Hunt: Showdown – What to expect in Update 1.12

In a new developer livestream today, Crytek presented the new features for the upcoming update 1.12 of Hunt: Showdown.
Included are some important fixes, new quest series, a new tutorial and improvements for solo players.

We have summarized the entire livestream and all content for you!

Important fixes

The 1.12 update for Hunt: Showdown is supposed to put an end to two major problems that have been plaguing the player community for quite a while. Many more bugs regarding the reloading of weapons have been fixed, so that this problem will (hopefully) occur less or not at all anymore.

On the other hand, the so-called “Left Side Peek Advantage” was worked on. It was always more advantageous for players to peek out of cover on the left, because they were only visible when they could shoot back.
Those who came out of cover on the right showed much more of their character before they were even able to react.
The changes are now intended to mitigate this issue as well.

New Questlines

There will be two new quest series, each active and playable for about a month. The quest series can only be completed during the duration and will reward with weapon skins, a hunter skin, and two new weapon variants each.

The Ward of the Reptilian

• Start: March 22, 2023
• End: April 22, 2023

Vengeance of the Skinned

• Start: April 26, 2023
• End: May 27, 2023

Note: The start and end times are currently scheduled as is, but depending on how the test server period goes, they could change.

Improvements to Quest Series & Challenges</h2
The quest line and challenge system will receive some improvements with Update 1.12:

• The progress of a quest will now be preserved across the entire team
  Example: Kills with a certain weapon of a team member count for all of them
• The quest texts should now be clearer
• The user interface has been improved

New weapon variants

The new weapon variants will be unlockable through the two new quest series.
Once the quest series runtime is over, they will also be regularly unlockable through the weapon genre.

Winfield M1876 Centennial Shorty

• Shortened version of the Winfield M1876 Centennial
• Medium weapon slot
• Increased weapon sway and recoil
• Small ammunition pool

Winfield M1876 Centennial Shorty Silencer

• First silenced short rifle
• Damage decrease after short range
• Increased weapon sway and recoil
• Small ammunition pool

Springfield M1892 Krag Bayonet

• Close combat variant of the M1892 Krag
• Increased weapon sway

Springfield M1892 Krag Sniper

• Sniper variant of the M1892 Krag

New Tutorial

The developers want to make it easier for new players to get started, so they’ve created a new scripted tutorial for Hunt: Showdown.

The entire tutorial is accompanied by a veteran hunter, voiced by none other than Doug Cockle – the original voice of Geralt of Rivia from the Witcher series.

• Basic tutorial
• Core elements of the game
• Gunplay, teamplay, red clues, etc.
• Advanced Tutorial
• Exploring a boss area
• Test area where you can fight all AI types separately

Improved equipment screen

Legendary content now acts as skins and can be selected when purchasing the weapon. Weapons picked up by other hunters cannot be changed.
If the weapon is dirty, it will also be displayed separately.

Also new is an “Unequip All” button that allows you to immediately discard all of your character’s items.

Wildcard Contracts (TEST)

There will be a second contract again, which will be available as a so-called “wildcard” contract. For the first test, this will affect the different times of the day.

So for example you will have the possibility to choose the new wildcard contract where you will only play on night maps – or the standard contract with all other times of the day.

Combat Log Beta

The damage history in the death screen will be significantly reworked and expanded to become a proper combat log, showing the following things:

• Incoming damage
• Damage dealt
• Other events (healing, AI, banishment…)

Up to 90 seconds before the player’s death will be recorded.

Revised weapon statistics

The weapon statistics are now more clearly arranged and contain additional data.
You can move the mouse over the individual symbols and get a short explanation of the values.

Gameplay changes

• “Weeping Mill” area revision The “Weeping Mill” area has been revised. The boss area now has a new entrance and has been expanded to include a new staircase, and access to the middle has been improved.
• The Stalker Beetle explosion now deals 25 damage.
• The poison cloud and gas cloud of the Crossbow Bolts has been increased.
• The rate of fire of the LeMat Carbine has been slightly increased.
• New loading screens & tips have been added.
• Further improvements to the audio for steps on certain surfaces (e.g. wood).
• The last obtained ability in Quickplay is now displayed without having to open the map.

Trait changes

The Magpie ability has been adjusted. It now grants all three effects (Stamina, Anti-Poison, and Regeneration Shot) instead of one randomly.

Underdog Bonus

The Underdog Bonus is granted whenever a player or team competes against teams that are bigger and then takes a bounty out of the game round.
The values for this bonus will be increased with update 1.12:

• Solos vs Duos – $250 to $300
• Solos vs Trios – $500 to $600
• Duos vs Trios – $125 to $150

Quickplay changes

The number of possible starting weapons in Quickplay has been expanded and adjusted. For example, you can now spawn with a bow, double Nagant revolvers, or new “Handcannon” variants.

Lootable saddles

These saddles are a new interaction item in the Hunt: Showdown game world. Included can be saddlebags and weapon holsters.
The saddlebags can contain consumable items (some of which are not included in lootboxes) and Hunt dollars, weapon holsters of course contain a weapon.

The saddles can be found either on dummy horses but also on the dying horses in the game and can be used by two players at a time.

Changes for solo gameplay

Ability Changes

The following ability changes will only take effect when a player is playing solo and not in a group.

• Necromancer – Self-resurrection starting 10 seconds after dying
• Magpie – Doubles shadow vision capacity (10 seconds) and looting gain (2 seconds each)
• Serpent – Doubles interaction range (from 25 to 50 meters)

Legendary Content

• Legendary Firebomb “Brookes Burner” (800 Blood Bonds)
• Legendary Romero 77 Alamo “Flat Iron” (800 Blood Bonds)
• Legendary Sparks Muscadine” Silencer (900 Blood Bonds)
• Legendary Weapon Pendant “Ferrymans Coin” (300 Blood Bonds)
• Legendary Weapon Pendant “Nemean Claw” (300 Blood Bonds)
• Ruby’s Favor Legendary Weapon Pendant (400 Blood Bonds)
• Legendary Weapon Pendant “Blood Relic” (500 Blood Bonds)
• Legendary Hunter “Worm Bite” (1000 Blood Bonds)
• Legendary Hunter “The Hornback” (1000 Blood Bonds)

Teaser for upcoming boss?

An unusual quest also appeared in the livestream during the presentation of the new quest series. It was called “Investigate Gator Traps”.
When asked about this in the Q&A section, one of the developers revealed that the trap is a new world object that can be found on rivers and lakes and that “investigate” is not the same as destroy.

Looking at the names of the upcoming quest series and considering that Crytek often includes hints about upcoming content in the previous updates, this could be the first hints towards a new boss.
Last year, Crytek announced a new map and a new boss for this year – and around July 2022, dataminers had already found hints of an alligator boss in the test server files.

So we can be curious what Crytek has come up with for 2023 – and if the teasers, rumors and hopes of the community are true in the end.