Hunt: Showdown
UNIQUE PVPVE COMPETITIVE SHOOTER (2018) by CRYTEK — set in gothic 19th-century LOUISIANA BAYOU. Squads of 1-3 hunters compete to track + kill AI BOSSES (spider, butcher, assassin, scrapbeak, rotjaw) + BANISH them for BOUNTIES, while OTHER HUNTER TEAMS try to steal the bounty. Distinctive sound-driven stealth + horror + PvP tension. PERMADEATH — hunters killed are LOST FOREVER. Cult favorite; global tournaments via CRYTEK official + community leagues. Rebranded Hunt: Showdown 1896 in 2024 with major engine + content upgrade.
Quick facts
Category
Esports
Type
Team sport
Players
1–12
Duration
~45 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇩🇪 Germany
Estimated origin
2018 launch (Early Access Feb 2018 PC); 1.0 Aug 2019; Hunt: Showdown 1896 rebrand Aug 2024
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Kill AI boss + banish it + extract with bounty while surviving hunter opposition.
Rules
Basic rules
Squads of 1-3 hunters enter a shared 12-player match
Signature PvPvE structure.
Track AI boss via clues on map (blood, tracks, sightings)
Signature investigation loop.
Kill + banish boss for bounty token (visible to all remaining hunters)
Bounty triggers PvP.
Extract via 1 of 4 map exits (each with counter-play risk)
Extract phase.
Hunter permadeath — killed hunter is lost forever with all gear
Signature permadeath.
19th-century weapons: rifles, revolvers, shotguns, dynamite, throwing knives
Historic weapon set.
Scoring
Long-term hunter progression + bounty amounts + PC leaderboards; competitive tournament brackets.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Successful extraction with bounty | $300-800 hunter cash + XP |
| Hunter Rank + Prestige levels | Long-term progression |
| Bounty Clash tournament mode | Competitive team format |
Win condition · Extract with bounty; multiple squads can succeed per match.
Equipment
PC (Windows), PS4/5, Xbox One/Series
Multi-platform
M/KB (recommended) or controller
PC dominant
Full price ($30-40) + optional cosmetic DLC
Not free-to-play
Headphones/quality audio essential
Sound-driven gameplay
Terminology
- Hunter
- Your character (permadeath if killed).
- Boss
- AI target monster (Butcher, Spider, Assassin, Scrapbeak, Rotjaw).
- Banish
- 5-minute ritual after killing boss; alerts entire server.
- Bounty
- Tokens dropped by banished boss; carried out at extraction.
- Dark Sight
- Vision ability to see clues + bounty carriers.
- Extract
- Reaching an escape zone with your bounty; ends match for your squad.
- Prestige
- Reset hunter rank in exchange for permanent bonuses.
Major competitions
Crytek Official Bounty Clash tournaments
quarterly · Global online · since 2022
Community tournaments (PUP, Bounty Clash)
ongoing · Global online · since 2020
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Crytek (developer + publisher)
Founded 1999 · Frankfurt, Germany
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Rachta Z, PsychoGhost, RJP (major streamers)
- PUP, Crytek official tournament teams
- Bounty Clash Championship community events
Frequently asked
Hunt: Showdown vs Escape from Tarkov?+
Both are HARDCORE EXTRACTION-FOCUSED shooters. HUNT is smaller-scale (12 players max, 45-min matches) with clearer PvPvE loop (kill boss + extract). ESCAPE FROM TARKOV (Battlestate Games, 2017): larger + more complex, extensive gear/loot economy, more military-simulation focus. Hunt has GOTHIC HORROR aesthetic + BOSS OBJECTIVES; Tarkov has REALISTIC MODERN COMBAT + EXTENSIVE LOOT ECONOMY. Both reward patience + skill + team communication.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Hunt: Showdown— Wikipedia