Savage, nightmarish monsters roam the Louisiana swamps, and you are part of a group of rugged bounty hunters bound to rid the world of their ghastly presence. Banish these creatures from our world, and you will be paid generously—and given the chance to buy more gruesome and powerful weapons. Fail, and death will strip you of both character and gear. Your experience, however, remains in your pool of hunters—called your Bloodline—always.

Hunt’s competitive, match-based gameplay mixes PvP and PvE elements to create a uniquely tense experience where your life, your character, and your gear are always on the line. At the beginning of each match, up to five teams of two set out to track their monstrous targets. Once they’ve found and defeated one of these they will receive a bounty—and instantly become a target for every other Hunter left on the map. If you don’t watch your back, you’ll find a knife in it, and your last memory will be of another team of Hunters walking away with your prize. The higher the risk, the higher the reward–but a single mistake could cost you everything.

Hunt: Showdown 1896, the next chapter of Hunt, where players can join a whole new experience as we leap forward chronologically and head west of the Bayou backwaters to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Crytek is pleased to announce that a new game mode called "Bounty Clash" and new in-game event titled "Harvest of Ghosts" are coming to Hunt: Showdown 1896 for all players this Halloween. Bounty Clash will be available from Wednesday, October 16, to Sunday, October 20, and then appear every weekend during the Harvest of Ghosts event. The Harvest of Ghosts in-game event will run between October 16 to November 25 and is bustling with new treats for players to get their hands on.

New Game Mode: Bounty Clash

Introducing Bounty Clash, a new experimental game mode where fast-paced action is key. Players will spawn in a random compound with a dead boss target awaiting banishment with a token available to pick up, and players will have to defeat other teams to get to it. Games are quick and ruthless, as you’ll need to fight off enemies, rush to the token and extract all within 15 minutes of game time!

Hunters will be taken into the game mode from their roster, so the stakes are even higher than ever before. You’ll be fighting across one of the stunning compounds from either Mammon’s Gulch or Stillwater Bayou, which have been uniquely adapted for the mode. Players will be matchmaked according to their MMR, but this won’t be affected by the Bounty Clash match outcomes.

Rush – fight – extract – repeat! Enjoy the thrill of this brand-new, limited-time game mode!

How do I play it? 

Bounty Clash starts alongside our new event ‘Harvest of Ghosts’ on the 16th October. You will be able to find it by swapping contracts in the Bounty Hunt lobby – remember it only runs at certain times (more details below).

You can queue as solo, in duo or trio teams, and queue against teams of up to three players. You'll need to take in hunters you've recruited and equipped, just like in Bounty Hunt. Matchmaking will be based on your Bounty Hunt MMR, however as this is an experimental game mode your MMR won’t be affected by any Bounty Clash match outcome. ​ ​ 

When does it run? 

The game mode runs on the following dates: ​

• 16th – 20th October ​ ​
• 25th – 27th October ​ ​
• 1st – 3rd November ​
• 8th – 10th November ​
• 15th – 17th November ​
• 22nd – 24th November ​ ​

Everything your team needs to know before joining Bounty Clash 

• The boss target in Bounty Clash is already dead, waiting to be banished. You will need to strategize around this - will you rush into the boss lair and banish early, or hold off on banishing until your team needs the restoration? It’s all up to you and your team. ​ 
• To quickly find the boss and extraction locations you can use the HUD indicators, displayed in the compass at the top of your screen.
• Banishment time is faster in Bounty Clash, bear it in mind when considering your plan.
• The boss target only drops a single Bounty Token in Bounty Clash - make sure the right person picks it up as they'll be the only one with Dark Sight boost. ​ 
• If you have any event traits on your Hunters from Harvest of Ghosts then this can be a great way to get an advantage, you’ll want to choose your loadout and Hunters wisely as Bounty Clash is a high-risk game mode.
• During the upcoming Harvest of Ghosts event, a restoration kit and four shot boon envelopes are available in all compounds. Both cost one pledge mark and can be game-changers. Their location remains the same every game, so contesting them can be an objective in itself.

Harvest of Ghosts Event

Corruption has entered a new phase, with two Incursions active for the first time in memory. This unprecedented circumstance has birthed a new and wicked season called Harvest of Ghosts.

A new Hunter called "Harvest" has tampered with the forces behind Dark Sight, becoming something of its "avatar," and as the destruction of the Harvest of Ghosts grows, so does he. Rare tools are his creation (Dark Dynamite, Satchel) and are available to Hunters for a high price. He’s drawn all manner of Hunters who would weaponize the Corruption, and they take dark powers under the Pact of Omens.

The trio of Pacts clash and fight for survival in the Harvest of Ghosts haunted autumn, where any Hunter can be sent to their grave, or rise from it once again.

Key Features

Harvest of Ghosts introduces exciting new mechanics and pacts to Hunt: Showdown 1896 as players hunt for Event Points for progress and Pledge Marks used to unlock new powers. Progressing through the event, players will unlock access to new weapons and equipment and plenty of additional rewards.

Hunters will find Sealed Rewards at multiple locations and earn Pledge Marks, with a maximum of four per one mission. Players can pledge to one of the three Pacts and gain Pact Traits, changing up the gameplay and providing new tactics during the Harvest of Ghosts event.

Wilderness Pact

The Wilderness Pact carries on their fight to protect the land against those tampering with Dark Sight so that their meddling doesn’t spread Corruption further. Wilderness Traits such as Surefoot and Beastface make your Hunter more mobile and equipped for exploration.

The Pact of Omens

The Pact of Omens harnesses powers within Dark Sight to inflict harm and horror upon their enemies, wreaking havoc upon all. The Pact of Omens' Traits like Blast Sense and Pain Sense gift your Hunter with sharpened senses that allow tactical advantages in both sound and sight.

Smugglers Pact

The Smugglers Pact try to take the Dark Sight objects for themselves and unleash the firepower of new contraband from around the world. The Smuggler Pact Traits, including Gunrunner and Greyhound, heavily arm your Hunter and allow for fast map traversal.

Harvest of Ghosts also brings along new weapons, variants and equipment, further altering how players approach their hunt:

• Bomb Launcher – a compact weapon which fires an explosive harpoon and can switch between two ammo types
• Maynard Sniper – a high-damage scoped rifle with a two-staged reload
• Auto-4 Short – a shortened variant of a semi-automatic shotgun
• Centennial Pointman – a lever-action repeating rifle with high muzzle velocity with a shortened stock and mid-to-long-range scope
• Rival 78 Mace – a shortened variant of double-barrel high-damage shotgun with a read bludgeon attached
• Dark Dynamite Satchel – a bundle of dynamite sticks with remote detonation through Dark Sight, attachable to walls and floors

More exciting changes and rewards will be introduced, along with a Hand Crossbow Revive Bolt, and will be further highlighted upon the release of Harvest of Ghosts on Oct. 16, 2024, on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Stay tuned for more updates and details this Halloween in the lead up to the launch of Harvest of Ghosts.

Even in death, you will be able to progress among the ranks of Hunters via your Bloodline. Though one character may die, their experience will be transferred to your Bloodline, where it can be applied your other Hunters. If you make it off of the map alive, you will be able to use the money and experience you earn to kit out new Hunters and prepare for the next match. If you die, you lose everything but your experience.

Dark Sight allows Hunters to see into the veil between worlds, making that which cannot be seen by mortal eyes visible to those who have been initiated. Use Dark Sight when you are tracking monsters, and a ghostly light will guide you toward your next target. Dark Sight also marks players carrying a bounty, making them more vulnerable to ambush while trying to escape.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is available for PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S