Hunt: Showdown is considered one of the best extraction shooters on Steam and has a loyal fan base, but a new feature is upsetting the community.
What is happening with Hunt right now? On October 22, 2024, the German developer studio Crytek released a new trailer for Hunt: Showdown 1896, as the game is now called. In it, they show a new hunter who wears the mask of Ghost Face from Scream. However, this has not been well received.
Many fans of the game are worried about the identity of the shooter. Hunt: Showdown 1896 offers an atmospheric, dark fantasy western setting and is actually among the best shooters of 2024. The unique setting is also emphasized by the design of the different hunters.
You can watch the trailer here:
First Hunter with Foreign License
What is the problem? With Ghost Face comes the first hunter who was not specifically developed for the game. Moreover, he is based on a license that did not even exist in the year in which Hunt is set. However, the developers have come up with their own backstory for the hunter with the mask:
- Ghost Face was formerly known as Nehemia Hexum
- One day he found a weathered wooden mask that had become bone-white over time and filled his thoughts with bloody visions
- One night he put on the mask and went into the bayou, after which he never took it off again
Such a backstory is not unusual for Hunt. Magic has long been a part of Hunt, as there are also undead hunters in the game. The only thing that even remotely resembles the slasher is the mask. And that is precisely the problem for many players.
Fans Fear for Immersion and the Identity of Hunt: Showdown
The association of the mask with an existing franchise breaks immersion for many players. The fear is growing that the game will lose its unique identity and become a shooter like many others that already exist. This is reflected in many comments under the trailer on YouTube.
- Capt1Cuddles: “What all my friends used to say about Hunt was that it is unique, that the design and atmosphere are great. I understand that Crytek needs money to run a business, but if this is the way forward, Hunt will lose the only thing that really sets it apart from others, and that is quite sad.”
- gascoigne5627: “Crytek, please don’t. There is already enough crossover nonsense in the market. You are one of the few live-service shooters with a real identity, please don’t give that up.”
- Ki115witch: “This is no longer Hunt. This is ‘Hunt of Duty’. A big middle finger to the core player base.”
It is no longer uncommon for figures from pop culture to make their way into video games. In Dead by Daylight, Dracula from Castlevania recently chases you, and in the online lobbies of Call of Duty, people run around as rapper Nicki Minaj. Hunt: Showdown 1896 was supposed to stand out precisely from such games, according to the opinion of many players. However, there are also those who find the uproar exaggerated.
Hunt: Showdown 1896 is one of the most challenging multiplayer shooters currently available. While veterans love the adrenaline rush of a thrilling duel, newcomers often give up before they even get their first kill: Head of a hardcore PvP game on Steam reveals: 40% of players have never killed anyone
