Hello hunters,

It’s status update time and here’s what we’ve been up to.

Winter is coming

By this point we all know that winter is coming and I’m sure you’re dying to learn the details of the upcoming sub-arctic reserve, how tracks in the snow will work, what animals apart from bison will reside there and where on the map it’ll be located. Don’t panic, everything will be shared and all secrets will be revealed. One thing at a time. There is a lot of work left to be done and we’ll make sure to keep you updated on the progress. For now, here are a couple of work-in-progress screenshots from our art team for you to get inspired.

Now it’s time for our good ol’ tradition! A community brainstorming session where we come up with a name for the new reserve!  So, let’s put our heads together and come up with a great name worthy of this beauty. I think a lot of you know the drill from our previous reserve releases, but here’s a short reminder:

Your name must be unique, easily pronounceable in all languages (spare a thought for players from all over the world who would need to be able to utter it without breaking their tongues), capture the essence of the upcoming location and fit our existing names. The new reserve is inspired by the subarctic parts of North America, but, like with the rest of the EHR, we never limit ourselves to a specific real life location.

Here’s a thread for your suggestions. We look forward to them!

Summer Fiesta

Our grand Summer Fiesta event is over and wow, what a hunting feast it has been. With tens of thousands of people taking part in both the competitions and the missions, it has been the biggest event theHunter has ever seen. So, everyone who got at least one trophy shall consider themselves a winner! I’ll prepare some numbers for next week’s status update, but here is the list of the main triumphant winners of the tournament who made it all the way to the Tier 4.

1. Logunov
2. KingKong1
3. ___DSL
4. excalibure73
5. SaintForce
6. Robi33
7. wellintonlp
8. Nonogt
9. krtfkrtf

Alongside fame, glory and sweet prizes, the top three participants also won the coveted 7mm Bouquetin rifle. This premium rifle will be released in the store at a later point. Congratulations, this has been amazing! Let’s do it again some time.

Community vs Devs Battle

We’ve received over 100 applications for the upcoming hunting battle between Devs and Community, so we’re closing the application form and in the next week will choose the hunters who will represent the community (if you have a HS below 50, you have a good chance to be one of them ;)) You can expect to hear more about this event soon.

That’s it for today.

Happy hunting!

Discussion

Hi there hunters,

I know that many of you have been patiently waiting for this status update, so let’s take the plunge right away, shall we? First of all, be sure to check out yesterday’s game update which boasts a beautiful array of changes and bug fixes, some long-awaited and all highly welcomed (e.g. the muzzleloader reload animation).

Let it snow!

Now moving on to something that we briefly mentioned last week. The new species in the works. There was in fact one more hint that some of you picked up on. The snowy reserve background on the image of the “Lone Star” release. No, it wasn’t Hemmeldal and yes, it has a direct relation to the upcoming species. To cut a long story short, it’s the BISON indeed (as it has become known thanks to curious players roaming through our German partners’ site) and it will be living in the new, very exciting reserve, located somewhere in the sub arctic (we call the new area the Arctic North). Our artists have been working their magic on it for a while and, as you know, it takes a tremendous amount of time and efforts to create a new area in theHunter. The work will be ongoing for quite a bit. As we progress, we’ll be sharing some behind-the-scenes moments and other exciting stuff with you, but for now, just savour these screenshots which should hopefully give you a rough idea of where you’ll be able to hunt one glorious day soon  😉

Please bear in mind that what you see here is very, very much work in progress, lots of things will change and improve. We don’t have the final release date that we can share with you yet, but stay with us and you’ll be in for a treat as the EHR Arctic North will come with more surprises and hidden gems.

Best community load outs are chosen

The anonymous polls for the best reserve load-outs are over and the winners have been picked in a fair and square competition. Here are the hunters who have managed to pull together the most efficient, versatile and practical load-outs:

• SloNez – Hemmeldal “Hunt-em-All”
• holliday50 – Redfeather Falls Gentleman Hunter
• Maximelamb – Hirschfelden Universal
• BuiuRei – Settler Creeks Universal
• Takedown87 – Universal Bushrangers Run Loadout
• Moohy55 – Rougarou Bayou Load Out
• NateJR – Whitehart Island load-out – All Species
• waiora – Val-Des-Bois Comps
• SloNeZ – Logger’s Point Complete
• brenno20 – My 30+ harvest kit for Logger’s Point
• Jim_Shadow – Logger’s Point perfection

Congratulations to the winners, please drop me a message and specify the prize you’d like to receive. All winning load outs will be featured in theHunter store as permanent bundles. You can now find all the players’ names next to their load outs.

Thanks to everyone who took part in this competition, it’s been really cool.

Community vs. Devs hunting battle

It all has started the way crazy things start here at the office. During one of the hunting sessions Daniel dropped to us: “How about … we do a hunting battle Devs vs Community?” The idea got lots of love and we’ve gathered a brave bunch of devs who would like to take on the challenge to compete against representatives of our community. We’ve been picking our brains on how to choose players from the community, since as we can imagine there will be a lot of volunteers, so here is how it’ll work. The contenders will be chosen amongst those who have filled in this form. We’ll try to pick  hunters based of different skill and experience levels, so everyone has a chance! We’ll tell you more details later on.

Translators wanted

As we are looking to introduce more people all over the world into the thrilling universe of theHunter, we are right now on the search for players who are native in Japanese, Chinese and Thai languages and who would like to help us with translating the game. If you are one of those, or if you know any other language on a native level, have some free hours to helps us with translation and can keep secrets, get in touch!

That’s it for now, happy hunting!

Discussion

Howdy hunters,

Here is your weekly piece of news from the EW headquarters.

What’s being worked on

As our team members gradually return from vacation, the office is starting to feel unusually packed and the work has been picking up. For example, we’ve been working on a number of minor tweaks and fixes that we think you’re going to enjoy. Our deployable hunting towers have received some long overdue attention. Two of the less popular ammo calibers have undergone a revamp which will allow you to rediscover a couple of rifles, plus we’ve applied some tweaks to address the rangefinder vs. shot distance discrepancy. All these fixes will be included in the next game update, scheduled for release next week.

Another big thing that we’ve been working on for a while, which we hinted to in our last status update, is a brand new species! Our latest added (huntable) species was the red kangaroo and this time we’ve decided to do a full 180. No clues yet, sorry folks, but we can tell you it’s going to be something very different from what you’re used to seeing in the EHR. Feel free to speculate, we’re looking forward to your ideas and guesses, more details on this wicked animal coming soon!

Tobii Eye Tracking coming to theHunter

As our producer Dan Thornström announced at the GDC Europe 2015 in Cologne this Tuesday, we’ve partnered with another Sweden-based company, Tobii, to bring state-of-the-art eye tracking to theHunter. We implemented it in theHunter: Primal and the response was great. Right now Tobii are in the process of setting everything up and testing the implementation, with the plan to release it at the end of August. What will it mean for you as a theHunter player? Well, if you choose to buy Tobii SteelSeries Sentry eye-tracker, you’ll be able to orient the game’s scene camera with your eyes, so your hunting experience could be even more immersive. We’ll keep you updated on the progress, and we’ll let you know when this feature is due for release.

And a couple of short reminders for the road …

Summer Fiesta Tier 2 is finishing very, very soon. You have just a couple of days left to fight for those silver tickets, which are needed to activate Tier 3 competitions. This battle is not for the weak hearted, but you all know what waits at the end – that amazing 7mm Break Action “Bouquetin”.

There’s also less than one day left to vote for your favourite reserve load outs. So far the amount of votes has been underwhelming to say the least, something we blame on summer, but still – go and tell us which ones you like, we need your votes to make the right choice.

• Vote for best Hemmeldal Load Out
• Vote for best Bushrangers Run Load Out
• Vote for best Redfeather Falls Load Out
• Vote for best Hirschfelden Load Out
• Vote for best Val-des-Bois Load Out
• Vote for best Settler Creeks Load Out
• Vote for best Logger’s Point Load Out
• Vote for best Rougarou Bayou Load Out
• Vote for best Whitehart island Load Out

You seem to love the new face scarves for Hemmeldal and Bushrangers Run and based on the feedback we’ve collected, we’ll probably be expanding the line-up. Last but not the least, don’t forget to check out our badass Wild West inspired premium version of  the .30-30 Lever-Action Rifle, the lucid and luminous “Lone Star ”– it’s available in the store NOW. Aw, there is also a bundle with it up for grabs!
Happy hunting!

Discussion

Hi there hunters,

Here is our weekly status update with some bits and pieces from the EW headquarters. It’s still rather quiet here due to the ongoing vacations, but the work is humming as usual as we are working on something new (more details later on).

Dog player survey

Two weeks ago we launched a small survey focused on the release of dogs. About 2000 hunters have completed it and we would like to share with you some results, because we know that you like numbers as much as we do.

First, we asked you how happy you were with the introduction of Labradors, and 60% of respondents said that they were extremely happy, 30%  were pretty happy but would like dogs be done better, and only some 9% are either not happy for different reasons or don’t care. We let the numbers speak for themselves:

Then we asked you to rate different aspects of the lab release from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Although all the aspects received the weighted average of above 3 (ok – good), the winner is the model (oh hey Oskar!)

Almost everyone who have completed the survey (94%) either have already bought the dog or are going to buy one:

The post-release issues with game crashes and bugs didn’t seem to spoil the enjoyment for too many players, with 12% stating that this was the case.

We are going to leave out results about the requested features, dog breeds and types, not to breed any speculations, but we did take every single suggestions into account.

Here are the lucky winners of our em$ draw, congratulations guys! You will be added 1000 em$ each.

Tbone5543

Mikaeldude

LadyBambi

We also chose our favourite answer to the question: “What feature would you like to be added for your dog?” and the winner is EthanZ with this answer: “I’d like him to go mental and start barking at trees when I say the word ‘squirrels’.” EthanZ receives a medium pack of dog treats for his wit.

3D Camo vests for your dogs

One of the popular features asked for in the survey was camouflage for dogs in form of vests – well, as luck would have it, we have a couple of those for you. Dog’s vests in 3D Summer Field, Summer Swamp and Fall Field camo are now available in the store. They have the same camo characteristics as our good ol’ hunting 3D camo outfits and will conceal your buddy from the most prying eyes. They’ll also look awesome with the matching collar, see it for yourself – here’s Daniel’s dog Gorgonzola rocking her all new Summer Swamp vest right after retrieving a Mallard.

You can buy vests separately in the store, or all together (plus some more dog goodies) in this bundle (available until Tuesday evening).

Important security reminder

I’ve posted it on the forums, but thought I’d mention it here as well: Yesterday we detected a range of unauthorized log in attempts to players’ accounts. (This usually happens when some site’s database gets hacked / leaked and usernames and passwords become available to culprits who then try to log in to other sites using the acquired login details.)

Hence, an important security reminder: if you use the same login email and password on theHunter and other sites, please change both (and make passwords different!). Always remember to use unique passwords on different sites to avoid losing your accounts – you can use special software to manage your passwords, Keepass is free, has good reviews, used by many and seems to be reliable.

Stay safe and happy hunting!

Discussion

Hello hunters,

Here is a short status update from us.

Summer Fiesta

The first tier is almost over and the amount of participants has been incredible. So far 8 669 unique players joined the competitions, they’ve used 184 863 attempts in which they harvested 157 793 animals with a total score 13 204 448. Looks like despite summer doldrums the competing spirit is strong with the hunters of EHR 😉 The competitions of the second tier start tomorrow and in order to be able to enroll in those, you need a bronze ticket, one per activation. You can get two for completing one of the “hard” Fiesta missions, one for placing 1 – 4 in any of the competitions in the Tier 1 or buying it in the store. You can check all the rules of the tournament here.

There has been a lot of discussion about the Bushrangers Runners mission, most of you still find it extremely difficult, even after we’ve removed the same hunt condition. Well, those missions have been designed to be extra-challenging, so only very determined hardcore hunters will complete them. Having said that, to spice it up a notch, we’ve decided to introduce a special prize that will be given to the first person completing the Bushrangers Runner mission (and posting about it in the Summer Fiesta forum thread) – they’ll be able to pick any item in the store, including premium but excluding non-released items, and get it for free.

Dog trophy shot contest – Winners

There have been lots and lots of really nice trophy shots submitted for our contest. All dogs were just beautiful, but here are our favourites:

Category Yellow Labrador – Mrmr123 & Abood

Category Chocolate Labrador – baluuto & Shiva

Category Black Labrador – Magnayen & Socke

Category Fox Red Labrador – ArchMaster & Easy

Runners-up are Sqwee, Beren666, SeelenfresserMiles, InSani7y, HooCairs, Villkatta, Mungo667, Pittie, alborith, TrophySeekerFilms, Gostwind, invisibleinsect, they’ll receive a medium pack of dog treats for their buddies.

Congratulations to the winners, please send me a PM and tell me a prize of your choice.

Load outs are published – time to vote!

We’ve finally came to the final voting phase of our load-out competition announced back in spring. Man, this has taken me a while to go through over 60 submissions, plus the dog release and holidays got in the middle, sorry about that. Anyway, the qualifying load outs are now published and ready for you pick the best of the best. To remind you of the rules, the winners will be chosen for each of the 9 reserves and they will be featured in our store alongside their creators’ names, similarly to the winning set-ups. You can find the polls (one per reserve) here. Please note that the voting is anonymous and soliciting votes is not allowed. Let’s make it fair. Good luck to everyone!

That’s it from us for today.

Happy hunting!

Discussion

Howdy hunters,

Welcome to our weekly status update! Let’s start with some doggie news, shall we?

Community Choice Lab

Today we are releasing an all new variation of our Labrador retriever – Fox Red. This variation has not been our first choice, because it is not that common in real life, although it’s hands down stunning. We received several requests for it and thought – why not? So here you go – the Fox Red Labrador is now in the store. You can buy it separately or in a special bundle, together with a bunch of dog goodies, including a pack of hot new Dog Treats (more on this further down)! This bundle offers a 30% discount and will be available until July 21st midnight CEST.

With the Fox Red Labrador we’re also introducing a new item category in the store – Community Choice. This category contains content inspired by or exclusively requested by community members.

Treat ‘em good!

Dog Treats, in different variations, have been brought up consistently since the release of the Labs. No wonder. There is nothing more common when training a dog than praising them with yummy bites when they perform well, and we’ve always wanted to have this interaction in theHunter as well. Now you can find different sized packs of dog treats in the store (both for em$ and gm$) and here is how they work:

Dog Treats are a means to reward your dog after performing a command successfully. They work similarly to camping supplies in the way that you equip them by placing in your backpack (not in an equipment slot). After your dog performs the command, you can give them a treat by using the middle selection in the dog command menu. The dog will eat the treat and get a small XP bonus based on a percentage of the XP awarded for the successful command performed.

The “Give treat” option is only available:

• When you have treats in your backpack
• After a successful command has been performed by the dog (but not TOO long after)
• When you are close to your dog

Dogs in trophy shots

Another addition that many of you have been looking forward to is the elaborate functionality for having dogs in trophy shots. Before now, when entering into a trophy shot mode, you had to wait for your dog to come around and then hurry up to take that picture before they changed their mind. Those times are over. Now you can grab your buddy when in the Edit mode (although they might get slightly confused), change their stance, place them wherever and however you feel like next to your downed animal – give them the place in your trophy shots that they deserve.

When trying out the new function, you may want to take part in our special competition – Trophy Shot Competition – Dog Edition. The rules are simple – take a trophy shot with your dog on it and post it in this thread. One winner will be chosen in each lab coat category (including the new Fox Red one) and they will receive a hefty prize of their choice (you can find the details in this post). When picking the winner, we’ll be looking at the composition, general aesthetics, but also the quality of the trophy animal. (Tip: If you want to brush up your trophy shot skills, check this super valuable video by HooCairs on how to take better shots).

Dogs’ spooking revised

After you’ve updated the game with today’s patch you’ll also see some changes in the way different animals react to your dog. Dog spooking has been reworked so that its effect can be different depending on the species. Generally, the retriever is less spooky when it comes to the species it is specialized for, while other species, such as Turkey, are much more easily spooked by dogs. When in a blind, the dog is near to invisible to all animals.

These changes do not completely nullify the spooking effect introduced in the last patch. You still have to use the dog strategically, learn to give them the right commands to control them when out on a hunt. Though discipline comes with experience, any dog has a potential to behave unruly and naughty, no matter how high their level is. So, learn to use the commands right and you can bring your dog with you on any hunt.

What are your thoughts on the dogs?

It’s been one month since we released the Labs and we are eager to hear what you think. We of course have gathered some great feedback via forums and social media, but we are looking to hear thoughts and opinions from more of you, when it comes both to the evaluation of the existing dog but also in regards to the future breeds and features you would like us to introduce. So, we’ve prepared a short Dog Survey (shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes). It will be open until 25 July noon and we’ll randomly pick 3 people who will receive 1000 em$ from us (don’t forget to add your theHunter name in you want to participate in the draw.)

Take the survey

Fiesta update

The Fiesta event has exploded and is in full swing. We are really happy to see such an amazing response. There was a problem with non-typical Whitetail and Mule Deer counting for competitions of Tier 1 which has now been corrected, and a bunch of people have found the Bushrangers Runners mission incredibly difficult, so we’ve decided to change the requirements a bit to make it easier. Now you don’t have to complete all of the objectives in the same hunt.

That’s all from us for today, see you in the woods and happy hunting!

Discussion