Hunt: Showdown, the competitive multiplayer bounty hunting game from Crytek, has exited the closed alpha phase and is now available to gamers via Steam Early Access. “With Hunt, we wanted to make the game that we, as gamers, have always wanted to play ourselves: tense, dark, addictive, terrifying—a real adrenaline-pumping experience,” said Hunt: Showdown Creative Director Magnus Larbrant. “We have the foundations laid out, and now with the support and input of the community during early access, we can polish that experience together.”
The 10 player matches of Hunt: Showdown replaces the giant 100 player maps of PUBG and Fortnite with a smaller locale set deep in the swamps of Louisiana, circa 1890. Also gone are the modern day assault rifles and body armor, replaced with weapons and equipment authentic to the time period. Reducing the player count and dropping them into a dark, gritty environment “packs the thrill of survival games into a match-based format.”
Containing both PVP and PVE elements, each match tasks bounty hunters, either solo or in teams of two, to track down the boss target by collecting clues throughout the 16 locations on the map. During this trek, players will gain gold by dispatching the hordes of PVE enemies, all the while using audio cues to engage or avoid fellow hunters. Upon killing the boss and picking up the bounty, the focus changes to reaching one of the exit points on the map while any remaining players try to kill you and take the bounty for themselves.
Between matches players will spend gold earned by killing enemies to recruit additional bounty hunters and purchase new equipment. You will also use any experience gained to rank up your Bloodline, gaining new traits, gear, and access to higher tier hunters. Death is permanent, with players losing their hunter and any equipment they carry, but your bloodline is persistent, giving any unlocked perks to any bounty hunter on your account.
Expected to be in early access for at least a year, players can expect additional content as the Crytek team continues work on the game. You can follow their progress on Twitter and Facebook, and check out the official site for more information.
