Crytek addresses UI concerns and thanks fans for the biggest player count Hunt: Showdown 1896 has ever seen

Following the launch of Hunt: Showdown‘s massive new era and free upgrade to Hunt: Showdown 1896, players have been voicing their issues and complaints about the new UI system and design. However, developer Crytek is acting swiftly to address all concerns and streamline the game to suit players as quickly as possible.

I caught wind of players’ issues with Hunt: Showdown 1896 soon after launch when they began sharing them on Twitter. The two main pain points for long-time fans who received the update and are now having to get used to everything are the new placements of pretty much every element, from settings to loadouts, and the flow of the game between picking a character, then weapons, and finally getting into a match.

The fastest developer turnaround in recent memory

It’s difficult to convey players’ issues with Hunt: Showdown 1896’s UI and gameplay experience without knowing what came before. However, the post below shows how many back-and-forth moves are required just to set up a character and get into a match.

Despite the issues reported by players, the developer has acted faster than almost any other by updating players on what will be changing as soon as possible in a developer update video. While the update isn’t out at the time of writing, the video shows the new UI coming to Hunt: Showdown 1896, which should solve many of the issues raised by players.

While this initial update to UI and in-game experience doesn’t solve all the problems players are having, it’s a fantastic step in the right direction. A new Play button in the main menu means you can easily return to the main hub for matchmaking. Adding a game mode switcher here also meets players in the middle by removing a few more steps previously required to get yourself ready.

Other areas, such as the Prestige screen, give players all the information they need at a glance instead of obscuring it behind several interactions. What might be the best rework in this update, though, is that you can go between all your weapons without returning to the Hunter Gear screen first.

It’s easy to focus on the UI here, but I believe it’s also worth pointing out that in the video above, Hunt: Showdown 1896‘s design director, Dennis Schwarz, mentions that this update has brought in the most players the game has ever seen.

That means that more players than ever since 2018 are experiencing the new map, visual upgrade, and direction the game is taking. I’ll be hopping into the update over the coming week, and knowing the community is currently at a peak player count is incredibly encouraging as someone who will need to matchmake with competent Hunters for a long time.