We noticed many players reporting performance issues related to opening your map after Patch 8.3. So with that we have just one note for the Hotfix today:

• Fixed some crashing and lagging issues related to opening your map, particularly if you have many POI's unlocked.

Additionally, in case you missed it, we are extending the current Community Challenge so that hunters who were experiencing these issues have more time to participate and unlock the Halloween cosmetics.

Thanks again to everyone who reported your bugs and happy hunting!

Tomorrow (October 30th), Hotfix 8.3.1 will come out on all platforms. This solves some crashing and lagging issues related to opening your map.

The Hallowing Howling Community Event is also getting a 1 week extension so you have more time to participate if you were affected.

We put out a notice earlier this week that after updating to patch 8.3, many of you have had performance issues related to opening your map.

Especially with the timing of the new Community Challenge, Game Feeders, and the new Great One, we are aware turning off POI's on your map is not an ideal solution and makes it difficult if you want to use tents or teleport to different points.

Our suggestion to turn off POI's for now is only a temporary way to get your game to run better while we investigate a solution.

We don't have an update on this issue, but are continuing to investigate. Once we have an update, it will still take a little more time to get any kind of improvements to you. We'll come back to you next week with more information.

Additionally, we plan to extend the Community Challenge so that those experiencing this issues have more time to participate and unlock the new Halloween cosmetics.

If you are having performance issues related to opening the map, please try this for now:

(From the Start Menu)

• Settings > Interface

• Set POI ICONS MAP to OFF

• New Great One, the Gray Wolf, with 9 possible variations.

• Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep on Rancho Del Arroyo got replaced with Desert Bighorn Sheep. The Desert Bighorn subspecies looks similar but has new fur variations.

  • This change will result in all Bighorn Sheep populations in the game being reset.

• Introduced 2 brand new fur variations for the Moose – Mosaic (male) and Acromelanistic (male and female).

  • We also subtly adjusted the appearance probability of all existing rare and very rare Moose fur variations, which should make them appear slightly more often.

• Gray Wolves will now attack players more frequently when threatened.

• The Mule Deer trophy rack in the Parque Fernando trophy lodge has been updated to match one of the more recently updated Mule Deer trophies.

• Using backpacks should now make the player significantly less visible and loud, particularly at long range, than it used to.

• Issues with the volume and mixing of Black Bear sounds have been addressed. Your ears are now safe from their extremely loud calls. 

• We’ve fixed an audio bug where the rustling sound from bushes would follow players around.

• Hybrid Snow Goose trophies now have the correct plumage.

• We’ve fixed an issue where picking up a deployable item with a full item wheel would disable scope and ammo switching in the wheel.

• An issue with Light Brown Puma visibility in the Parque Fernando trophy room during Parque Fernando Trophy Collection mission got fixed. Their trophy should not be invisible anymore.

• Fabled Dusky Drift and Fabled Milky Way Mule Deer Great Ones will no longer have their names switched.

• We’ve addressed multiple issues with the dog not teleporting to the player consistently, pathfinding too slowly, and running through the water too often while on the job.

• Eurasian Lynx should no longer do a “mating” vocalization instead of their “alert” call. 

• We’ve fixed an issue where Beavers could get stuck while fleeing.

• Wolves should no longer do an unusual hop to the side after being shot.

• A graphical issue with the Iberian Wolf’s teeth got resolved.

• Manitoban Elk male warning calls will no longer sound like mating calls. 

• We’ve addressed several issues with the animal senses on Askiy Ridge. Beavers and Manitoban Elk should be more cautious, Northern Pintail and Wood Ducks should no longer be able to smell the player, and Snow Goose should be less reactive in general.

• We’ve fixed an issue where male Black Bears’ mating calls sounded like alert calls.

• Female Cape Buffalo may now score slightly higher.

• We’ve fixed an issue where Manitoban Elk would sometimes not flee properly.

• An issue where dogs wouldn’t react to being pushed into water got fixed.

• Cacciatore 12G will no longer eject an extra shell when cycling.

• We’ve fixed an issue where semi-auto shotguns could skip chambering after firing the last round under certain conditions.

• We’ve changed how all lever-action weapons work in the shooting range, so they should no longer have to be cycled manually. 

• We’ve addressed some inconsistencies with how revolvers handled manual chambering when combining hipfiring and aiming.

• We’ve adjusted the aim position on the Giddings SSC 410 Coyote to reduce visual obstructions while wearing bulky outfits.

• We’ve fixed the hammer inconsistency issue with the Giddings SSC .410 Coyote when hipfiring.

• Several issues with the animations and positioning of the Vasquez air rifle got resolved.

• We’ve fixed an issue where nearby animals would get spooked when the player entered hunting structures.

• \[Vurhonga spoilers!] We’ve fixed an issue where the Ghost Jackal in the final main story mission on Vurhonga Savanna would not appear correctly. \[Vurhonga spoilers!] 

• We’ve fixed a crash that could occasionally happen when playing Multiplayer on PC.

• Resolved a UI bug that prevented access to other pause menu options after opening the Codex via a tutorial prompt.

• We’ve fixed some issues with collision and bullet hits on the campers on Emerald Coast. 

• We’ve resolved an issue where the player could get stuck under the Crane at the Tony Coal landmark on Askiy Ridge.

Gain control over your hunting grounds with the Game Feeders Pack. Strategically deploy Game Feeders and specific baits to attract wildlife to your desired location, transforming your hunting strategy.

Target deer species with precision. Four gravity-fed chutes attract your intended prey while keeping broader-snouted animals away. Elevated design protects bait from pests, but bears can destroy it. Choose placement carefully for high-reward, high-risk hunting.

Supported bait: Fortified Pellet Feed, Multigrain Flake Mix

The raised structure of the post feeder has solar-powered technology that automatically dispenses bait over time. It’s easy raise-and-lower refilling mechanism and robust metal construction withstands bear attacks. The post feeder is a reliable, long-term animal attraction without the risk.

Supported bait: Fortified Pellet Feed, Multigrain Flake Mix

The Bait Barrel Feeder will keep the bears and boars busy and let the other animals eat from one of your other feeders. This rugged steel drum withstands aggressive wildlife without damage. Multiple drilled holes provide steady bait distribution while the blue barrel stays visible in dense terrain. It’s a prime choice when durability matters most.

Supported bait: Sour Fermented Mash, Meat Scraps

Hi everyone! My name’s Chris, and I’m a Game Designer on theHunter: Call of the Wild. Today I’d like to talk to y’all about the new Game Feeder Pack that the team and I have been working on.

First things first. Let’s talk about the inspiration behind this pack. Feeders are used all over the world in many different real-life hunting environments. Not to mention, attracting animals with feeders was something players could utilize back in theHunter Classic.

As developers, we had to ask ourselves a few questions before cracking on with it, though. What do players need? What do we want them to be able to accomplish? And, quite importantly, how do we go about it in this game in a way that makes sense with our systems? 

With all of this in mind, we set ourselves some goals:

• Give players a tool to more directly interact with different animal groups.

• Give players new reasons to explore and engage with older reserves.

• Make it work with whatever gear players already have, to help them create new hunting experiences, pursue their own goals, and tell their own stories while playing the game.

So, we put together some proposals, tried some things out, learned from our mistakes, and the Game Feeders Pack DLC is the result. Let’s take a look at what we came up with.

The new DLC will include 3 different Game Feeders. You’ll be able to deploy them across your hunting reserves, placing up to 8 feeders on a single map. Each feeder will have a couple of bait types to choose from. There’s a minimum 300m placement distance limit between all feeder structures, so keep that in mind when you’re planning your hunt. 

The Box Feeder can be filled with either Fortified Pellet Feed, which is rich in protein, or Multigrain Flake Mix – high in carbohydrates. It’s constructed in such a way that only taller, snouty animals like deer, antelope, moose, etc. can eat from them. The feed only depletes when animals visit the feeder, so you can use this as a way to check if there’s been any activity in the area. They are quite delicate though, and can be vulnerable to being knocked down and raided by bears.

The Post Feeder uses the same types of fodder as the Box Feeder, but has a different mechanism to dispense the feed. This means that a broader variety of animals can feed from it, and it’s resistant to bear attacks. However, it will still attract bears if they’re in the area, so make sure to keep a keen eye on things! With the Post Feeder, the fodder trickles out at a constant rate, so be sure to keep them topped up.

And if you were wondering how to deal with those pesky bears, then the Bait Barrel Feeder is here to save the day. These feeders use two totally different types of bait: Meat Scraps and Sour Fermented Mash. They are much preferred by bears over the fodder in the other two structures. You can use this fact to tactically draw bears away from your other feeding sites. The Sour Mash also attracts Hogs, giving this feeder a handy second use case. Like the Box Feeder, the feed is depleted when animals visit, but it’s much sturdier and can’t be destroyed.

If you’re a newer player looking to rack up some XP and in-game cash, it’s not a bad idea to set up a couple of Post Feeders in different regions, since they can attract a broader variety of animals. If you find yourself making enough kills to raise the Hunting Pressure in a specific area, just travel over to the other feeder and hunt there for a bit to balance things out. Also, if you’re focusing on deer trophies, then the Box Feeder might be the one for you, as it filters out a lot of the smaller ground feeding animals. 

It’s a good idea to place feeders in the vicinity of animal travel routes. While they don’t need to walk right on top of where the feeder was deployed, they do need to wander through the general area to learn that there’s tasty food there. Once it’s the animal’s feeding time, if you have the right setup, they’ll remember where the good stuff is and come to the feeder to eat. 

So, as well as scouting for where animals wander across the reserve, you’ll also need to learn their schedules – they will visit Game Feeders at the same times that they’d feed at their regular Need Zones. But remember, you can place the Game Feeders almost anywhere. Spots between distant Need Zones are great, especially if many animal groups cross paths there at different times. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find the best setup for your hunts.

Personally, I like to use the Game Feeders to set up a hunting spot somewhere where I can use the terrain or other hunting structures to my advantage. Oftentimes, I’ll pick a clearing or meadow near some wooded areas, where I can draw deer out in the open while I use the occasional low wall for cover. I’m a big fan of hunting with the Hudzik .50 Caplock, so having a clear line of sight whilst remaining relatively close is pretty important. Other times, using elevated terrain gives a really good view of the action, and I can’t wait to try out the Feeder-Bow-Treestand combo some of our testers have been raving about!

Designing features that are intended to work over a long period of time, on top of many different game systems, is definitely a challenge, but it’s been a really fun and rewarding journey.

We hope you’ll enjoy the Game Feeder Pack.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3992110/theHunter_Call_of_the_Wild__Game_Feeder_Pack/

Stay Wild!

Chris~

P.S. If you’re a content creator and up to an extra challenge, join us on Dare Drop to test your skills, perform amazing feats and earn rewards!

Revolutionize your approach to the wild. Decide on the ideal location, choose from three new Game Feeders, and select the right bait for a hunting experience like never before. Leverage your knowledge to attract animals, but stay alert for bears who can disrupt your carefully laid plans. Success comes to hunters who have the patience to wait for the perfect shot.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3992110/theHunter_Call_of_the_Wild__Game_Feeder_Pack/

Target deer species with precision. Four gravity-fed chutes attract your intended prey while keeping broader-snouted animals away. Elevated design protects bait from pests, but bears can destroy it - choose your placement carefully for high-reward, high-risk hunting.

The raised structure of the Post Feeder has solar-powered technology that automatically dispenses bait over time. Its easy raise-and-lower refilling mechanism and robust metal construction withstands bear attacks. The Post Feeder is a reliable, long-term animal attraction without the risk.

Thankfully, there's the Bait Barrel Feeder, which will keep the bears and boars busy and let the other animals eat from one of your other feeders. This rugged steel drum withstands aggressive wildlife without damage. Drilled holes provide steady bait distribution while the blue barrel stays visible in dense terrain. It’s a prime choice when durability matters most.

With the Game Feeders Pack DLC, we're also rolling out Patch 8.3, packed with new stuff and long-awaited fixes.

• More fur variations for the Moose.

• We'll be replacing Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep on Rancho Del Arroyo with Desert Bighorn Sheep. The Desert Bighorn subspecies looks similar but has new fur variations. This change will result in all Bighorn Sheep populations in the game being reset.

• Improvements to the volume mixing of Black Bear calls. They should not be so ear-shattering anymore.

• A fix to the audio bug where the rustling sound from bushes would follow players around.

• Addressing an issue where backpacks made players who use them significantly more visible and louder than intended, particularly at a long range.

• And more!

The full Patch 8.3 Notes will be posted on October 20th.

We're hosting a live Q&A session with the devs on our official Discord. Join us at 7:30am PST / 16:30 CEST tomorrow (October 8th) for the perfect opportunity to get insights, discuss new content, and connect with our devs.

If you can't make it, you'll be able to read a summary of everything that was answered at a later date.

Here's how you can work together to unlock 2 exclusive rewards:

• Hop in-game

• Use a bow or crossbow to hunt Whitetail, Mule, and Blacktail Deer

• Pass the Harvest Check

• Repeat until we reach 100% completion by October 2nd

Important:

• Once we reache 100% progress, you will unlock the rewards

• You MUST contribute at least once to be able to unlock them

• If your platform reaches 100% before you have contributed, you can still contribute to unlock it before the end of the event

This hotfix addresses a critical multiplayer issue for PC players.

The Known Issues list has also been updated.

Pump, flip, unfold, and fire with 3 curated tactile hunting weapons: a modern lever-action rifle, a fast-loading pump-action rifle, and a lightweight portable folding shotgun. Available now!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3750770/theHunter_Call_of_the_Wild__Pump_Flip_and_Fire_Pack/

• Lightweight and sturdy lever-action rifle.

• Smooth action, low recoil.

• Recommended for small game (Animal Class: 1-2).

• New ammo: hollow point and jacketed hollow point .22 Magnum.

• Classic magazine-fed pump-action rifle.

• Versatile and powerful.

• Recommended for multiple animal classes (2-6).

• New ammo: soft point and polymer tip .257 Roberts ammo.

• Ultra-lightweight and single-shot folding shotgun.

• Folds for easy backpack storage.

• Ideal for close range and quick shots (Animal Class: 1-5).

• It can be used with .410 birdshot ammo and all new .410 buckshot and slug ammo too.

We've completely overhauled the initial hunts on Hirschfelden, Layton Lake District, and Medved-Taiga to be more intuitive for new players. Easier first harvests are now within reach with helpful point-of-interest icons and highlighted organs. 

Plus, keep an eye out for two stunning new Gray Wolf variations (Melanistic Charcoal and Acromelanistic) and a visual upgrade to the lying-down Gray Wolf trophy! 

We've also remastered the Mule Deer TruRacs, adding a variety of new antler variations, and fixed some bugs.

Full Patch Notes:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/518790/view/511841259183145356?l=english

Happy hunting!

This weapon pack features three new tactile firearms that bring a fresh level of versatility to your hunts.

• Anantha Action .22 MAG - lightweight but sturdy lever-action rifle.

• Frost .257 - a classic magazine-fed pump-action rifle.

• Giddings SSC .410 Coyote - an ultra lightweight single-shot folding shotgun.

We'll be transitioning to a numbered system (8.2, 8.3, and so on) for future releases. These release numbers won't directly match the build numbers you see in-game.

We hope this change will make it easier to discuss and keep track of which patch was when in the future.

First Hunt Overhaul

New players will find their initial hunts on Hirschfelden, Layton Lake District, and Medved-Taiga to be more intuitive than ever. We've added a helpful point of interest icon and highlighted organs when aiming, making those first harvests easier to achieve.

Rare Gray Wolf Variations

Keep your eyes peeled for two brand new Gray Wolf fur variations: Melanistic Charcoal and Acromelanistic.

• We've given the Gray Wolf trophy a visual upgrade when displayed lying down. 

• We've addressed issues with the Bighorn Sheep skeletal model in the X-ray view and smoothed out its running animation.

• The Mule Deer TruRacs have been remastered. We also added multiple new antler variations for this species.

Animals

• Fixed an issue where the trophy rating for the Male Springbok was capped..

• North American Beaver’s droppings will now be displayed correctly as droppings and not tracks.

• Animals will now appear at the correct distance on the harvest screen when shot while running.

• Beaver mating calls will display visual waves and trigger interactions when the animal is in the water.

• Pheasant hens will no longer have a line on their wings in the harvest screen.

• Beavers’ skinning on the tail has been improved, and liver shots will display correctly in the X-ray model.

• Black Bear paw bones will no longer appear separated in the X-ray view.

• Mountain Goat horns are now properly attached to the skull in the X-ray view.

• Wood Duck neck bones will now have names when viewed in the Harvest screen.

• The Water Buffalo's rear leg will no longer appear detached from the pelvis in the X-ray view.

• We’ve fixed a visual issue with the fleeing Manitoban Elk.

• Northern Pintail wing bones will no longer clip through feathers on the harvest screen.

Audio

• Dismantling deployables in multiplayer will now play the correct sound.

• Snow Geese will now honk while flying high.

Equipment

• The Fors Elite .300 rifle will no longer exhibit animation bugs when rechambering while crouching.

• Fixed a clipping issue when rechambering and reloading a Zagan Varminter .22-250.

• Fixed a clipping issue when chambering the Fors Elite 300 with a scope equipped.

• The Ranger .243 is now accurate at all distances when using iron sights or TruVision.

• Crouching before preparing a shot will no longer prevent hip-fire shots with some lever-action and pump-action weapons.

• The 7MM Regent Magnum's point of aim is now correctly aligned at medium range when used without a scope.

• Fixed an issue where lever-action rifle animations could desynchronize during reloads while aiming.

Missions

• The "Low Land" mission will no longer be blocked if player has visited the landmarks beforehand.

• We’ve fixed an issue where the "Albertan Apex" side mission could be completed without meeting all mission requirements.

• Taking a picture of the carcass during the "Aftermath" mission is now easier to register.

Multiplayer

• Fixed an issue that could cause the game to temporarily freeze if the network connection was interrupted while trying to join a multiplayer game on Xbox.

Stability

• Fixed an issue where non-high flying waterfowl would briefly freeze for players when the session host moved a significant distance away.

Trophies

• The Mule Deer's final pose will no longer clip through walls in trophy lodges.

• The fur variation for the Melanistic Pronghorn is now correctly displayed on trophies.

• The Female Manitoban Elk head trophy will no longer have stretched textures clipping below the plaque.

• Fixed a bug with Wood Duck Female trophies.

UI

• Fixed an issue where voice-overs and subtitles were mismatched.

• The Tundra Bean Goose now has an image on the HUD when spotted.

World

• Snow deformation will no longer cover blood tracks.