Hunt: Showdown 1896 vs HUNGER

• Perspective: First-Person
• Multiplayer: 1-3 Player Online Co-op (PvPvE)
• Setting: Alternate-History Napoleonic Europe
• Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store)
• Release Window: 2025 (Early Access)
• Unique Feature: A unique blend of a hardcore extraction shooter with deep, permanent RPG progression and Mastery Trees, set in a plague-ravaged Napoleonic era. Features no forced wipes.

• Co-Op Teammates: The game allows for Duo and Trio matchmaking. Reviving downed teammates and coordinating flanking maneuvers is the absolute core of the PvP experience.
  Other Players
• Stalker Beetle: A consumable item that the player can throw and physically pilot in first-person to safely scout heavily defended boss lairs and ping enemy positions.
  Controllable Insect

• Co-op Teammates: The game is designed for solo, duo, or trio play. Teammates are essential for surviving high-risk expeditions, sharing resources, and coordinating tactics against other players and the environment.
  Human (Player)

• Clues / Rifts: Glowing, noisy supernatural rifts found in compounds. Players must interact with three of them to completely narrow down the map and reveal the boss lair.
• Bounty Tokens: Dropped by the boss after the loud banishing phase. Picking it up grants 'Enhanced Dark Sight' to spot enemies, but also marks the carrier with a lightning bolt on the map for all other players to see.
• Hunt Dollars: Found in cash registers or looted from dead hunters. The primary economy currency used to re-equip your hunter with weapons and tools after a match.

• Loot: Found in chests and on enemies during Expeditions. Includes armor, bags, trinkets, medicines, and weapons that must be successfully extracted to be kept.
• Crafting Materials: Hundreds of different items found during Expeditions. Every item has a purpose in the deep crafting system.

• Weird West
• Dark Fantasy
• Supernatural Horror
• Bounty Hunting
• 19th Century
• PvPvE
• Extraction

• Napoleonic Era
• Alternate History
• Extraction Shooter
• Action RPG
• Survival Horror
• Dark Fantasy
• PvPvE

• Mosin-Nagant M1891: Long Ammo Rifle
  A highly coveted, expensive bolt-action rifle. It fires long ammo, maintaining high damage over immense distances and easily penetrating thick wooden walls.
• Sparks LRR: Single-Shot Rifle
  A devastating, single-shot breach-loading rifle. It deals exactly 149 damage to the upper chest, leaving the enemy with a sliver of health and forcing immediate panic and retreats.
• Bomb Lance: Melee / Explosive Projectile
  A terrifying, custom-built whaling lance equipped with a massive blade. It can fire an explosive harpoon that lodges into targets before detonating, making quick work of bosses.

• Melee Weapons: Varies (Axes, Swords, Maces)
  A critical part of combat for stealth and silent movement. Includes both one-handed and two-handed options.
• Ranged Weapons: Firearms (Flintlocks, Revolvers)
  Slow, deliberate, and high-impact firearms inspired by the early 1800s. Firing a gun is a major tactical decision as it alerts all players on the map.
• Gadgets: Utility
  A huge variety of tactical items, including ceramic grenades, lockpicking tools, repair tools, and experimental hand mortars.

• Health Bars: Hunters do not wear traditional armor. Survivability is dictated by Health Bars. Taking fire damage permanently burns these bars away, permanently lowering your maximum HP until you banish a boss to restore it.
• Hornskin (Trait): A purchasable passive trait that reduces damage taken from blunt melee attacks by 25%, useful against Grunts and specific boss attacks.
• Bloodless (Trait): A crucial survival trait that prevents bleeding from escalating to severe levels, saving the player from rapidly bleeding out after being hit by flechette ammo or Hellhounds.

• Armor: Players can find and equip armor. It is designed to be supplementary, offering only one or two extra shots of survivability, rather than making a player 'superhuman'. It helps 'paper over mistakes' but does not negate the need for skill.

• Tier 1 Hunter Shirts: Brightly colored, clean shirts worn by novice hunters. They offer very poor camouflage, making new players easy targets in the dark bayou.
• Tier 3 Hunter Dusters: Dark, ragged leather coats, ghillie-style ponchos, and mud-covered hats worn by veteran hunters, offering incredible camouflage in the dense bushes.
• Legendary Skins: Premium, highly detailed outfits (like the Bone Doctor's skull mask or The Ironclad's heavy metal plating) purchased with Blood Bonds to showcase prestige and style.

Progression is tied to the 'Bloodline' rank and the permadeath mechanic of individual Hunters. When a Hunter survives and extracts, they earn Upgrade Points to purchase 'Traits' (passive skills). These include iconic perks like 'Fanning' (rapid-firing single-action revolvers), 'Necromancer' (reviving teammates from a distance at the cost of your own health), and 'Lightfoot' (silent vaulting). However, if your Hunter dies in a match, they—and all their expensive gear and traits—are lost forever, raising the stakes of every single firefight.

The game features a deep, permanent RPG progression system. Each 'Living' character has a unique and highly customizable Mastery Tree with over 100 talents, allowing for deep specialization in areas like combat, stealth, or support. A Prestige system allows max-level players to reset for exclusive cosmetic rewards. There is no forced progress wipe.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 features vast, meticulously crafted 1km x 1km sandbox maps. The iconic Louisiana maps—Stillwater Bayou, Lawson Delta, and DeSalle—feature flooded swamps, rotting plantations, and eerie mining towns. The 1896 update introduced 'Mammon's Gulch', a towering, vertical map set in the rocky mountains of Colorado. This new biome features massive elevation changes, dense pine forests, oil rigs, and an interconnected, pitch-black underground mine system, fundamentally changing how players approach long-range sightlines and close-quarters ambushes.

The game will launch into Early Access with three large and distinct maps, with a goal of ten maps for the full 1.0 release. The maps are persistent zones where up to 15 players can be active at once, featuring locations like forests, villages, monasteries, citadels, and mines. PvE-only maps are also planned for the future.

• Extraction Stagecoach: Extraction Point
  Stationary horse-drawn carriages located at the edge of the map. Players must stand near them for 30 seconds to successfully extract with their bounty.
• Extraction Steamboat: Extraction Point
  Stationary paddleboats found on the rivers. If an enemy player approaches while you are extracting, the boat's horn will blow loudly, warning you of the ambush.

• Hellhounds: Mutated Canine
  Packs of vicious, decaying dogs that roam the wilderness. They are highly aggressive, deal severe bleeding damage, and are the bane of solo hunters navigating the woods.
• Water Devils: Swarming Parasite
  Violent, writhing masses of aquatic parasites that infest the deep swamps. They deal massive damage to anyone attempting to quickly wade through deep water.
• Immolators: Burning Undead
  A highly volatile, burning zombie that sprints aggressively at players. If shot with a bullet or pierced, it violently explodes into flames, requiring players to use blunt melee weapons to kill it.

• The Hunters: Player Avatars
  Ruthless, desperate mercenaries willing to inject themselves with dark serums to gain 'Dark Sight', allowing them to track monsters and survive the corruption.
• The Hellborn: Wild Target Boss
  A terrifying, massive, burning entity introduced in the 1896 update. It roams the open world of Mammon's Gulch, hurling fireballs and engaging hunters outside of traditional compounds.
• The Spider: Bounty Boss
  A horrific, massive arachnid assembled from human corpses. It moves incredibly fast across walls and ceilings, spitting debilitating poison at hunters.

• The Investigation: Exploration / Tracking
  Move stealthily through the map using Dark Sight to locate three clues, avoiding sound traps (like crows or dogs) that will alert other players to your presence.
• The Banishment: PvE Boss / Siege Defense
  Locate and kill the boss (e.g., the Butcher or Assassin). Initiate the banishing ritual, which loudly alerts every player on the map, and prepare to defend the compound from incoming teams.
• The Extraction: PvP Gauntlet
  Grab the Bounty Tokens and run to one of the designated extraction zones at the edge of the map, fighting off any remaining hunters attempting to ambush you before the timer expires.

• Expeditions
  The main gameplay loop. Players deploy to one of several large maps to complete quests, scavenge for loot, and fight other players and AI, with the primary goal of successfully extracting with their findings.
• Quests
  Obtained from NPCs in the 'Chateau' social hub, these are complex, multi-stage objectives that are essential for gaining experience and building reputation. They are described as being similar in depth to quests in games like Skyrim.
• Dungeons & Bosses
  Endgame content available at launch where players are encouraged to investigate dungeons and battle powerful bosses for high-tier rewards.

The game features two main modes. 'Bounty Hunt' is the flagship PvPvE mode where teams of 1, 2, or 3 players load into the map, hunt the boss, and fight other teams for the bounty tokens. 'Soul Survivor' (formerly Quickplay) is a pure solo, battle-royale-lite mode where players spawn with nothing, scavenge for weapons, and race to absorb the 'Wellspring' energy. The winner gets to keep their fully geared Hunter for use in Bounty Hunt, while everyone else permanently dies.

Following the 1896 engine upgrade in August 2024, the game effectively relaunched. The base game is frequently updated, while monetization comes through an extensive catalogue of cosmetic DLCs (such as 'Bound by Blood', 'The Madness of Montresor', and 'It Takes a Rogue'). These packs provide uniquely modeled 'Legendary Hunters' and weapon skins. The game also utilizes a seasonal Battle Pass system to introduce new weapon variants, weather conditions, and thematic lore elements.

Crytek treats the game as a long-term live service, continually adding new weapons, variants (like silencers or sniper scopes), custom ammo types (poison, incendiary, dumdum), and massive map updates. The '1896' update marked the transition to CryEngine 5.11, dropping PS4 and Xbox One support entirely to modernize the game. Seasonal events (like the 'Tide' series or 'Scorched Earth') temporarily introduce wildcards like heavy rain, ash bloom, or roaring wildfires that dramatically alter the visual and auditory landscape.

The game will be in Early Access for approximately two years. During this time, the developers plan to add numerous new weapons, characters, maps, and enemies based on community feedback. The long-term monetization model favors paid DLC expansions over microtransactions.

• Q: What is the 1896 update?
  A: Released in August 2024, the 1896 update was a massive relaunch of the game. It upgraded the engine to CryEngine 5.11, dropped PS4/Xbox One support, added DirectX 12, overhauled the UI, and introduced the new Colorado map, Mammon's Gulch.
• Q: Do I lose my gear when I die?
  A: Yes. Hunt features a permadeath system. If your Hunter dies and is not revived by a teammate before the match ends, you permanently lose that character, their weapons, and their traits.
• Q: Is there bullet drop?
  A: Yes. The 1896 update introduced bullet drop to all weapons, fundamentally changing long-range combat and requiring players to account for distance and bullet velocity when sniping.
• Q: Can I play solo?
  A: Yes. You can play 'Soul Survivor' (a solo-only mode), or you can queue 'Solo vs Duos/Trios' in Bounty Hunt, which grants you a massive bonus payout if you successfully extract against larger teams.

• Q: What is HUNGER?
  A: HUNGER is a first-person PvPvE extraction RPG set in a plague-ravaged Napoleonic Europe. It combines the high-stakes loot loop of an extraction shooter with the deep, permanent character progression of a classic RPG.
• Q: Are there server wipes?
  A: No. A key feature of the game is the complete absence of forced wipes. All player experience, levels, and unlocked talents are permanent. A voluntary 'Prestige' system is available for players who wish to reset their own progress for cosmetic rewards.
• Q: Is it a 'Soulslike'?
  A: While it features challenging, deliberate combat, it is more accurately described as an extraction RPG. Unlike Soulslikes, death does not cause you to lose your experience, only the gear you were carrying on that specific run.
• Q: Is it free-to-play?
  A: No, HUNGER will be a premium, one-time purchase game launching into Early Access. The price is expected to increase as it gets closer to the full 1.0 release.

Powered by CryEngine 5.11, the 1896 update brought a stunning visual overhaul. The implementation of DirectX 12, global illumination, and improved shaders makes the mud, water reflections, and dense fog look incredibly photorealistic. The character models for Legendary Hunters are deeply detailed, covered in grime, blood, and esoteric occult trinkets. Lighting is entirely dynamic, and night maps feature pitch-black darkness pierced only by the terrifying glow of flare guns or burning oil slicks.

Hunt features arguably the best, most tactical audio design in the FPS genre. The proprietary binaural 3D audio system means players can pinpoint exactly where a twig snapped or a flock of crows was startled, even through walls. Every action, from switching weapons to aiming down sights, makes a distinct, locatable sound. The music, headlined by the iconic 'Humming Theme' (Rise Up Dead Man) by the Port Sulphur Band, perfectly encapsulates the dark, swampy, Southern Gothic dread.

The UI underwent a massive, somewhat controversial overhaul during the 1896 update to modernize the menu navigation for both PC and console players. In-game, the HUD is heavily minimalist. There is no mini-map; players must physically open a paper map to check their location or boss banishment zones. Health is segmented into distinct 'bars' (which can be permanently burned away by fire), and stamina dictates melee swings and sprinting. The most crucial UI element is the compass, used for calling out enemy bearings to teammates.

The game offers standard accessibility tools, including adjustable Field of View (FOV) sliders, customizable crosshair positioning (centered or the classic 'lowered' crosshair), and comprehensive control remapping. It also features colorblind modes and customizable subtitle scaling. However, the game's extreme reliance on directional audio cues makes it incredibly difficult for deaf or hard-of-hearing players to compete at high skill brackets.

• System requirements are verified against the official Steam storefront data following the massive '1896' CryEngine 5.11 graphical overhaul, which significantly raised the baseline hardware demands.
• Laptop Performance Note: The jump to DirectX 12 and CryEngine 5.11 means the game relies heavily on fast CPU performance and increased VRAM buffers. Laptops must maintain high clock speeds to avoid micro-stutters during intense, high-stakes PvP firefights.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A minimal TGP of 75W is required for 1080p rendering (e.g., RTX 3050 Mobile or 3060 Mobile). For high settings at 1440p, an 85W-115W+ TGP (RTX 4060/4070 Mobile) is heavily recommended.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The dense environmental rendering (foliage, dynamic shadows) and binaural audio processing require stable CPU and GPU thermals. A cooling pad is strongly recommended to prevent throttling, which can cause fatal input lag during shootouts.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Set Windows power delivery to 'Performance'. The game utilizes advanced global illumination and particle systems that will stutter if the CPU attempts to downclock to save power.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Absolutely mandatory. A MUX switch reduces render latency, which is critical in a hardcore, low-time-to-kill (TTK) shooter where landing single-shot rifle headshots is the primary combat loop.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Supports NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR. Using upscaling is highly recommended to maintain 60+ FPS on mid-range hardware during chaotic explosive encounters.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Global Illumination, Shadow Quality, and Object Detail severely impact GPU overhead. Lowering these can yield substantial framerate improvements.
• Game Name: Hunt: Showdown 1896

• SPECULATIVE PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. As official specs were not provided in the text, these are hypothetical projections for a next-generation title built on Unreal Engine 5.
• Laptop Performance Note: A title like this would demand a high-performance gaming laptop for the best experience. Actual performance would vary significantly based on the final game's optimization and the laptop's specific hardware configuration.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain stable framerates during intense PvPvE encounters.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and potential for numerous AI and player entities will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI and physics-based combat.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a competitive FPS.
• Game Name: HUNGER

• Upscaling Tech: Supports NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR. Using upscaling is highly recommended to maintain 60+ FPS on mid-range hardware during chaotic explosive encounters.
• Key Settings Impact: Global Illumination, Shadow Quality, and Object Detail severely impact GPU overhead. Lowering these can yield substantial framerate improvements.

• G P U T G P: A minimal TGP of 75W is required for 1080p rendering (e.g., RTX 3050 Mobile or 3060 Mobile). For high settings at 1440p, an 85W-115W+ TGP (RTX 4060/4070 Mobile) is heavily recommended.
• Cooling Thermals: The dense environmental rendering (foliage, dynamic shadows) and binaural audio processing require stable CPU and GPU thermals. A cooling pad is strongly recommended to prevent throttling, which can cause fatal input lag during shootouts.
• C P U Power Limits: Set Windows power delivery to 'Performance'. The game utilizes advanced global illumination and particle systems that will stutter if the CPU attempts to downclock to save power.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Absolutely mandatory. A MUX switch reduces render latency, which is critical in a hardcore, low-time-to-kill (TTK) shooter where landing single-shot rifle headshots is the primary combat loop.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain stable framerates during intense PvPvE encounters.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and potential for numerous AI and player entities will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI and physics-based combat.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a competitive FPS.