Bloodiest Update to Hunt: Showdown 1896 Is Live Now
Wield the New Weapon Against Corruption
September 8, 2026
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Frankfurt am Main, GERMANY – September 8th, 2026 – Today, Crytek has launched Blood Testament, a major new in-game Event for Hunt: Showdown 1896. Available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, Blood Testament brings its biggest Community Event to date, letting players unlock big gameplay changes and unleash a new nightmare onto the Corrupted lands. Blood Testament arrives alongside the substantial Update 2.9, featuring new quality-of-life features, changes inspired by community requests, a dynamic new Time of Day, a new weapon, and more—all in one bloody package.
See the Cinematic Trailer:
An Event for All Hunters
The infamous Hunter known as Lynch has returned to the bayou, this time with a blood serum that promises to channel more of the Corruption’s dark power into Hunters. Unfortunately, however, the serum backfires. Those who consume it become physically deformed, consumed by an insatiable thirst for more—though they’ll settle for the blood of other Hunters to satisfy the craving, if only for a moment. This is the story players will experience during Blood Testament and through the specially designed, massive Community Event called Make Them Bleed. Every Hunter can participate by earning points from killing monsters, bringing down Targets, or interacting with Blood Wells.
As the community progresses through Make Them Bleed, permanent, large-scale gameplay unlocks and rewards will become available for all players:
Stage 1 unlocks a game-changing, dynamic Time of Day: Blood Moon. While bathed in the crimson light of the Intense Blood Moon phase, the monsters of the bayou and the gulch become agitated, increasing their speed and attacking more aggressively. During the Dark Blood Moon phase, heavy clouds shield the environment from the crimson glow, reducing visibility and calming monsters back to their usual demeanor.
Stage 2 brings Chupacabra, a new Burn Trait that enables Hunters to restore one Health Chunk by leeching it from horses, cows, or caged animals.
Finally, with Stage 3, players will unleash a new nightmare upon the Incursion areas, bringing Blood Testament to its deadliest form.
A Feature-Rich Update
Alongside Blood Testament comes a wealth of additions, changes, and tweaks. A new slide-action shotgun with two variants, along with numerous combat adjustments, shakes up the gameplay. Players can now arrange their Loadouts with up to 15 Traits and expand their Hunter Slots. Following community feedback, hidden information mechanic for all Extraction and Supply Points, as well as Scout Towers, has been further iterated upon.
Hunt: Showdown 1896 is also making strides to ensure new and returning players feel comfortable. The MMR Decay system has been overhauled to smooth the experience for those returning after a break, while a Fair Play Follow Up system reimburses players with Hunt Dollars for confirmed cases of being killed by a cheater.
Much more detail on Blood Testament and Update 2.9 can be found in our blog post.
The Night is Upon Us
Blood Testament is finally here! Hunters can now unleash the Blood Moon and bring a new nightmare to the game. With new ways to fight, a bloody story, quality‑of‑life improvements, and fairness features, it’s time to step into the bayou and follow the blood trail.
Follow our channels for more exciting updates:
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Hunt: Showdown 1896 official website at https://www.huntshowdown.com
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Find out more about Crytek at https://www.crytek.com/
About Hunt: Showdown 1896
Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a brutally rewarding extraction shooter blending survival horror with competitive bounty hunting. Developed by Crytek and set in corrupted backwaters of the American West in 1896, it fuses PvP and PvE into a uniquely tense experience where 12 players, solo or in teams, race to slay monsters, claim Bounty Tokens, and extract with rewards.
Survive using an arsenal of authentic yet inventive weapons, tools and abilities, from Beetles to Tarot Cards, be creative in combat and build unique personalized loadouts giving you an edge in the action. Four massive maps and transformative weather conditions like wildfires and heavy rainstorm ensure no two hunts feel the same. Sound is vital: every creak, cry, or distant gunshot could mean survival or disaster.
Every match is a deadly showdown where every bullet counts and the smallest mistake costs everything. The higher the risk, the higher the reward. Express yourself through diverse Hunters and hundreds of unlocks - no one Hunts quite like you. Hunt: Showdown 1896 is out now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. For more information, visit http://www.huntshowdown.com.