Hunt: Showdown has hit a new milestone, setting a record for concurrent players with 59,968 active users on the first day of its latest update, the “1896” expansion. This surpasses its previous peak by 18,000 players, achieved in October 2023. Even now, over 51,000 players are actively engaged, pursuing or fleeing from the fearsome new Hellborn boss.
However, despite this surge in popularity, the update has also sparked an intense wave of criticism. The game has received 3,730 negative reviews on Steam since the update’s release, pushing its short-term rating to “Mostly Negative,” although its overall rating remains “Mostly Positive.”
The primary source of discontent is the game’s new pre-match user interface (UI). Many players argue that the redesigned UI is less efficient, requiring more clicks to perform basic actions and providing less information on a single screen. One player, Shinigaben, summarized the frustration, stating, “Looks fancy but is a nightmare to navigate.”
Some players suspect that the new UI was designed with consoles in mind, leading to larger icons and an apparent lack of keyboard-friendly inputs. This theory is fueled by the fact that the update was released simultaneously on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, whereas Hunt originally launched on PC in 2018 before making its way to consoles a year later.
Others accuse Crytek, the game’s developer, of using the UI overhaul to push microtransactions, with some comparing it to the monetization strategies seen in games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone. Complaints have surfaced about the UI’s emphasis on the game’s Battle Pass and cosmetic skins, though some longtime players disagree with this assessment, noting that Hunt‘s monetization has traditionally been less aggressive than other live-service games.
Beyond the UI, a smaller number of players have reported performance issues following the update. Some users have experienced stuttering and frame rate drops, with one player, Sloppy Steaks, stating, “With the update my performance has dropped to a level where I cannot play without stutters.” There are also sporadic mentions of bugs and concerns that the game’s visuals have deteriorated, although these issues are not as widely discussed as the UI complaints.
Despite the backlash, not all reviews are negative. Some players have praised the update’s overall improvements, including smoother gameplay and the new map’s enhanced verticality. However, even positive reviews often end with a thumbs-down due to frustrations with the new UI. As one player, Sir Fluffy McDuck, put it, “New engine update has made the game itself much smoother for me. New map is really nice too… HOWEVER, this new menu UI is such a pain.”
The intensity of the reaction has puzzled some in the community. A Reddit user, Redwood-Lynx, voiced confusion over the outcry, asking why so few players are discussing the new content—like the weapons, boss, and map—rather than fixating on the UI. “There has to be some kind of PC cultural quirk I’m just unaware of—being this aggrieved about MENUS is so beyond this old timer’s understanding,” they remarked.
This isn’t the first time a game has faced backlash over seemingly minor issues. Helldivers 2, another recent release, saw its community become fixated on weapon balance rather than its innovative mechanics.
While the UI update in Hunt: Showdown has undeniably caused discomfort, the scale of the reaction may be overshadowing the substantial content and improvements introduced in the “1896” expansion. Whether Crytek will address these concerns remains to be seen, but for now, the game stands at a curious crossroads—more popular than ever, yet facing significant community dissatisfaction.
