Hunt: Showdownis one of the first successful games to combinethe horror genrewith Battle Royale PVP. Several games have attempted to add AI PVE elements to Battle Royale, but with mixed results. At its core,Huntis a horror game that also happens to have player-versus-player combat.
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The goal of the game is to survive long enough to kill the boss. However, survival often means killing a few hunters along the way. Fans of horror games will love the graphics and feel ofHunt: Showdown, which is now available on PS, Xbox, and PC. Players new to the game in 2021 will want toapply the basic tipsbelow to get started mastering the game.
Updated on August 03, 2025 by Payton Lott:Hunt: Showdownis unlike any other competitive shooter on the market. Those that are used to popular FPS shooters will have a lot to learn before they can dominate lobbies in Hunt. This updated guide includes a few moreHunt Showdowntips for beginners that are working their way toward rank 11. These include how to defeat the monsters and bosses, as well as how to prevent being killed while extracting. New hunters can read the tips at the end of this guide for info on what guns to use, as well as the basic strategy on each map.
20How The Modes Work
Bounty Hunt, the most common mode, will match players of all party sizes. This means that as a solo player, there will be hunter squads of three on the map. Solo queue gamers can change the settings so that the largest team they will face is a duo.
Beginners will want to consider playing with a friend or two to have a better chance of survival.Quick play is the only true solo mode, so those that are not prepared for an outnumbered fight should stay in quick play.
19Use the Knife To Clear Adds
When it comes to taking down all of the grunts on the map, the standard knife (or duster) will do the trick. It’s not too shabby against hunters in buildings either. With just one blow, the knife can kill grunts of all shapes and sizes.
Players don’t want to waste their precious ammo on adds. Instead,save the ammo for the larger monsters, hunters, and bosses. Using the knife will also be far quieter than any other weapon, concealing the player’s position.
18Spawn Points & Anticipation
All spawn points in the game are on the edges of the map, meaning that an enemy or team of enemies are never too far away. There is a POI near every single spawn point, and many of them are equidistant from a spawn location. Because of how the system works, there is usually a 50/50 chance that other hunters will move to the same POI.
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One way to play it safe when moving to a new location is toapproach from an unexpected position. For example, a team could enter the Slaughterhouse from the East when they spawned on the West.
17Dealing With The Swarm
Running from a swarm is never the answer. Instead,hunters must stand their ground and kill the hive. The swarm will chase people pretty far, and getting third partied while running will usually result in death. Getting poisoned generally isn’t fun either.
If the hive is killed, the swarm will disappear. By focusing on the hive while moving slightly to avoid the swarm, gamers will have more success against these monsters.
16Play The Bounty Objective
Beginners often play the game skittishly, hiding and moving as little as possible. However, this is a mistake. The only way to improve is to learn the different AI andget into gunfightswith other hunters.
The game’sbounties are the best places to find PVP actionand practice using the game mechanics. Players that push objectives every match will progress faster than others, so get in there and start grinding.
15Move Intelligently
Audio recognition is an important aspect ofHunt: Showdown. Being cognizant of the sounds a character makes is equally important. However, sneaking around everywhere will surely get a player killed.
The time for players to sneak is when they spot or hear an enemy player. At these points, gamers can sneak up on opponents.No one should be crouch walking in the open spaceson the map, as any gamer with a ranged weapon will kill a crouch walker immediately.
14How To Use Clues
Every POI/compound on the map has at least one clue. If found, the clues will block out the parts of the map where the boss will not spawn.Already opened clues have a hole in them, while those that are unopened do not. If an enemy is near and a clue is opened, the clue will glow red. When a nearby enemy opens a clue, it will make a unique sound.
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These features are in place to prevent hunters from camping the clues and to encourage movement around the map. Teams will usually funnel to the areas that are potential boss spawns, so aclue can be an effective PVP toolas well.
13Healers Die Less
Players will need meds if they plan to survive the hunt, so every player shouldprioritize equipping the first aid kit and vitality shot. Similarly, choosing Doctor when applying traits will help too.
When playing against trios, it is vital to be able to regenerate health. Squad battles are usually longer fights, and nearly every member of a team will sustain some damage. Heals are more important than the other relevant options in a survival game likeHunt,so don’t let them fall by the wayside.
12Different Damage Values
Like most FPS games,Hunthas multiple different damage multipliers: Head, chest, and limb shots have different damage values. Headshots deal a lot more damage than the other body parts, providing a quick kill time.
Another thing to take into account isdamage reduction at range. The further a target is from the weapon, the less damage the gun will do. This means that when using a rifle from far away, the only way to get a one shot kill is by hitting the head of an enemy. Pay attention to the weapon descriptions, which define the effective damage/one shot kill range.
11Bullet Penetration
During fights, keep in mind thatbullets penetrate walls inHunt. Larger caliber rounds will have almost no noticeable damage reduction when shot through surfaces, so hiding behind walls won’t always help.
Brick and stone provide more protection from enemy gunfire than sheet metal and wood. Likewise, large trees offer good cover from fire. When behind cover, continuing to move will ensure that an opponent is not gifted an easy kill by spamming bullets at a wall.
