Steam – 18+ shooter gets what you want for your game 5 years after launch: an engine upgrade

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With the fantasy western “Hunt: Showdown” (PS4, Xbox One, PC), the Frankfurt-based studio Crytek has created a game that can win more and more players and fans. In January 2023, it reached the highest player average of its lifetime on Steam. In 2023 the game will be given an engine upgrade to the current version of the CryEngine. The developers say: They are curious how far the shooter can grow.

What is special about Hunt: Showdown?

  • The game was released directly after a closed alpha on February 22, 2018 on Steam as an “Early Access” title. At the time, the fantasy western shooter could interest relatively few people: by July 2019, an average of between 1,000 and 3,200 people were playing it at the same time (via steamcharts).
  • Between 2019 and March 2021, however, word got around that it was an unusually exciting game. The first-person shooter became a hot tip, and Hunt: Showdown picked up steam. Now it was between 6,000 and 10,000 players.
  • Since April 2021, things have gone one step higher: The game has now leveled off at around 15,000 players who are online on average. In January 2023, 17,933 players even reached a new high, 5 years after the release.

    • Horror shooter on Steam now has more players than it did when it was released – why is Hunt: Showdown so popular?

    Hunt: Showdown gets upgrade to current CryEngine 5.11

    Here’s what the developers say: The Frankfurt studio Crytek has given the shooter an upgrade of the engine, going from 5.6 to 5.11. David Fifield, Crytek’s general manager, explains to the PC Gamer site

    The game is currently running on a legacy version of the CryEngine from 4 years ago. One of the things we’re talking about the most in 2023 will be upgrading the game to the latest version of the CryEngine, 5.11, which is 4 years younger.

    “Engine Upgrade” – the deluxe care in video games

    Here’s why an engine upgrade is so coveted and rare: As PCGamer knows, an engine upgrade is a special treatment that video games rarely get because it’s so expensive. It’s like swapping the body of a car for a new one. This is technically difficult, and new problems can often arise.

    At Fortnite, the upgrade to Unreal Engine 5 brought amazing results.

    Many fans, especially of older games, would like their games to be treated in this way, but it is practically never possible. For years, fans of the MMORPG World of Warcraft have been dreaming of how “pretty and modern” WoW would look like.

    Hunt: Showdown – “The Inferno”

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    “Curious how high the player numbers can go”

    What do the developers say about this? When exactly the upgrade will come is not revealed yet. It’s a “long way”, but now it’s on the way. When you reach milestones, you will let the fans know.

    Crytek will also bring further updates to Hunt: Showdown, such as revising the tutorial and making it more beginner-friendly.

    I played Hunt: Showdown for over 700 hours in 2021, so you should too

    Apparently, Frankfurt is quite enthusiastic about how the game has developed over the years:

    “We’re curious to see how high the number of players, the commitment and all that stuff can go,” says Fifield in an interview.

    Hunt: Showdown is considered a hard shooter and is rated 18+. More such games:

    For Adults Only: The 10 Best MMOs and Multiplayer Games 18+ in 2023

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