Hunt: Showdown overhauls damage systems and adds new toys in its 1.4 update

(Image credit: Crytek)

Creepy battle royale Hunt: Showdown's latest update has completely revamped the game's damage over time systems, while also adding new toys to take on the horrific monsters of the Bayou with.

Most of the 1.4 update focuses on adjusting how the various sources of lingering damage work. Burns and bleeds both have three different stages now, with each dealing more damage and taking longer to heal than the last. Weaker enemies will now deal less of this sort of damage than before, but stronger enemies and repeated attacks will do up to 50% more instead.

Poison, on the other hand, has been balanced differently. Poison can now last for up to 20 seconds, rather than the fixed duration it had previously. How long poison affects a player depends on factors such as how long they were exposed to it, and the potency of the source. According to Crytek, the reason behind this change is to allow for more creativity in how players approach poison: sometimes it may be worth just sitting and taking less intense poison damage, as opposed to immediately rushing out and using any antidotes available.

To go with the new poison system, poison trip mines have also been introduced. Unlocked through the poison tech tree, these can be dropped in place and deal poison damage to any player or AI enemy who happens to wander too close.

A new trait, Serpent, has also been added, which will allow players to interact with clues, rifts and bounties from a distance. This could be really helpful, as interacting with these usually leaves you open and vulnerable to attack. Being able to hide away and do it remotely could change things up significantly.

The last major content update that comes in 1.4 is five new legendary weapons (A nitro express rifle, a Caldwell Uppercut, a Martini Henry IC1 Riposte, a Winfield M1873 Talon, and a Caldwell Rival 78 handcannon) and one new legendary hunter, Felis. Like all legendaries, these can either be unlocked through prestige or by using blood bonds.

There are a huge number of smaller bug fixes and balance tweaks as well, which can all be read in full on the official patch notes announcement on Steam.