A New Era For Hunt Arrives With The Reveal of Hunt Showdown: 1896 And Mammon's Gulch Map

We've known about Hunt Showdown's upcoming CRYENGINE update for quite some time and expected some news surrounding its arrival soon, but what we didn't expect was essentially a brand-new game centered around a shiny new map. The arrival of Hunt Showdown: 1896 represents a significant step forward for our favorite extraction shooter, and excitement is in the air.

To get you all caught up, let's go over everything coming in Hunt Showdown: 1896, including the new engine and the new map, which takes full advantage of everything the engine has to offer, providing us with a truly fresh experience when it lands.

The Arrival of Hunt Showdown: 1896

Hunt Showdown is evolving rather than ending with the release of Hunt Showdown: 1896 on August 15, 2024. Crytek is taking the game to the next level "chronologically," by moving to Cryengine 5, which updates audio, visuals, and a new map called Mammon's Gulch, among other features. The developers have branded this evolution as Hunt Showdown: 1896.

The upgrade details, covered in our Hunt upgrade article, emphasize that the transition to Hunt Showdown 1896 will be free for all existing users, though it will replace the original game. Unfortunately, the game will no longer be supported on last-gen consoles (PS4 and Xbox One), which is a significant drawback.

Despite this, Crytek is making the upgrade worthwhile with numerous enhancements. The highlight of these updates is the new map, Mammon's Gulch, designed to take full advantage of the latest technology offered by CRYENGINE 5.

Hunt Showdown 1896 New Map: Mammons Gulch

Mammon's Gulch is Crytek's take on Colorado, featuring dense forests and winding paths that constantly shift in elevation, with significantly less water than Hunt's current maps. Players will explore torched towns and deep mines scattered across the landscape, with a notable contrast between above-ground and underground areas.

The above-ground areas will introduce new structures and locations designed to create more immersive and intense battles. Compounds, a staple of Hunt Showdown's gameplay, will be reworked into "megastructures"—large indoor locations with multiple entry and exit points, with the Oro Gordo Mine being an example we see from the trailer. Additionally, the map will include mines, dense forests, and wide-open areas, providing opportunities for varied gameplay, including sniper engagements.

This is enhanced by CRYENGINE 5's updates to visuals, sound effects, and lighting, making Mammon's Gulch the showcase for future maps in Hunt Showdown: 1896.

Hunt Showdown 1896 Engine Upgrade

The upgrade to CRYENGINE5 ties together the new map and the new name, improving every aspect of Hunt Showdown. This includes in-game changes, a redesigned UI, and performance enhancements to push the game to its limits. Additionally, Crytek will update older maps as they roll out their new game for the rest of the year with a new lighting model that supports global illumination and improved water shaders, making rivers and ponds look less murky and opaque.

While we can't guarantee that all maps will receive the same level of detail and sophistication as Mammon's Gulch, a visual upgrade, and some minor tweaks, along with better performance, would greatly enhance the older maps. The 1896 upgrade doesn't have just one defining feature but includes many smaller changes, which can be summarized as follows:

• A "true speed of sound" audio system simulates the time delay of sounds like explosions and gunfire over distances, so you see an explosion before hearing it.
• A completely redesigned UI with fewer sections and menus, optimized for console but still mouse-friendly.
• Changes to perks and weapons: Necromancer is now a burn trait, gun sights are more uniform, and choke clouds last only one minute.
• Wire traps can now be placed anywhere, encouraging players to change their trap placement strategies.
• Streamlined, weekly updated challenges consistent for all players.
• Option for a centered crosshair.
• Reworked Hunter recruitment and classification: Legendary hunters are now just "hunters," and generic tiered hunters have proper names and backstories.
• A new map, Mammon’s Gulch, in the Colorado biome launches on August 15th with 'Hunt: Showdown 1896'.
• CRYENGINE 5.11 enhances visuals, audio, and overall immersion.
• The game is a PvPvE extraction shooter set in a dark, supernatural world where players build shared memories of desperation, loss, and triumph.
• Award-winning audio design creates an intense and immersive atmosphere.
• Frequent updates introduce new events, weapons, characters, and challenges.
• A thriving, highly engaged community helps shape the future of the game with feedback and surveys.

So there you have it, everything you need to know about the upcoming evolution from Hunt Showdown to the all-new Hunt Showdown: 1896. This will be a massive upgrade and a significant step forward for Crytek's extraction shooter. As we move forward, we'll keep you updated with the latest news and information surrounding it.