a try?

To put it simply: Vapours will boost Event Points for you and your entire team during the match when used if you haven't reached the daily cap. At the same time, Vapours allow you to see event items like Pyres and Wards highlighted at greater distances in Dark Sight up to 70 meters away. Vapours will only be available during the event. Check it out:

• 15-Proof Vapours – 15% Event Point boost for the match, see event items 5 meters further to a maximum of 70 meters in Dark Sight, price: 40 Blood Bonds
  
• 25-Proof Vapours – 25% Event Point boost for the match, see event items 10 meters further to a maximum of 70 meters in Dark Sight: 80 Blood Bonds
  
• 50-Proof Vapours – 50% Event Point boost for the match, see event items 15 meters further to a maximum of 70 meters in Dark Sight, price: 130 Blood Bonds
  

Get Vapours in the roster or in the event store, and use them during a match, like you would any other consumable. Have everyone on your team use them, or use multiple yourself, to stack the Event Point boost and range.

Dark Sight will be capped at 70 meters with the Vapours and they do not boost Hunter XP once the daily cap is reached. However, keep using them to help your teammates who haven't reached their daily cap. Any Vapours left after the event is over will be refunded for their Blood Bond value.

[h2]After the Event
[/h2]If you were able to get a hold of the Hunting Bow and/or the Throwing Axe during the event then they're yours, Hunter. There is only the matter of when you get to use them: During the event, once you get the Hunting Bow or Throwing Axe, they are available for the events duration and will stay with the player regardless of rank even after the event. If you prestige during the event the weapons, traits, and specialty ammo will stay unlocked and usable. If you prestige after the event, the Hunting Bow and Throwing Axe will go away, and you'll have to wait until you reach the necessary rank to use them once more in the Hunt. The Hunting Bow is unlocked at Rank 54 while the Throwing Axe is a variant of the Combat Axe available at Rank 1. Hunting Bow Ammo can be unlocked by killing mobs, bosses, and other Hunters with the Hunting Bow.

[h2]Event Hunter and Gear[/h2]
[h3]The Exile
[/h3]
An artist with leather, bone, and shell, Delphine returned to her ancestral home to find work, instead finding a corruption against which she vowed to fight with axe, blade, and bow.

[h3]The Third Son
[/h3]
The third son of a third son of a third son, Nahotabi was endowed with notable strength, a brazen manner, and preternatural skill in hand-to-hand combat. By day, a dedicated, curious, and quiet librarian; by night, a silent and deadly terror with pistol or blade.

[h3]Faultless
[/h3]
Once an heirloom of the Akune family, this Caldwell Conversion Pistol has taken its share of knocks. On her return, The Exile sought it out, finding it the perfect tool to right wrongs.

[h3]The Wayfinder
[/h3]
Quiet as a chill gust of wind heralding a hurricane, the snap of this bow's string ushers in the inescapable destruction of The Exile, finding her way home.

[h3]Bayou Phoenix
[/h3]
Ornamented with every shade found within the heart of a blazing fire, this Winfield M1873C Marksman is said to always find its way back into the bayou, ready to rise to any occasion.

[h3]Tomahawk
[/h3]
The Tomahawk takes its name from the Algonquian word for cutting tool. In the bayou, this throwing axe continues the fight for life.

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Don't own Hunt yet? Get your copy for PC on Steam or from the Crytek shop. For Xbox, head to the MicrosoftStore, and for PS4, find Hunt on the PlayStationStore.

Got queries or questions? Stop by our social media channels and let us know:

Discord + XboxClub + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram + Xbox + Steam

For the next month, Hunt: Showdown will be all about mastering the bow and arrow and heading into the Bayou in search of event points. In return, you'll net yourself some new skins for the brand new in-game weapons and legendary hunters...
Read more.

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