Greetings Hunters!

I’m Max, a Game Designer on theHunter: Call of the Wild. In this Dev Diary, I want to share some insights into why we chose the weapons for our upcoming High Caliber Weapon Pack from the gameplay perspective.

Clear Objective is a Must

Let’s talk briefly about how we approach our designs in general – it all starts with a clear goal. As you well know (and we do too), there’s already an extensive selection of weapons available in our game. That said, introducing new guns isn’t just about adding more to the collection. Our objective is always to not only provide you with a fresh experience but also enhance your current gameplay.

With that in mind, our main question was: How can we introduce something new and at the same time improve upon what we’ve already got? To answer this question, I started by identifying any gaps within our existing arsenal and brainstorming ideas on how to fill them out.

After analyzing our current collection of firearms, we noticed that the majority fall into the mid to lower class range. We strive to offer you a diverse selection of weapons for all levels of play. So we made a decision with this pack to improve your options for high-end hunting.

You might notice there are no new calibers in this weapon pack. Why? Because as I mentioned before, our aim isn’t just to bring you new toys; it’s also about refining what already exists in your arsenal.

Arzyna .300 MAG – Powerful and Reliable

When looking through our arsenal for potential candidates that could accommodate high-class rifles, the AR platform instantly appealed to us. Since it covers classes 1-8 in the game, it seemed like the right option for this weapon pack.

We chose .300 MAG ammunition for this rifle because it’s very popular among big game hunters due to its power and long-range accuracy – attributes we wanted Arzyna to have. We wanted to give you a dependable long-range high-caliber rifle option, and with Arzyna, we believe we’ve hit the mark perfectly.

.45-70 Jernberg Superior – the Long-Range Expert

Continuing our goal to not just introduce new weapons but also upgrade your existing arsenal, we turned our attention to the .45-70 caliber. We’ve noticed that it’s being overlooked by many players so we decided it’s time to give it some love.

Given that all of our high-caliber pistols are revolvers, we aimed for variety and opted for something different: a long-range handgun from the Thompson line which is perfect for heavier calibers like .45-70. Thanks to its capacity for rifle scopes and ability to accommodate large barrels, it was an ideal match.

So here’s your new option: suitable for classes 4-9; easy on carrying due its lightweight structure; capable of long-range shots — essentially everything you big game hunters could want in a handgun.

But there’s more! We’ve slightly buffed the .45-70 by increasing muzzle velocity and penetration range while delaying bullet drop-off.

Strandberg 10SA – Modern Twist on a Big Gauge Shotgun

Regarding larger gauges of shotguns, currently only the old-fashioned Miller Model 1891 Rancher represents them in theHunter: Call of the Wild. What about adding a modern twist? Enter Strandberg 10SA – a semi-automatic 10 gauge shotgun.

This model comes with an update to the 10GA ammunition too. Say hello to modern plastic shells! Together with this addition comes another pleasant surprise: increased ammunition power! With higher kinetic energy dealing more damage and penetrating deeper targets, expect the new 10GA bullets to travel further than their brass counterparts, making them ideal companions for long-distance hunting.

Adjusting Animal Classes for Better Gameplay

As per our tradition, we’re also excited to release a free Pistol Packin’ Update alongside High Caliber Weapon Pack on March 12. While JaxyBeard covered much of it during the latest The Hunting Lodge live stream, I’d like to highlight one particular adjustment – the Animal Class changes we’ve applied to 18 species in our game.

The main reason behind these changes is to give you a better feeling of in-game cohesiveness.

Over time, our roster of animals has grown quite a lot. We recognized the need to update our original method of classifying animals to better fit this expanding lineup.

So what does this mean for you? You’ll notice more standardized animal classes — they will now be closely matched in terms of mass and size with their peers within the same class. This improvement aims at refining your gameplay experience by enabling you to predict an animal’s class merely by looking at it. 

And you don’t need to worry about the reserve’s animal populations. This class adjustment will not affect them.

However, as a consequence of some of those changes, we needed to update the Animal Class Icons as well. You can see the new lineup below.

I hope this was an interesting read for you all. I can’t wait to see you trying out the new weapons from High Caliber Weapon pack on March 12!

Max signing out 🙂