With the big update 1.10, a lot is changing in the horror shooter Hunt: Showdown. However, a completely new item is causing a particular stir. The Stalker Beetle is a flying, fully controllable beetle that functions like a combat drone. This causes very mixed feelings among fans.
What exactly is the Stalker Beetle? The biggest novelty of the currently running update 1.10 on the test servers is probably the flying Stalker Beetle. This is a consumable item that you can bring into the match for 45 Hunt Dollars.
Once equipped, you can then throw your flying friend away and control it completely freely with the E key. You can move up to 150 meters away from your hunter and freely adjust your height and depth. There is no time limit for this.
If you leave the beetle view, the creature just stays on the ground. You can then pick it up again and use it again. However, any other hunter can also pick up your beetle.
Why the comparison to a drone? Similar to a combat drone from modern shooters, the Stalker Beetle can also hover in the air at a fixed point. You can even make it explode to cause damage right at that spot and even blow open doors.
This can often happen unnoticed, as the beetle is designed by the developers at Crytek to be clearly audible when it is quiet. However, during a firefight, the sound of the flying monster is supposed to be drowned out.
This makes it the perfect combat drone in the mutated style of the shooter set at the end of the 19th century.
You can see the trailer for the Stalker Beetle here:
Announcement causes a stir in the community
What troubles the fans? Since the announcement of the flying aids, the player base of Hunt is divided. Many do not like that a new means of reconnaissance is being introduced into the game. Knowing where the opponent is located is crucial in Hunt, just like in many shooters.
This is mostly done in the game through the extremely good sound design. The only way to counter this was to simply not move at all. If you were well hidden, it often led to surviving a round after all (via Facebook).
With the Stalker Beetle, players can now actively seek out such players without putting themselves in danger. This greatly troubles some fans, and they say it would destroy the natural flow of gameplay in Hunt and turn the unique shooter into a sort of “Call of Duty 1895” (via reddit).
There are also opposing voices: Others, on the other hand, consider the beetle to be a sensible addition and are happy to finally be able to put an end to campers. They are looking forward to having to rethink and being offered new tactical possibilities.
The only fact that seems to really bother everyone at the moment, at least on the test servers, is that it is still possible to prevent other players from extracting from the game by steering the beetle into the zone (via reddit).
Players set out to create as much chaos as possible with the beetle
What else happened with the beetle? Aside from the usual discussions, there is another trend happening on reddit. Some fans are trying to misuse the beetle. Regularly new videos appear showing what is possible with the beetle.
Among other things, fans have discovered that you can attach a sticky bomb to the flying friend. To do this, one player launches the beetle, and a teammate throws a targeted sticky bomb at it. The pilot then has a few seconds left to sensibly steer the otherwise very slow and rarely hitting bomb toward the target.
This requires some practice, but it looks like this:
Also, the combination of the powerful Sparks sniper with the beetle leads to funny situations. What is used in the following clip is a Sparks, a sniper rifle that deals 149 out of 150 hit points in damage. This is played with poisonous ammunition and a perk called “Poison Sense”.
The beetle, which actually only does 5 damage, becomes a death trap in this combination. We see in the clip how the shot hits and leaves the opponent with only one hit point left. He can no longer shoot because the Sparks only has one bullet. He throws the beetle and sees his opponent immediately this way, thanks to the Poison Sense trait that marks the poisoned opponent. He steers the beetle onto the enemy and kills him this way, with the light 5 damage of the beetle.
These clips also receive both positive and negative comments. The community hasn’t really come to an agreement on whether they find the beetle good or not. When update 1.10 and thus the beetle comes to the live servers, the reactions may change once again.
What do you think of the beetle? Do you find it a sensible addition to Hunt: Showdown? Or would you prefer not to have it in the game? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
In my favorite shooter on Steam, enemies won’t be able to kill me anymore after I’ve already won
