Hunt: Showdown 1896 (Test Server) News

Hunters,

It is with great pleasure to introcude the 3rd map to come to Hunt: Showdown – Welcome to DeSalle!



[h2]DeSalle – map #3 [/h2]

[h3] Developer note: [/h3]

This update brings with it a massive addition, one that we are incredibly excited to bring to you all, our latest map: DeSalle.

Over the last few years, we have learned quite a lot from listening to you, the community, and have always tried to take your suggestions into consideration when making improvements to our maps. The same can be said for the creation and development of DeSalle.

While developing this map, we used the years of feedback that you have all provided to help with our brainstorming process and combined this with our own ideas to come up with something fresh, while still staying true to core atmosphere of Hunt – dark and foreboding.

DeSalle combines a lot of the best features of our past work and allowed us to build on top of that even further by adding urban and industrial areas. The added verticality and detailed new compounds should give you all lots of areas to explore and play around with, while ensuring we stay true to the variety of gameplay options that we strive to bring with every new addition to Hunt.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback on the new map!

See you in DeSalle!


[h2]New AI variant[/h2]

[h3] Miner Grunt [/h3]

• A mine worker variant of the standard grunt that can be found in specific locations in Desalle.
  
• All Miner grunts have a mining lamp that can be damaged:
  • When damaged – the lamp will burst into flames.
    
  • Extinguished lamps will create an ignitable oil pool.
    

Happy new map test hunting!

~The Hunt Team

Hunters,

Below are the notes for Update 1.6.

Please be aware, Update 1.6 is going to require a full client download for both the test and live servers. While we understand that a full download can be frustrating ,it is necessary in this instance.

Over the last few months, we have been working on improving many different aspects of Hunt, one of those being a focus on improving our security and internal anti-cheat measures. We have made some changes to the encryption of the pak files in Hunt, and these important changes are the reason why a full client download is required for everyone. We feel 1.6 is the best time to do this as the new map (coming very soon) also requires a large download (around 12GB), so this will allow us to do perform our security updates with as little impact as possible, as well as ensuring multiple large downloads will not be required in a short period of time. The total download will be around ~30GB.

Thanks for your understanding.



[h2]Displaying MMR and post-match Team Details [/h2]

Since our recent updates to the match making system (Update 1.5.2) we realized that there was a gap in how the game communicated player ratings.

To address this, we have added some new features to the lobby that will display the details of the MMR tied to you and your group (match MMR).

Important: Due to the configuration of the test server (there are no matchmaking brackets on test) please do not be surprised when you see very unbalanced matches. This feature will not display accurate information until it reaches the live server.

You can read more information in the full notes below in the UI section.




[h2]Audio [/h2]

[h3]General Improvements [/h3]

• Bullet’s Lullaby has been added to the main menu music rotation.
  
• Added boss audio effects to the accolades in the Summary screen when you have successfully extracted with the bounty. The audio effect will be determined by the boss that was available in the completed match.
  
• The menu ambience volume can now be controlled separately from the rest of the game sfx.
  
• Added sound effects when claiming entries in the Book of Weapons and Book of Monsters.
  
• Improvements made to the interior reverb and ambience through several building in Stillwater Bayou and Lawson Delta.
  
• Improvements made to the hunter footstep sound while in forests (improvements to the overall asset quality).
  

[h3]Audio Mixing Changes [/h3]

• Slightly reduced the slapback echo generated by the Terminus Shotguns.
  
• Improvements made to the audio compression and sonic quality.
  

[h2]Gunplay[/h2]

[h3]Medium and Long Ammo Maximum Ranges [/h3]

• Long ammo max range has been increased to 500m
  
• Medium ammo max range has been increased to 350m
  
• These changes have also resulted in changes the Effective Range for some weapons which will be visible in-game in the usual places.
  

[h3]Examples:[/h3]

• Effective range of the Sparks LRR has been increased to 347m (previously 250m).
  
• Effective range of the Vetterli 71 Karbiner increased to 184m (previously 167m).
  

[h3]Developer note:[/h3]

We have decided to increase the max range for certain bullet types in preparation for the new map: DeSalle. As you may have noticed from our teasers, DeSalle comes with some areas that offer more verticality and longer sightlines. We have felt that there have been situations (even on the other maps) where the previous 250m headshot range and 300m projectile range felt a bit too low when attempting those rare long-range shots.

This increase in overall range comes with a systemic side effect of a longer Effective Range for some weapons. We feel this will give a solid boost in performance to long ammo sniper rifles as well as adding more value to medium snipers (like the recently added Centennial Sniper), allowing for much fewer frustrating interactions (e.g headshots that do not result in a killing blow) for those that enjoy playing the long-range sniper challenges.


[h3]Semi-Automatic and Double Action Weapons [/h3]

Semi-Auto weapons now have increased sway with each shot fired in quick succession. This added sway value will decay over time allowing players to minimize the effect by carefully controlling and timing shots.

Weapons impacted by this change:

• Dolch and its variants.
  
• Bornheim No.3 and its variants.
  
• Nagant Officer and its variants.
  
• Crown & King Auto – 5.

[h3]Developer note:[/h3]

With this change we introduced new parameters which will help in balancing existing and future weapons even further. This allows us to differentiate weapons with similar characteristics more effectively (think Bornheim compared to Dolch). For example, the Dolch and its variants will have increased sway much faster (and to a higher maximum sway value) compared to the Bornheim. Whereas for the Nagant Officer variants, it will not be as noticeable, but will still have an impact.

This change means there is now more incentive to time your shots in ADS and keep the spamming to shoulder aim where the spread has an even bigger effect of their performance over distance.


[h3]Dolch 96 Balance Changes [/h3]

Animation

• Increased the full reload time (stripper clip) to 6 seconds (previously 5s).
  
• Increased the partial reload time (Single bullet) to 2 seconds (previously 1s).
  
• Fixed an issue where the Dolch 96 Precision stripper clip reload time was shorter than the base versions. Reload times have now been adjusted and aligned.
  

Performance

• Decreased damage to 97 (previously 110)
  
• Decreased Effective range to 78m (previously (86m)
  
• Decreased Handling stat for the Dolch 96 to 61% (previously 72%)
  
• Decreased Handling stat for the Dolch 96 Precision to 69% (previously 80%)
  

[h3]Developer notes:[/h3]

Our aim with every weapon in Hunt is to ensure that they feel as fair as possible while giving them best feeling from both sides of the kill. With this change, we want to alleviate some of the bias that the weapon has and acknowledge that it performed slightly too well in certain areas.

The decrease in damage lessens the overall effective range as well as making it more important to focus on hitting center mass due to the reduced “two-shot” kill range.

Additionally, individual shots have much more value tied to them due to the extra investment needed with reloading and controlling the sway. This means that a missed shot is now going to be more impactful against the shooter and allow for more opportunities to capitalize on their sloppiness.

The Dolch is a powerful weapon by nature, so we want to make sure that it still feels strong. However, its power should be harnessed and controlled by the shooter and not dominate any encounter by default.

[h3]Bornheim Match [/h3]

• Increased the base damage for the Bornheim Match to 80 (previously 74). This change also increases the damage for its custom ammo types.
  

[h3]Custom Ammo [/h3]

Full Metal Jacket

• Increased the damage drop off distance (able to deal damage over longer distances):
  
• In practice, this results in a slightly increased Effective Range (for headshots). Check the weapon stats in game for more details.
  

Dragonbreath

• Increased the damage and burning effect at close range.
  
• Still will not OHK (one-hit kill).
  

DumDum

• No longer has a reduction in damage over base ammo (except for the Nitro Express).
  

Incendiary

• No longer has a reduction in damage over base ammo.
  

[h3]Handling Stats [/h3]

• Decreased the Handling stat for the Crown & King Auto-5 to 78% (previously 89%).
  
• Decreased the Handling stat for the Dolch 96 to 61% (previously 72%).
  
• Decreased the Handling stat for the Dolch 96 Precision to 69% (previously 80%).
  

[h3]Caldwell Rival and Nitro Animation re-work [/h3]

• We have made some changes to the animations for both weapons. When reloading, the empty shells will no longer auto eject but will be manually removed by the Hunter. This is just a visual change and does not affect reload time or any other aspects of the weapons.
  

[h3]Developer notes: [/h3]

These changes are aimed at bringing these weapons more in line with their real life counter parts in terms of the reload logic without affecting their balance or place in the meta.


[h3]Nagant 1895 Officer and Brawler Animation adjustment [/h3]

• We have made some adjustments to the shooting animation for both variants so there is no longer a delay between the shot and the recoil ensuring the weapons are going to feel more satisfying than before.
  

[h3]Specter 1882 reload logic changes[/h3]

• This update see’s the beginning of some changes to the specter and its variants (like the bolt action changes we brought with Update 1.5.2). Now you will no longer lose a shell if you reload before racking the slide.
  

[h2]Hunter [/h2]

[h3]Retaliation Reward [/h3]

• Players will now be rewarded upgrade points from killing/looting a hunter that previously killed you in the current match.
  
• 2 Upgrade points will be rewarded once you loot the downed hunter.
  
• Points will only be awarded if this hunter killed you at any point during the match (prior to you killing them).
  
• Points will only be rewarded if you deal the killing blow to said hunter.
  

[h2]UI [/h2]

[h3]MMR & post-match Team Details [/h3]

With this update, we are introducing a feature aimed at providing more information post-match regarding the teams you fight with. This will allow you to compare your teams rating (Match MMR) against other to hopefully have a better understanding of the ratings of that group composition as well as understand why a potentially higher skilled player can end up on a team with a similar skill rating to your own (team rating and individual rating will be visible).

One factor that always needs to be considered in that balance of a match is the region you are playing. Regions like EU and the US have a much more precise bracket system (higher player base in those regions means more brackets available) compared to regions like OCE and South America. If you are in a low population region, the matchmaking will not be as precise, and you may still encounter some uneven matchups, but this is to avoid empty games.

**Please note that matchmaking is currently not enabled on the test server since numbers on the test server are quite low. So, you will not encounter any even matches while playing on Test. This system will work as intended once it reaches the live servers where MM brackets are in place.

[h3]MMR stars and what they mean[/h3]

The stars are a visual representation of the MMR ranges. MMR is your personal PVP (Player Versus Player) rating that can range from 0-5000. 1 star means you have a rating between 0-2000 and 6 stars will mean you are between 3000-5000. Most players are in the ranges of 2600-2800 which is a 3–5 star rating (but most players in this range are predominantly 4 stars).

We have added a graph to the Bounty Hunt lobby and the team details screen that will show an approximation of the player numbers for each MMR rating. See the image below as a reference:

• 1 star: between 0 and 2000 MMR.
  
• 2 stars: between 2000 and 2300 MMR.
  
• 3 stars: between 2300 and 2600 MMR.
  
• 4 stars: between 2600 and 2750 MMR.
  
• 5 stars: between 2750 and 3000 MMR.
  
• 6 stars: between 3000 and 5000 MMR.
  

[h3]Developer note: [/h3]

Please be aware that the stars are not equal to matchmaking brackets. Certain regions have more matchmaking brackets (EU/US) while other have less (OCE) while the MMR ranges will be the same among all regions and are representing your calculated skill.

This also means that you are likely to see more balanced games in regions with a higher population and more matchmaking bracket (EU/US) than in smaller regions (OCE).

The exact brackets and their ranges will be kept as internal information as they are constantly being tweaked and adjusted based on the data/telemetry we gather on a regular basis.


[h3]Lobby changes [/h3]

• Added the stars rating to the Bounty Hunt lobby for you and your partners.
  
• Match MMR is displayed above the matchmaking options. This is calculated when your full group is formed and will recalculate if players leave, or new players are added to the group.
  
• Individual MMR will be displayed by full stars only (no half star increments). Match MMR can increase in half star increments.
  
• MMR will not be displayed (will appear as locked) for new players. This will be available once you have completed the trainee mode.
  
• A tooltip in the top left of the Lobby will display a graph of the player. distribution by MMR ranges (see above image)
  

[h3]Additional changes related to MMR[/h3]

• Added a button to the mission summary page to bring up the team details screen which will show the following details:
  
  
  • On the left of the screen, you will see your team.
    
  • On the right will be the teams/hunters that were in your previous match.
    

• Screen details:
  
  
  
  
  • MMR of all Hunters.
    
  • Match MMR of all groups.
    
  • An icon to show if Skill-based MM was enabled for these groups.
    
  • Active modifier for the Match MMR of the group:
    
  • Solo will be represented as “Strong.”
    
  • Random Duo will be represented as “Medium.”
    
  • Invite duo and Random trio will be represented as “Low”
    
  • Invite trio will have no modifier.
  
  

[h3]Developer note:[/h3]

In previous updates, and in our communication around matchmaking, we mentioned that there are different modifiers applied depending on the group composition. This addition is aimed at giving some representation of the modifiers without giving details of the actual numbers used in the calculations.

• Additional identifiers will be visible if you interacted with a hunter during the match. Hunter names will be revealed if you interacted with an enemy in the following ways:
  
  
  • Killed a hunter.
    
  • Killed by a hunter.
    
  • If the hunter was a bounty/wellspring carrier.
    
  • If you were within comms range of the player (voice/text chat).
    

• Accolade cards for “Hunter killed” has been updated to show the star rating. Each star rating will have a set XP reward:
  
  
  • 1 star hunter: 150 exp
    
  • 2 stars hunters: 300 exp
    
  • 3 stars hunters: 450 exp
    
  • 4 stars hunters: 600 exp
    
  • 5 stars hunters: 750 exp
    
  • 6 stars hunters: 900 exp
    

• Death Screen changes:
  
  
  • The comparison and report buttons have been moved to the “Team details” screen that is available post-match.
    
• Added a new section to the in-game manual to further describe the new MMR stars feature.
  

[h3]Contextual Ping Markers [/h3]

• Item Boxes, Special Ammo Crates and the small Ammo Packs now have their own icon when pinged.
  

[h3]Developer notes: [/h3]

This is the first batch of new contextual ping markers that we will be adding. We plan to extend this system much further in future updates to allow players to better communicate with each other in different scenarios. More details on new additions to this system will be announced in future updates.

[h3]Status Effects Display [/h3]

Active Status effects and the time remaining will now be displayed in the left corner of the HUD. Currently, two status effects will be shown:

• Poison immunity after taking an Antidote shot and the remaining time before it wears off.
  
• Unlimited Stamina after taking the Stamina shot and the remaining time before it wears off.
  

This system will also correctly display the time left after stacking shots.

[h2]Brand new shops[/h2]

[h3]New subtab – DLC shop[/h3]

• This new subtab of the store will allow you to browse the DLC’s available for Hunt for a better browsing and navigation experience.
  

[h3]New subtab – Hunter Shop [/h3]

• This new tab of the store will be the new home for all the Legendary Hunters we have to offer in Hunt showdown as well as improving visibility around aspects such as their unlock requirements. This is where you will first unlock Legendary Hunters, but once purchased, additional Hunters can be recruited through the Recruitment tab as always.
  

[h3]Reworked Subtab – Legendary Weapons shop [/h3]

• Improvements made to the Legendary weapons shop. Weapon presentation and details such as unlock requirements should now be much clearer improving the overall experience with this part of the store.
  

[h3]Developer note:[/h3]

These store changes are an important update for us as we have wanted to provide a much better experience for our players. We should note that these changes are only the first steps we are taking and have much more to come. Our overall goal is it improve the visibility, navigation, and usability of all aspects of the store, but we will dive deeper into that in future updates.

[h3]Additional changes [/h3]

• Visual update of the buttons (“Play Bounty Hunt,” “Back,” etc.)
  
• Visual update of the tab and subtab bars.
  
• The default sorting order of weapons in the Roster page has been updated to an alphabetical order.
  

[h3]Additional change for Consoles and PC with Controller [/h3]

• All button hints at the bottom of the screen have been removed. These icons are not included in the buttons themselves. This change should allow for better readability for any of our players using controllers and open new possibilities for the future.
  

[h2]Store[/h2]

• Added Legendary Winfield 1887 “Storm Chaser” for 700 BB.
  
  
  • Few hunters brave the Bayou when hurricane winds shake the tupelo trees, and the storm tide rises high on stilted, swaying shacks. Those that do are fond of Storm Chaser, a Winfield 1887 Terminus whose thunderous peal rings familiarly in the cacophony of the hunt.

Bug fixes and Known issues will be added at a later stage during the test phase.

Happy Test Hunting!

Hunters,

Update 1.5.2 is here. Below are the notes for this round of tests. Happy test hunting!



[h2]Audio[/h2]

• Hunters will now make noise when damaged by poison effects such as clouds (poison bolts etc) and the Hive swarms.
  

[h2]AI[/h2]

• “Doctor Grunts” will now drop unusable medkits if they are damaged by explosives or fire. This is to bring it more in line with Scrapbeak (explosive custom ammo has been excluded and will not cause this effect).
  
• The weapons held by Scrapbeak now have the correct sounds and damage types applied.
  

[h2]Gunplay[/h2]

Bolt action logic

• We have made some changes to the reload logic tied to some of our Bolt-action Weapons. Weapons like the Lebel and Mosin would usually lose a bullet when reloading (if you do not have the Bulletgrubber trait). Now, you will no longer lose the bullet if you reload right before the bolt has been cycled. This means that that you will be able to reload with out losing this extra bullet (if you do not have Bulletgrubber, as long as the reload is performed immediately after a shot has been taken.
  
  

Hunter control scheme improvements

• We have made some slight changes to the “Hunter” control scheme in the hope to improve the overall smoothness of the setup. These improvements will help to reduce the chances of performing unwanted melee attacks when you intend to shoot. As long as the aim button is held, you hunter will not attempt to perform a melee attack.
  

Weapon Balance

• Crown & King Auto-5 balance pass:
  • Increased sway when aiming down sights.
    
  • Slightly reduced rate of fire (but not too much to reduce its semi-auto feel).
• Flechette Ammo:
  • Can now one-hit-kill (OHK) if enough pellets connect with the head (9m for long/medium barrel shotguns, 8m for small barrel).
    
  • While this range might feel quite far, in practice this will only really be effective with a precise headshot in close quarters.
• Dum-Dum ammo (Nitro Express):
  • Increased the OHK range for the Nitro express Dum-Dum with Upper torso shots (extended kill range of 15m).
    
  • The same downsides towards AI still apply so this change is aimed at the ammo type for the Nitro to be less flexible and more tailored to Hunting players.
  
  
• Consistency pass to all medium and short barrel shotguns:
  • Adjustments made to make these weapons more reliable and less prone to encounter odd RNG behaviour at longer ranges.
    
  • Changes do not apply to the Romero Handcannon and Romero Hatchet.
• Slugs ammo:
  • Slightly reduced the damage dealt to the lower torso from Slug rounds.

Developer note:
The adjustments made to shotguns (excluding those mentioned above) are aimed at making them more consistent and reliable to use. These changes have also resulted in a slight increase to the effective range, but overall, they should behave more in line with expectations. There will still be a noticeable difference between the small/medium and large barrel shotguns (large barrel remain unchanged with this update), with the large still representing the upper end of shotgun performance, this change just means the smaller cousins will not be left behind in terms of usefulness.

Sparks LLR – Animation update:

• We have updated the animations of the Sparks LRR family rifle to be more in line with their real-life counterparts. This change is based on some recent feedback from a weapons expert reaction video created by Gamespot. (Thanks for the tips folks, we really appreciate it!)
  

[h2]Hunter[/h2]

Anti-camera wiggle:

• The camera rotation speed can now be limited during a selection if hold interactions such as reviving or looting hunters.
  
• This limit effect will only apply if the rotational input is consistently and unrealistically high.
  
• Infrequent and quick turns for orientation will NOT have this effect applied (general movement will not be impacted by this change).
  

Anti-crouch Spam:

• Hunters will now briefly suffer a movement speed penalty if they crouch too many times in a very short space of time.
  
• Spacing the crouches to every other second will not trigger this penalty.
  

[h2]Meta[/h2]

2nd Wave of Custom Ammo
Added additional Custom Ammo types to the following weapons and weapon families:

• Caldwell Rival 78 – Penny Shot Custom Ammo.
  
• Specter 1882 – Penny Shot Custom Ammo.
  
• Caldwell Conversion Uppercut – Added Explosive Custom Ammo.
  
• Winfield 1887 Terminus – Slug Custom Ammo.
  
• Crown & King Auto-5 – Slug Custom Ammo.
  • When firing slugs, the Auto-5 produces noticeably stronger recoil between shots to balance this out against other weapons and ammo types.
• Sparks LRR – Added Full Metal Jacket Custom Ammo

Weapons

• Added Winfield Centennial Sniper variant for $298
  
• Legendary Weapons
  
• Added the Legendary Mosin Nagant M1891 “Bears Tooth”
  
• This is the winner of the 3 Year Anniversary Weapon Skin Contest
  
• Added for 0 Blood Bonds (just claim it in the store!)
  

Price Changes

• Increased the price of the Slugs custom ammo to $200 (previously $150)
  
• Winfield 1876 Centennial price reduced to $277 (previously $338)
  

Stats Changes

• The stats tied to Explosive and Slugs custom ammo have been updated to be more representative of how the weapons work (no changes have been made to the weapons themselves).
  

[h2]UI[/h2]

• “Hold” interactions will now display text under the progress circle to indicate which action you are performing:
  • “Healing” while using Health Stations or the First Aid Kit
    
  • “Healing Teammate” while using the First Aid Kit on a teammate
    
  • “Reviving Teammate”
    
  • “Investigating Clue” or “Closing Rift”
    
  • “Stopping Bleeding” or “Stopping Burning” or both while stopping status effects
    
  • “Looting Hunter”
    
  • “Acquiring Trait”
    
  • “Cleaning Weapon”
    

• New “server” notification icons have been added to better communicate issues that may come up – such as server performance issues, packet loss, increased latency etc.
  • For detailed explanations of what each icon means can be found in the game manual.

• Improvements made to the HUD visuals for better readability:
  
  
  
  • Ammo count display have moved and realigned with the right side of the health bar.
    
  • Indicators (crouching, talking, out of breath) icons have been updated and moved to the left side of the health bar.
    
  • The Dark sight Boost icon has been repositioned to the left side of the screen, fixing several overlapping issues in the process.
    

• The scrollbar visuals in the menus have been updated for better readability.
  
• The unnecessary “sell all” button have been removed from the store and the roster screens.
  
• A pop-up will appear to notify of automatically claimed rewards of the daily challenges.
  

[h2]Performance & Stability[/h2]

• Fixed several occurrences of client and game server crashes.
  
• Implemented additional logging to help us investigate issues where players are stuck in the loading screen.
  

[h2]AI [/h2]

• Fixed an exploit that allowed players to lure Scrapbeak out of the boss arena.
  
• Bosses will now be correctly affected by fire damage while in frenzy mode.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused AI to be slower to react to triggers from players over longer distances.
  

[h2]Gunplay[/h2]

• Fixed an issue that caused weapons in the Winfield family to be incorrectly cocked twice (double levering)
  
• Fixed an issue with the Crown & King where the reload action continued for too long causing the animation to become stuck for longer than intended.
  
• Fixed a bug that allowed the reload of the Quad Derringer to be cancelled early resulting in a faster reload.
  
• Fixed an issue where the LeMat Revolver could play the chamber spin animation while using the shotgun.
  
• Fixed an issue where the switch from a crossbow to secondary weapon was slower than intended.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the spread of the Dolch Precision while in iron sights to be higher than intended.
  
• Fixed an issue that could result in being stuck in ADS for too long when using the flare gun.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in not being able to charge a melee attack after fanning/levering and then switching to another weapon.
  

[h2]Hunter[/h2]

• Fixed an issue that could cause melee attacks to not break concertina wire depending on the angle of attack.
  

[h2]World[/h2]

• Fixed a bug that caused chaos bolts to become stuck in the air when used to kill a horse.
  
• Fixed a bug where world items thrown while using the tomahawk trait would not break windows.
  
• Fixed a bug where world items thrown while using the tomahawk trait that become stuck in walls, could damage nearby players when passing the item.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the crows around Scrapbeak’s Lair to be invisible.
  

[h2]Global[/h2]

• Fixed an issue that caused multiple barrels to spawn in the same location.
  
• Fixed an issue that could cause players to become stuck in a corner of a resupply station.
  
• Fixed an issue that could cause more than 12 players to appear in a match.
  

[h2]Stillwater Bayou[/h2]

• Fixed a small gap in the floor at Lockbay Docks.
  
• Fixed an exploit that allowed players to walk along the wall at Alice Farm allowing them to vault into the upper floor.
  
• Fixed an issue that could cause a player to become stuck in the vegetation near Catfish Grove.
  
• Fixed a spot in Port Reeker where players could get stuck on the boat.
  
• Fixed an area in Reynard Mill & Lumber where players could get stuck in a corner.
  
• Fixed an issue that could cause a player to become stuck in the vegetation near Stillwater Bend.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused some objects to render out too quickly in Catfish Grove.
  
• Fixed a bug that resulted in being able to see some bright lights through the gaps in the wall in the basement of Darrow Livestock.
  
• Fixed a small gap in the floor at Blanchett Graves.
  
• Fixed some floating trees near Blanchett Graves.
  
• Fixed a bug that could cause players to become stuck under the bridge north of The Chapel of Madonna Noire.
  
• Fixed a spot at Alain & Son’s Fish where players could climb to an area that should not be accessible.
  
• Fixed some floating ravens that could appear when Scrapbeak is in Scupper Lake.
  
• Fixed some floating ravens that could appear when Scrapbeak is in The Chapel of Madonna Noire.
  
• Fixed an issue that could cause a player to become stuck in the vegetation at Alain & Son’s Fish.
  

[h2]Lawson Delta[/h2]

• Fixed a bug that prevented players from interacting with the weapon spawn in the hut southeast of Golden Acres.
  
• Fixed some misplaced corn plants that appeared outside the cornfield next to Salter’s Pork.
  
• Fixed a misplaced box that appeared in the wall at the east gate entrance of Prison.
  
• Fixed a bug that could result in players being pushed below the map in instances when standing to close to the window shutters while attempting to close them at Prison.
  
• Fixed some floating mailbag props in the Post Office at Lawson Station.
  
• Adjusted some floating branches outside Golden Acres.
  
• Adjusted some floating grass outside Wolfshead Arsenal.
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from interacting with some world items at C&A Lumber.
  
• Fixed a spot in Blanc Brinery where players could become stuck when Scrapbeak’s lair was present in this compound.
  
• Fixed a small gap in the staircase at the south of Maw Battery.
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented the bosses from following a specific path to get to hunters at Hemlock & Hide.
  
• Improvements made to the staircase collisions at Fort Carmick.
  

[h2]UI[/h2]

• Fixed an issue on the store page that caused some items to be missing or have the incorrect search tags.
  
• Fixed several issues related to the maintenance messages that display in-game.
  
• Fixed an issue where the skill comparison arrows could potentially show the incorrect information.
  
• Fixed the missing “throwable” icon for the choke bomb.
  
• Fixed an issue where the slot selection would not jump to the next free slot when replacing contraband items with new ones.
  

Bugs and known issues are not yet complete. Bugs will be updated soon, known issues will be available once the update has been pushed to the Live servers.

~The Hunt Team.

Additional Info:

As this update is mainly focused on matchmaking changes we have only one region available (US East) to have the most players in the same region. We will use the telemetry generated by your matchmaking attempts to validate the changes introduced.



[h2]Matchmaking Improvements [/h2]

Skill-based matchmaking

An option “Skill-based” has been added to the lobby screen. When enabled, this option will match you exclusively with players in your assigned skill bracket. Please be aware that selecting this option can result in fewer players in your match.

When this option is disabled, we will try to match you with players in your assigned skill bracket first. If no such match is available, we will then look for a match with as many players as possible based on those that have also disabled the “Skill Based" option.

Ratios for different group types

We have added a ratio that will increase or decrease the PvP rating of a group depending on its type.

PvP rating decay after absence

We implemented a temporary decay of your PvP rating if you have been inactive for some time to let you recover your muscle memory and ease back into Hunt without unfair match-ups




[h2]Audio [/h2]

• Improvements made to the audio hit feedback explosive custom ammo.
  
• Improvements made to the suspicious audio state of the chicken coup to be more distinguishable from the idle state.
  
• Improvements and adjustments made to the mix for Winfield Variants (1876m, Centennial and 1887). The Centennial is now over longer distances while the 1887 has been volume has been reduced. Both weapons should now be more in line with others in their category.
  

[h2]Meta [/h2]

Decreased the XP costs across all categories in the Book of Weapons (all variants and custom ammo). This change is aimed at encouraging more experimentation and variation with your loadout choices.


[h2]Matchmaking [/h2]

Skill-based matchmaking

• A tick-box “Skill-based” is added to the Bounty Hunt and Quickplay lobby.
  
• The option is enabled by default and cannot be removed for:
  • Players still in the trainee mode
    
  • Random groups
• The option is disabled by default in Quickplay.
  
• When enabled the matchmaking will enforce that you play only with players from your team’s PvP rating bracket.
  
• When disabled the matchmaking will first look for players within your team’s PvP rating bracket but in case it cannot find a full match it will pull from the pool of players who have also disabled this option.
  

Developer note:

This change is aimed at providing players more control of their matchmaking experience and ensuring they are matched with players of a similar rating/skill level. It’s important to note that these changes are also influenced by the range of the PvP brackets which can be different depending on the region you connect to. This setup should help to ensure enough players are considered during the matchmaking process but keep in mind that it will not be perfect. We will be closely monitoring the progress and will make alterations if needed.

Group Matchmaking

Random groups will follow the standard “Skill-based" matchmaking rules with some slight modifications to how the “Group PvP rating" is calculated.

To make the matchmaking process as fair as possible, we have added additional factors to calculate the group rating. Each of the five group types (Solo, Random Duo, Random Trio, Invite Duo, Invite Trio) will factor the average rating of all members, as well as some additional multipliers. For example, a solo player will not have the same PvP rating as a team of three players, where each member of the team has a similar PvP rating to the solo player.



PvP rating decay after absence

A rating decay (temporary decrease of your PvP rating), will be applied in case you have not played Hunt for some time. This will apply to the next 10 matches you play once you return. After you have completed these 10 matches this decay will be removed and your PvP rating will be calculated as normal.

More details about our matchmaking changes can be found in our latest blog.

[h2]UI [/h2]

Custom ammunition types: visual adjustments

The visuals of the equipment bar in the HUD have been changed and enhanced to improve the visibility and readability of the different ammo types. We have also adjusted some misalignment issues with this update.

We have also made some modifications to the Equipment screen to improve readability of what ammo is currently being used. (Resized default icons, removed unnecessary + icon, fixed some alignment issues).

Roster: visual adjustments

Changes made to the visual of the Hunters trait points in the roster screen – overview page to improve readability and scrollbar behavior.


[h2]Performance & Stability [/h2]

• Fixed several client crashes.
  

Audio

• Fixed an issue where some explosives play a (not-killing) headshot sound when they hit/kill an entity.
  

AI

• Fixed an issue that prevented traits dropping from Scrapbeak.
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed Scrapbeak to leave the boss lair in some instances. (He just wanted some fresh air after being couped up all match)
  

Gunplay

• Fixed an issue where the Scavengers Snare legendary concertina bomb was displayed as a white box model while in the air.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the ammo pool for single shot weapons to refill when revived.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused explosive ammo to deal less damage to big red doors.
  

Hunter

• Fixed an issue that caused parts of the Plague doctor to become detached and remain at the spawn (like the floating jar).
  

Meta

• Fixed an issue where dual wielding 'Dead Ringers' legendary pair resulted in having one of the skins duplicated instead of the intended separate skins.
  
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect unlock requirements were displayed for custom ammo.
  

World

• Fixed an issue that allowed players to use gun oil multiple times.
  
• Fixed a bug that resulted in players being kicked back to the menu if Scrapbeak spawned in Cyprus Huts.
  

UI

• Fixed an issue where the ammo on the Death Screen would change depending on which custom ammo the killer is currently holding.
  
• Fixed an issue when the scroll bar next to the hunter list would not be in the correct position.
  
• Fixed the formatting of the “challenge completed” banner in German language.
  
• Fixed an issue where the wrong equipment would be displayed during spectating.
  
• Fixed an issue where single shot weapons would show the wrong capacity in the menu.
  
• Fixed an issue where the filter information would not be correctly transferred between weapons and custom ammunition.
  
• Fixed an issue where the HUD would not fade when switching between weapons equipping custom ammunition.
  
• Fixed an issue where the matchmaking timer would still be visible in store while in queueing for a match.
  

~The Hunt Team

Hunters,

We will be performing two updates to the test server this weekend. Patch #3 is now live and the test servers are back online.

Tomorrow,(Saturday March 6th) we will release Patch #4 at around 13:00 CET, so please be aware that some down time is to be expected.

Here are the details of both patches:



Patch #3:

We have made a number of adjustments to the stats displayed on the store page. Many of these were not showing the correct details so this patch now gives an accurate represntation of how it will appear on the Live servers.

Patch # 4:

Fixed an issue that resulted in seeing an incorrect count for the ammo displayed in the HUD. This update will now reflect how it will appear on the Live servers.

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Happy test Hunting!

~The Hunt team.