Hunt: Showdown is difficult and almost half of the players do not manage to get into the competitive PvP part of the shooter. While the developers see the strong veterans and Free Weekends on Steam as reasons, players blame the poor server performance and cheaters.
Is Hunt: Showdown not suitable for beginners?
- Just over half of the players achieve the “Debut” success in Hunt: Showdown, for which they have to kill their first enemy hunter. 40% of the players lack this success.
- Consequently, these players have never really experienced the PvP part because they leave the game beforehand or have never played further.
- If few new players remain, it also poses a problem for the current player base, because customer retention is also a topic in hardcore shooters.
- However, players see other problems and criticize the lack of server stability and too many cheaters.
Hunt: Showdown is known for its hardcore demands, but also for strong events:
What is Hunt actually about? Hunt: Showdown is among the hardest competitive PVP games on Steam. You start as a hunter in the world of a twisted Wild West, defeating monsters and escaping with the bounty as quickly as possible from the map.
In the process, you encounter other players who also want the bounty and will walk over your dead body. Nevertheless, almost half do not make the jump into PvP. Recently, Hunt: Showdown announced an important engine update.
But why? As in most PvP games, knowledge of the environment, weapons, and situations is important. With time and practice, players learn what the best hiding spots and tactics are, giving them an advantage over new players who still have to learn a lot. With a veteran as an opponent, the newcomers have almost no chance. Small successes and improvements are also missing, even though there is PvE content.
Is that a problem? Newcomers and experienced players sometimes meet, and in most cases, the beginners will not survive this encounter. If this happens often, new players quickly lose interest in Hunt: Showdown because it is frustrating to die constantly and lose their own progress.
Unlike in CS:GO or other shooter representatives, where the entry is significantly easier and achievements can be achieved faster and better, some players in Hunt: Showdown come up empty. Players who test Hunt during one of the free weekends are therefore less likely to purchase the title and leave the shooter before they really start.
What are the consequences? The player counts for Hunt: Showdown are not growing or are reduced in the worst case, as frustrated players who wanted to try the PvP shooter may never return. For a competitive game, this is a problem, because if there is no one to compete with the veterans, they also lose the fun.
What does the developer say? David Fifield, General Manager of Hunt: Showdown, reveals that it is difficult to find the right balance. There is already a very extensive PvE part where newcomers can celebrate their first successes. In the “Trial” and “Training” modes, the only nasty opponents are the PvE mobs and bosses.
If 40% of the players can never really experience the most important and exciting part of Hunt: Showdown, it is a serious issue for Fifield and his team that they have to address. Even though there are players who continue to have fun and play Hunt: Showdown despite poor K/D statistics.
Players see other problems
The Steam reviews for the shooter are mostly positive, but some players note other problems and lose interest in Hunt: Showdown (via Steam). However, it is not the well-playing veterans who take away their fun, but much more the cheaters and the faulty technology.
Players report nightmare rounds in which they can hardly deal damage, hits do not count, or mobs that they have not shot suddenly attack them instead of the shooter. At the same time, opponents deal full damage or shoot through dense vegetation at hundreds of meters – and hit while doing so!
A major problem for players is that there is only quick play for solo players. Solo players often face 2 or 3 player teams in the normal mode, making it even more difficult for beginners. The server stability is often criticized by players as well.
