Five years on, and Crytek is still keeping at it with their PvPvE shooter Hunt: Showdown. And much like what Behaviour Interactive did with an engine upgrade for Dead By Daylight a few years ago, Crytek is also following suit next year with Hunt: Showdown upgrading to the latest version of CryEngine for PC and consoles.
Speaking with PC Gamer, Hunt general manager David Fifield, Hunt enters “a new era” with the upgrade, which despite what some players want, is as close to a proposed sequel as you’ll get for the time being. “That has been a conversation internally about when or if we should rename or rebrand the product with some major update, or when we launch with the integrated engine update to run native on the latest generation of consoles. Watching how those transitions have gone with other service games, we decided on continuing Hunt: Showdown and to not set expectations of replacing it.”
The upgrade to Hunt‘s engine will grant Crytek the ability to crank out updates easier, as well as trying out new ideas, allowing “fewer people [to] get more things done faster,” such as in the case with this year’s “Tide of Shadows” Event that introduced the boss Rotjaw into the game. According to Fifield, Crytek’s strategy with Hunt is akin to Epic Games’ Fortnite, where the former’s tech was gradually upgraded alongside the larger changes in the “Chapter” updates.
“If you want to think of it as Hunt 2 you’re welcome to,” Fifield said, “but I’m not going to charge you, I’m not going to take away anything you’ve bought, I’m not going to decrease your value or your investment because I want you to keep playing.”
As such, the upgrade will result in Hunt: Showdown dropping support for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, as the system requirements will push the older generation consoles out of reach. Fifield sees this as a necessary evil, as older console players make up less than 10% of the game’s console engagement. Not to fret, as free upgrades to the current-gen versions will be available for previous-gen players.
Alongside the upgrade in 2024, Hunt: Showdown will see its first new map in three years, and a revamp to its progression system.
Hunt: Showdown is currently available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and the Xbox Series.