So you’ve decided to step into the rotting, blood-soaked backwaters of Hunt: Showdown? Good. That means you’re either brave, stupid, or just looking for something different. This isn’t your average shooter, and it sure as hell won’t hold your hand. It’s harsh, it’s punishing, and it doesn’t care about your K/D ratio.
But here’s the thing – if you stick with it, Hunt: Showdown becomes one of the most intense, rewarding multiplayer experiences out there. Every match is a mix of PvP and PvE chaos, and when the stakes are high, your heart will race like no other game can manage. There’s nothing quite like hearing enemy footsteps on the other side of a barn wall while a butcher squeals from somewhere behind you.
This isn’t just a battle royale or even just an extraction shooter like Escape from Tarkov. It’s a tactical, extract-or-die survival game. And if you want to survive the bayou, you’re gonna need more than good aim. You’ll need patience, planning, and a whole lot of guts.
Here are 10 Hunt: Showdown tips for beginners to help you get started the right way.
1. Sound is Everything – Stop Sprinting, Start Listening
If you’re used to sprinting around, sliding, and wall-jumping like a lunatic in Call of Duty, forget all that noise. Literally. Hunt: Showdown, which received its new update this week, punishes players who make sound, and the entire game is built around hearing before seeing. Every footstep, branch snap, grunt, and bullet matters. And to make matters worse, the devs at Crytek thought it was a good idea to insert sound traps in the environment, so that crows, chicken coops, and even dog kennels can give away your position, if you’re not careful.
We get it, crouch-walking and moving slowly might feel weird and even counterintuitive at first, but it’ll keep you alive. And always be listening – enemy teams won’t announce themselves, but you’ll hear that gate creak or glass shatter long before they show their faces. Your goal? Ambush them, before they even know you’re there. Clever girl!
2. Don’t Engage Unless You Have To
One of the worst mistakes beginners make, in our experience? Treating Hunt like it’s a deathmatch. Spoiler alert: it’s not. You don’t need to kill other players to win – you just need to grab the bounty and extract. Fighting draws attention. Attention gets you third-partyed. Third-partying gets you dead.
Pick your battles. Let other teams fight, then swoop in when the smoke clears. You’ll live longer, earn more, and learn the flow of the game way faster.
3. Learn to Love the Map Traps
Trip mines, concertina wire, alert traps – these are your best friends, especially when you’re defending a boss lair or trying to secure a revive. One well-placed trap can shut down an entire flank, stall a push, or give you just enough time to heal.
Set them at doors, staircases, or high-traffic routes. And if you hear an explosion mid-fight? That might just be your trap earning its keep.
4. Choose Loadouts Based on Playstyle, Not Cool Factor
Sure, that massive sniper looks sick. But can you actually hit anything with it under pressure? Early on, stick to reliable, mid-range options. The Vetterli, Winfield, and Romero are budget-friendly and get the job done.
Pick a melee weapon, carry a medkit, and don’t blow all your money on fancy gear you can’t use yet. Trust us – nothing stings like dying and losing your entire 800-dollar loadout to a grunting zombie.
5. Keep an Eye on the Clues – but Also Watch Your Back
Clues are your roadmap to the boss in Hunt: Showdown, but they’re also bait for other teams. Every time you close in on a clue, assume someone else might be doing the same. Move cautiously, scan rooftops, and never walk straight into an open field to touch a glowing blue rift.
Use Dark Sight to check for nearby enemies and don’t linger once you grab the clue. In and out, then reposition.
6. Know the AI – Or Die Screaming
The PvE in Hunt isn’t filler. It’s a deadly part of the world. Armored zombies, Hives, Meatheads – each enemy type behaves differently, and if you don’t know how to deal with them, they’ll bleed you dry before you even see another player.
Learn what makes each creature tick. For example, lanterns destroy Hives. Pitchforks work well on Armored. Meatheads? Just don’t. Unless you’ve got explosives. Then maybe. But remember: That explosion can be heard across the whole map and leave you vulnerable to ambushes, so choose your next move wisely. Sometimes circling around and avoiding AI altogether (if possible) is the best choice of action.
7. Third-Party Like a Rat, Not a Hero
There’s no shame in it – third-partying is how smart hunters survive. If you hear gunshots in the distance, don’t run in spraying. Creep in. Get a feel for where each team is. Let them whittle each other down, then clean up the mess.
You don’t need to be the best shot in the lobby. You just need to be the last one standing. Clean kills still count.
8. Don’t Hoard Your Tools – Use Them
Got a sticky bomb? Use it. Concertina bombs? Toss them on the stairs. A cleverly thrown hive-bomb perhaps? Make someone miserable. Beginners often hoard their tools for the “perfect moment” that never comes. Stop it.
Tools and consumables are meant to be used. They’re there to help you survive and outsmart your enemies. If you die with a pocket full of gear, you’ve wasted half your potential.
9. Always Assume You’re Being Watched
The bayou is full of rats, snipers, and teams playing the long game. Just because you don’t see anyone doesn’t mean they’re not there. Never let your guard down. Check the windows. Watch angles. Don’t loot out in the open unless you’re sure it’s safe.
And when you finally grab that bounty? Assume every bullet in the region is coming for your head. Extracting is the final boss fight of every match – treat it with respect.
10. Die. A Lot. Then Get Better
Here’s the harsh truth: you’re going to die – a lot. You’ll lose hunters, gear, and confidence. You’ll get sniped from 200 metres, blown up by a tripwire, or mauled by dogs in the dark. It happens.
But every death is a lesson. Retrace your steps, think about what went wrong, and adjust. The learning curve is steep, but it’s worth it. Eventually, you’ll go from scared rat to calculated predator – and that first bounty extraction after a tense firefight? Pure adrenaline.
Final Word From The Author
Hunt: Showdown isn’t a game that rewards blind aggression. It’s a thinking man’s shooter. A tension-heavy, nerve-wracking experience where smarts beat speed and strategy beats aim. Stick with it, and you’ll find one of the most immersive, satisfying multiplayer shooters ever made.
We’ll see you in the bayou, hunter. Try not to scream.
