Hunt: Showdown 1896 will replace the original in August, sunsetting PS4 and Xbox One

Crytek has announced Hunt: Showdown 1896, the next chapter for its PvPvE extraction shooter, will be coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on 15th August. A free upgrade and replacement from the original Hunt: Showdown game, it also sees PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players no longer able to play as the game is sunset on those platforms.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a leap ahead in a number of ways for the game, while the core battle to defeat an occult beast and get back to extraction will remain the same. Narratively, time has jumped forward and the main location has moved from the Bayou to a new map in the Rocky Mountains called Mammon’s Gulch. This new map will emphasize verticality with plenty of vantage points above the surface, inspired by the community’s love of DeSalle, and then mines and oil wells to explore below that connect the two mountainous regions. In total, there are 16 compounds to scope out, with the map as a whole roughly equivalent in size to what’s gone before.

There’s also a big leap technologically, with CryEngine 5.11 powering the game and Crytek keen to make the most of the current generation consoles. Console players will get a native 4K and 60FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X, which is stepped down to 2K for Xbox Series S.

Other technical improvements include having audio track the true speed of sound, a redone UI, rebalanced perks, weapons, and Hunters, a centered crosshair option, overhauled wire trap placement, and more.

Crytek discussed Hunt: Showdown 1896 last year, before it was given the new name. At the time, they were tentative about discussing it as a sequel, though promised that there would be no new game release and charge, similar to how Overwatch 2 was an in-place replacement for the original.

On the plus side, all past player purchases and progress will carry forward to Hunt: Showdown 1896 from the original game, but on the downside, a lot of old maps from the Bayou are being shelved… for now. Crytek has also said that “they will be returning post-launch after receiving a revamp of their own.”

Source: Hunt: Showdown