Greetings, hunters!
Have you been wondering about everything that happened in the Way of the Hunter community in the last few weeks? Well, you have come to the right place. We'll go through the most recently added content, burning issues, and impressive community creations. Let's get right into it.
What's new
Even old news is news! The long-awaited first map DLC, Aurora Shores, has been out for a few weeks now and we were beyond excited to finally release it after many months of hard work. They say one is not supposed to have a favorite child, but we do sincerely love Aurora Shores for its snowy peaks, lush open stretches, and a deeply personal story. We hope you do, too!
Our friends over at Grand Beats put together a truly special website to show Aurora Shores in all its glory, you should not skip this one.
The version update 1.22 that came alongside the DLC put to rest a couple of annoying bugs (looking at you, fast-travelling animals), and brought a big addition long in the making - crossbows. As was promised, we also added a new, less expensive UTV. If the original ones were out of reach for you, we hope the new one (only 9.999 credits!) is more your speed.
To see everything that was new in 1.22, click here.
By Tactical Potato (Discord)
And in case you missed it - we have collected a selection of tracks from the in-game radio stations into a single Spotify playlist for your listening pleasure during real-life drives, treks, and hangouts.
How you've been
We knew that Aurora Shores was good but one doesn't really know until it's out there in the hands of you, the players. We were all the more heartened by your reaction to the new map, new animals, and the addition of crossbows.
It's by design that the map is easier to hunt in thanks to the flatter terrain with better vantage points and higher density of animals - roughly 1700 animals in Aurora Shores vs. 2500 in Nez Perce and 3000 in Transylvania. With that, we believe there is something for everyone in Way of the Hunter.
We've also heard those of you who aren't happy about being locked into the story characters as your playable protagonists. And although we are not able to share any specifics yet, we are actively exploring our available options to remedy the situation.
If you haven't given the new map a try yet and you want a better look before you pull the trigger, we recommend these videos and screenshots from the community:
By NeXus_Flako (Twitter)
By PiRadiusz (Steam)
By Photojoe94 (Discord)
By DYEUZ (Steam)
By Kak2R (Discord)
While on the subject of awesome community creations, it would be a crime not to give a shout-out to the now-famous WOTH Toolbox made by Nekhebu who, with the help of the community, has been working tirelessly for months on the most comprehensive Way of the Hunter guide on the web.
Chances are you have already used the app for one reason or another, but now we are happy to say that its maps have recently been updated with information straight from us - Nine Rocks Games. So have at it, and make sure to stop by our official Discord server, say hi to Nekhebu, and congratulate him on the awesome job.
What’s next
We are hard at work on the second map DLC that's coming later this year, but we are also looking forward to dropping a new free version update in the near future. It's gonna bring a few goodies and some highly requested features, but also the usual stack of bug fixes. Let's name a few of the most pressing ones that we are aiming to bring:
Blood tracks stopping after an animal moved beyond its render range
Some taxidermies clipping through walls in the Aurora Shores lodge
Missing campsite icon in the hunting map in Transylvania
Some mission animals not spawning (e.g. Black sheep, Pushkin)
Time of day not pausing in the main menu
Camera snapping up and down while prone
...and more!
It's all hands on deck polishing the game and continuing work on the next map DLC, but we have taken a few hours off to celebrate the release of Aurora Shores and thank the team for the job well done. These game developers have earned a slice of cake and a wide array of grilled foods!
We don't underestimate learning time either! A few of us hopped on a plane and had a hell of week at GDC 2023 in San Francisco, bringing back a lot of excitement for the future of video games.
And if you'll indulge us a for a moment longer, we can't omit the fact that April is our birthday month. Though a proper studio party is still pending until the weather improves, we are 3 years old as of April 1st, 2023! We'll take almost any excuse to fire up the grill on our 10th floor terrace but for an occasion such as a birthday party, we want to make sure we do it right.
Thank you for caring about Way of the Hunter and if you have any thoughts to share, you know where to find us (and if you are not a fan of social platforms, drop us a line at info[at]ninerocksgames.com)
Good hunting!
On behalf of Nine Rocks Games,
Michal, Community Manager
By Nekhebu (Discord)
