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 turning up the heat with the much-awaited return of fan-favorite map DeSalle and a brutal new in-game Event: Judgement of the Fool ​, coming to Hunt: Showdown 1896 on June 18, 2025.

Alongside this, Update 2.4 delivers a plethora of improvements, fixes, and exclusive rewards.

DeSalle: A Map Reborn

DeSalle’s triumphant return is the crown jewel of Update 2.4. The map is revitalized and reimagined with jaw-dropping visual upgrades. Lighting, textures, dressing, terrain and vegetation have been fine-tuned to match the grim beauty of Hunt: Showdown 1896’s other maps, while gameplay refinements add fresh layers of tactical depth. Key compounds like Kingsnake Mine, Pearl Plantation, Fort Bolden, and others now feature new paths, sightlines, and entry points perfect for flanking or last stands.

And that’s not all: Lighting and time-of-day systems have been reworked across all maps, ensuring each region feels distinct. Whether you’re stalking through DeSalle’s sun-scorched ruins or the fog-choked swamps of Stillwater Bayou, expect a unique atmosphere while you hunt.

Judgement of the Fool

The bayou’s hunting grounds are stained red with vengeance as The Pale Judge storms into action, hellbent on delivering justice to The Fool, whose deranged sins have finally caught up to him. Amidst the storm of chaos and betrayal, players can unlock rewards, among them three unique and haunting new Hunters:

• The Fool – Disfigured, deranged, and a snake-oil salesman on the run, his face was mangled by victims of his poisonous Miracle Mouth All-Cure. The Pale Judge once offered him redemption, but that chance is no more.
• The Pale Judge – A regular judge in Mammon’s Gulch turned fallen lawman, he traded his gavel for a gun and a deck of tarot cards. He dishes out sentences on behalf of fate itself, and he’s here to deal the final verdict to The Fool.
• Dorothy Alice – The last survivor of the Alice family from once-idyllic Stillwater Bayou, she was found alone by The Fool. She hides him from The Pale Judge in the ruined homestead of Alice Farm.

The chaos doesn’t end there, as The Judgement of the Fool brings new gameplay twists and mechanics:

• Pledge Mark theft: pillage fallen Hunters like a bayou scavenger
• Trait Wage Spur: Gamble your hard-earned Pledge Marks for random Traits
• Bounty Clash MMR: A matchmaking rating to go all in its own for the game mode without risking the separate Bounty Hunt rating.
• Unique Event Traits: Access previous Event-exclusive Traits, like Gunrunner and Corpse Seer, as well as the all-new Catalyst Trait, which brings back and combines some fan-favorite Conditional Trait Effects.

Players can claim exclusive Sealed rewards, including:

• A Single Sealed Bounty Token
• Full Restoration Kit
• Trait Wager Spur (randomized Traits per Pledge Marks spent)
• Master Clue (reveals all Boss Targets)
• Event-exclusive Sealed Scarce Traits

To add even more tension, a new Event Trait—Catalyst—can be purchased in The Fool’s Hideout using Pledge Marks. Once unlocked, it activates Conditional Trait Effects for all eligible Traits, introducing new tactical possibilities. Some eligible Traits and their Conditional Trait Effects include:

• Beastface – Animals will never trigger.
• Vigilant – Doubles Dark Sight range to 50 meters.
• Fanning – Enables fanning with certain two-slot pistols.

Additional Sealed Rewards, like the Four Shot Boon, Experience Boon, Sealed Cash Register, Dark Sight Boon, and Sealed Ammo and Tools can also be found scattered across the map at Supply Points, Arsenals, and Watch Towers.

And furthermore, Hunters ought to watch their back—a new enemy called the Brute roams the woods, a monstrosity rumored to be Ursa Mortis’ failed offspring...or its attempted meal.

Update 2.4: Refined, Rebalanced, Relentless

Update 2.4 is packed with fixes and tweaks to sharpen Hunt: Showdown 1896’s signature tension. Over 100 UI issues have been addressed and many more bugs squashed, while audio clarity, enemy AI, and meta adjustments ensure every gunfight feels deadlier.

Judgement Awaits

Mark your calendars—Judgement of the Fool arrives June 18, 2025, bringing Hunt: Showdown 1896’s most ambitious Event yet. With a revitalized DeSalle map, new loot mechanics, and a slew of gameplay refinements, the bayou has never been deadlier.

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