Way of the Hunter 2
by Nine Rocks Games · 26 Mar, 2026
145 downloads
About the Game
Explore the vast outdoors of North America in this next level open world hunting game.
Feel the thrill of the hunt and keep an eye out for the wild and wonderous species that are roaming the Canadian wilderness. Hunt and display big game like Moose, Elk, Bears or Bison as well as, smaller animals like Rabbits, Turkeys and various other birds.
As the ultimate hunting simulator, Way of the Hunter 2's goal is to become the most authentic and advanced virtual hunting experience. Building upon our previous experience, invaluable player feedback, and countless iterations this game will start as the foundation for many updates, expansions and a true long-term support.
As the new hunter in town, you are recruited to take on a series of unique challenges that span two breathtaking environments and introduce you to a cast of memorable NPCs. In New Laurentia, you’ll team up with a skilled dog trainer and assist the former warden as you uncover the mystery behind the unusual behavior of the local moose population.
Features:
Hunting Dog: Bring your loyal hunting companion to support you while you hunt and track game.. It can search for animal signs, locate blood trails, and track down wounded animals. Your dog will learn and improve with constant exercise and training
New ways to hunt and explore: Place a tent for convenient fast travel, skip time or to wait out bad weather. With decoys you can lure birds and wait well hidden in placeable blinds.
Hunting Lodge: Welcome to the Hunting Lodge — your ultimate hub for adventure. Plan your next hunt, showcase hard-earned trophies, and unlock powerful upgrades to build the hunting paradise of your dreams. Each map features its own Lodge, unique to that territory.
High Tech Equipment: High end gear will amplify your instincts — delivering the most immersive and realistic hunting experience with improved night vision and next level hunting reserve monitoring for managing your habitats
Screenshots
11 images
Version Information
Steam Patch Notes
Official update history
Hello everyone, we've just pushed a small patch for Way of the Hunter 2 with a few fixes based on your reports. This one fixes the harvest screen showing the wrong animal with one from the other reserve, the Greater Kudu's horns curling incorrectly, and an incorrect maximum height for the Southern yellow-billed duck in the Encyclopedia.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/0d12f77905b80bb23553bbfe579209c209994f2e.png"]
(Way of the Hunter 2) Patch 0.2.1 (Version: 198291) - patch notes:
Fixed: Harvest screen showing the wrong animal model and stats
Fixed: Greater Kudu horns appear to curl incorrectly
Fixed: Incorrect maximum height shown for the Southern yellow-billed duck
Fixed: Performance improvements related to animal physics
If you run into bugs, please report them via THQN Redmine - ideally with your saved files attached - details on how to report a bug and attach your saved files can be found HERE.
Thank you for your continued support, and happy hunting!
More info about Way of the Hunter 2:
We've just pushed a hotfix for Patch 0.2.1 addressing incorrect LODs on some animals that were introduced with the recent optimisation tweaks, harvested animals were causing them to visually shift position when you moved closer or further away - this is now fixed.
For more info about yesterday's patch, please check our previous announcement.
[img src="https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//45898873/107da2bb767638f611ba193e65abf679a9588979.png" style="border-width: medium; border-style: none; border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; -webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; max-width: 100%; position: relative; z-index: -1;"]
(Way of the Hunter 2) Update 0.2.1 (Version: 196825) - patch notes:
Incorrect LODs on some animals due to recent optimisations
If you run into bugs, please report them via THQN Redmine - ideally with your saved files attached - details on how to report a bug and attach your saved files can be found HERE.
Thank you for your continued support, and happy hunting!
More info about Way of the Hunter 2:
Today's patch focuses on audio improvements and a range of fixes across gameplay and stability. River, rain, water, and lightning sounds have been rebalanced to create a more immersive atmosphere. Alongside these audio improvements, we've addressed several issues reported by the community, including the bow sight blocking ADS, a crash related to a cabin in Kilimaya Reserve, and more.
As always, thank you to everyone who continues to share feedback and bug reports during Early Access. Your input helps us improve Way of the Hunter 2 with every update. We're actively working on several community-reported issues, including incorrect LODs on some animals due to recent optimisations, Greater Kudu horn alignment is work in progress, ostriches occasionally missing reactions when spooked, and crashes caused by AI Boost on certain systems (when it's enabled). For the full list of known issues and build notes, check the patch notes below.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/92cd9078ffb6558a28da8aa4d89f98a85c76c9f1.png"]
If you run into bugs, please report them via THQN Redmine - ideally with your saved files attached - details on how to report a bug and attach your saved files can be found HERE.
(Way of the Hunter 2) Update 0.2.1 (Version: 196689) - patch notes:
Sound & Audio:
Tweaked: River audio no longer sounds like it's coming from a single point in the distance — it now spreads out more naturally as you approach
Tweaked: Rain audio has been remixed and is now quieter and more consistent across all maps
Tweaked: River, lake and sea ambient audio volume has been lowered
Tweaked: Lightning bolt audio volume and intensity has been lowered
Tweaked: Dog digging and scratching sounds have been remixed with improved volume, EQ and spatialisation
Tweaked: Kilimaya reserve elevation audio volume values for sound effects
Animals:
Fixed: Cape mountain zebra weight was missing from the trophy harvest screen
Fixed: Cape mountain zebras were sometimes unable to decide which direction to run and would zigzag erratically
Fixed: Incorrect drinking times for Greater Kudu in the Hunting map
Fixed: Male ostriches receive no damage when being shot
Fixed: Common Hippopotamus having excessive sell price for certain players
Fixed: Greater Kudu horns no longer clip through the ears (horn curling shape is still being adjusted, a fix is coming soon)
Tweaked: Improved thermal detection and ambient audio behaviour for birds
Environment:
Fixed: Cape honey badger burrow resting spots had no collision
Fixed: A boulder was blocking the trail in Chikondi Miombo
Fixed: Lamps near cabins were keeping their light source active even after turning off in the morning
Gear:
Fixed: Bow sight ZOOMXD TRIUMPH blocking view in first person
UI/UX:
Fixed: Not being able to scroll the Challenges screen when using a controller
Fixed: The Southern yellow-billed duck encyclopedia entry was incorrectly showing sex difference information in the Strength section
Fixed: Training Grounds and Hunting Reserves greyed out and inaccessible for some players
Fixed: Items in the Shop occasionally losing the Buy button
Performance:
Fixed: Aiming down sights occasionally causing FPS drops
Fixed: The game was crashing when approaching Cabin 4 on Kilimaya Reserve
Fixed: Lamps emitting light during daytime, causing FPS drops in their vicinity
Tweaked: Animation graph for animals optimisation, specifically terrain alignment and leg IK postprocess LOD, that should reduce frame rate drops.
Player:
Fixed: Players could go unconscious when crouching in water
Gameplay:
Fixed: Optional objective not completing in Damian’s mission “Teacher's pet”
Known Issues (Update 0.2.1):
Please use Ctrl+F before reporting something to check if it is already listed here. We are actively working on these bugs:
Players with NPU devices crash on launch if AI boost is enabled
Intel crash on Kilimaya load
Black screen softlock when opening Hunting Map during screen transition
Animal territories in Kilimaya may be set incorrectly
Water surfaces in Kilimaya have incorrect collision boundaries
Animals in photo mode may stop moving on Kilimaya
Incorrect marker on Damian after completing his storyline
Custom markers appear floating in Kilimaya
Female Blue wildebeest have no collision with vehicles
Southern lion in story mission has no ragdoll on death
Animal fitness does not affect animal weight
Hippopotamus group doesn't get spooked after charging
Performance drops near large bodies of water
Turkeys shot non-lethally during tutorial may get stuck
Stalker skill speed bonuses may persist after resetting
Vehicle interaction prompts may reappear after reloading
Small rocks and geometry floating near the tunnel between Lake Sasquatch and Jackalope Cordillera
Animals near the Kilimaya lodge may have incorrect pathfinding when spooked
Pollution windows show incorrect species - investigating
Yellow-Billed Duck Decoy turns into Mallard Decoy on pickup
Animal weight does not scale with fitness - investigating
Japanese font readability is poor across the UI
Italian localization missing bow name in Teacher's Pet
Blesbok head mount does not fit correctly on the mounting plate in Kilimaya Reserve
Nile Crocodile appears small relative to real-world sizes
Greater Kudu horns appear to curl incorrectly (horn alignment is work in progress)
Incorrect LODs on some animals due to recent optimisations
Ostriches sometimes have no reaction to being spooked (if this happened to you and you have it on video, we'd appreciate if you could send it to us via the link: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2543830/discussions/1/803468921024949711/)
Thank you for your continued support, and happy hunting!
More info about Way of the Hunter 2:
Latest Dev Diary - Trophy & antler generation system
Way of the Hunter 2 expands its world today with the arrival of the Kilimaya Reserve. Kilimaya is a 100 km² (40 square miles) reserve built on contrast, featuring highlands, forests, open grasslands, wetlands, shrublands, and sun-scorched barren terrain - all packed into a single diverse environment.
Players can also discover ancient stone ruins, remote village settlements, lookout towers, and hidden cave paintings, all set within a landscape shaped by the full range of African wilderness. Early Access Update 2 delivers a completely new hunting experience, introducing twelve new animal species, additional gear, and a cast of new characters, each with their own stories to tell.
Watch the trailer here:
Twelve new species are roaming the lands of Kilimaya:
Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros strepsiceros)
Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus taurinus)
Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
Blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi)
Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra)
Common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius amphibius)
Cape honey badger (Mellivora capensis capensis)
Southern lion (Panthera leo melanochaita)
South African ostrich (Struthio camelus australis)
Cape African buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer)
Southern yellow-billed duck (Anas undulata undulata)
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/308d92a6694523eaae0509552b474fd3cbe897cf.jpg"]
A New Layer of Authenticity
Update 2 also introduces anatomically accurate animal models. Male and female animals now reflect true biological differences in their appearance, adding a new layer of authenticity to the simulation that all hunters will appreciate.
For more info, please check the patch notes below.
If you run into bugs, please report them via THQN Redmine - ideally with your saved files attached - details on how to report a bug and attach your saved files can be found HERE.
Way of the Hunter 2 is fully playable in Early Access, offering a solid core experience, but it remains a work in progress by design. By opening development early, the team ensures that your feedback can meaningfully influence systems, mechanics, and future content while we are still flexible and evolving.
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2543830/Way_of_the_Hunter_2/"]
(Way of the Hunter 2) Update 0.2.0 (Version: 195528) - patch notes:
[p align="start"]New MapAdded: Kilimaya Reserve - 100 km2 (40 square miles) hunting ground
Added: Greater kudu
Added: Blue wildebeest
Added: Nile crocodile (currently referred to as Ethiopian crocodile in the in-game encyclopedia; this will be corrected in a future update)
Added: Spotted hyena
Added: Blesbok
Added: Cape mountain zebra
Added: Common hippopotamus
Added: Cape honey badger
Added: Southern lion
Added: South African ostrich
Added: Cape African buffalo
Added: Southern yellow-billed duck
Added: Anatomically accurate animal models - male and female animals now reflect true biological differences in appearance
Added: Antler colour variations (available across all maps)
Added: Charging mechanics - Southern lion, Common hippopotamus, and Cape African buffalo can now charge the player. This is the first version of the system, which will be improved and expanded to additional animals over time.
Fixed: Fur rendering distortion when standing close to animals
Fixed: The drinking zone of multiple animals placed too far from the water source
Fixed: Big game animals now align correctly with the terrain
Fixed: Mule deer no longer falls through the ground after dying
Fixed: Dall sheep males had a higher trophy score than intended
Tweaked: Grizzly bear destroyed skull no longer reduces the female's trophy score
Fixed: (Dog) The 'Track blood' command now correctly cancels the 'Sit and Stay' command when the player is more than 100 metres away from the dog
Tweaked: Increased initial fitness for all animal species for better trophy distribution, reducing the chance of most animals spawning with a 1-star trophy rating. Note: this change applies to new saves only - existing saves will not be affected. Further improvements to trophy distribution are planned for a future update.
Added: Terra Fractal TR compound bow
Added: Primacy Impact Mechanical Blade Long Vanes 30" arrow
Added: WildHeart Yellow-Billed Duck Decoy
Fixed: Compatible weapons on suppressors are now listed correctly in the Encyclopedia
Fixed: Supported attachments on weapons are now listed correctly in the Encyclopedia
Fixed: Player could lose access to their entire inventory, e.g. when fast-travelling from inside a flipped vehicle
Added: New Hearth & Hunt characters on Kilimaya Reserve, each with their own missions and stories
Fixed: Suppressed shots impacting flesh at distances between 30 and 100 metres no longer cause SFX distortion
Fixed: American wolverine missing footstep sounds
Fixed: Dall sheep missing footstep sounds
Fixed: White-tailed ptarmigan had silent sound cues
Fixed: Wood bison missing footstep, snorting, and eating sounds
Fixed: Bow reload sound was playing twice
Fixed: Improper water texture in Mishipeshu Swamp
Fixed: Rock asset displayed improperly near the crater in Mishipeshu Swamp
Fixed: Small rocks floating near a cave in Wetiko Foothills
Fixed: Water mesh glitches throughout New Laurentia
Fixed: Floating texture layer at a hunting stand in Thunderbird Muskeg
Fixed: Water splitting unnaturally near the lake in Kermode Plateau
Fixed: Small lake near Mishipeshu Swamp was not displayed on the Hunting Map
Fixed: Missing water in the swamps of Lake Sasquatch
Fixed: Deformed water surface in several areas of New Laurentia
Fixed: Player can now climb down all hunting stands correctly
Fixed: Foliage was not rendering in the distance in the main menu
Fixed: Placeholder texture was present during the third chapter of the tutorial
Fixed: Main menu music no longer plays during the initial cutscene of the game
Fixed: Game could crash when loading into the main menu or the New Laurentia map
Tweaked: Additional options added to the "View Distance Quality" graphical setting
Tweaked: Improved the “Challenges” screen
Fixed: Placeholder text in the Encyclopedia Attachments section
Fixed: Ability to open the radial menu in ADS while using the shooting stick
Fixed: Automatic Running/Sneaking setting had no functionality
Fixed: Bullet camera - eye, tongue and tooth materials no longer visible while the animal body is transparent
Fixed: Frame generation setting was not functioning correctly
Players with NPU devices may experience a crash on launch if AI boost is enabled in Device Manager - disabling it should fix this, meanwhile we’re working on a fix
Players with Intel 13th or 14th gen i7/i9 CPUs combined with an RTX 4090 may experience a crash to desktop when loading into Kilimaya Reserve due to CPU voltage instability. A workaround is to slightly downclock the CPU turbo ratios using ThrottleStop or a similar tool
Opening the Hunting Map during a screen transition - such as losing consciousness, climbing a ladder, or completing an infrastructure improvement, may cause a black screen softlock
Animal territories in Kilimaya may be set incorrectly in some cases
Water surfaces in some parts of Kilimaya have incorrect collision boundaries
Kilimaya's animals in photo mode may stop moving once the scene is set up
Incorrect marker on Damian (NPC) after completing his storyline in Kilimaya Reserve
Custom markers appear floating in the air on the Kilimaya Reserve
Female Blue wildebeest have no collision with vehicles
A Southern lion in a story mission has no ragdoll physics on death
Animal fitness currently does not affect animal weight
Common hippopotamus group does not get spooked after charging
Performance may drop in areas with large bodies of water
Ostriches have an incorrect organ layout on the harvest screen
Male ostriches currently may not take damage when shot sometimes
Turkeys shot non-lethally during the tutorial may get stuck on the ground with broken behavior
Stalker skill speed bonuses may persist after resetting or unequipping the skill
Vehicle interaction prompts may reappear after exiting to the main menu and loading back while in a vehicle
The Greater Kudu drinking need zone displays an incorrect end time in the UI - the drinking window runs until 01:00, but the UI shows 00:00
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/199ad19c2d7d8855cebb7faeb72f537cf50de772.jpg"]
Thank you for your continued support, and happy hunting on Kilimaya!
More info about Way of the Hunter 2:
We’ve just released Update 0.1.1 for Way of the Hunter 2, bringing a new rifle, some additional gear, and a bunch of fixes based on what many of you have been reporting and discussing with us. We are continuing to improve the experience based on your feedback, with a focus on stability, consistency, and overall polish.
New Weapon and Gear
This update adds the Bergara B14 HMR, a new branded rifle built for precision and control when hunting big game. It comes paired with 6.5 Creedmoor – Lewellings Grande Swift ammunition, offering reliable performance in the field. Alongside it, we’ve also added the Bushnell Engage 3-9x40 Illuminated scope as a new attachment option, giving you more flexibility when setting up your loadout.
Watch the new trailer:
Improvements Based on Your Feedback
Alongside new content, this update delivers several fixes and refinements across the game, including fixes for distorted animals’ antlers and horns, skills not loading properly after restarting, and completed missions reappearing at campsites. Stability improvements address issues related to sleeping and fast travel, along with rare cases of falling under terrain while in a vehicle.
Based on your feedback, we’ve also improved the quality of fur patterns for Piebald variations.
For the full list of changes, please check the patch notes below.
If you encounter any issues, please report them via THQN Redmine - ideally with your saved files, screenshots, and videos attached - details on how to report a bug and attach your saved files can be found HERE.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/9b0a99f7c9af287c9e0d135ab2e5fa55b1e7b101.png"]
(Way of the Hunter 2) Update 0.1.1 (Version: 191983) - patch notes:
New gear
Bergara B14 HMR
Bushnell Engage 3-9x40
New ammunition
6.5 Creedmoor "Lewellings Grande Swift"
Animals
Fixed: Antlers and horns briefly distorting when an in-game year advances
Tweaked: Improved the quality of fur patterns for Piebald fur variations
Gameplay
Fixed: Certain skills failing to load properly after restarting the game
Fixed: Freezing or crashing after sleeping multiple times in a row
Fixed: Some Pollution and Enhancement information showing incorrectly affected species
Fixed: Falling under the terrain when loading into the game while sitting in a vehicle
UI
Fixed: Being able to access the full lodge vicinity menu anywhere on the map under certain circumstances
Fixed: Missing icons in notifications when buying items in the Shop
Fixed: Tracking time increasing every time the player reopens the Claim screen
Fixed: Not being able to switch to different slots with the mouse, leading to taxidermies being placed simultaneously in the same slot
Fixed: Taxidermies placed in some dioramas being different from the description
Tweaked: Increased the resolution of item renders in the Shop
Hunting map
Fixed: Map icons of Infrastructure opportunities not showing up in already uncovered areas
Fixed: Mission area markers being active while corresponding missions are untracked
Missions
Fixed: Completed missions reappearing at campsites
Fixed: Incorrect distance units in the requirements of certain missions
Dog
Fixed: Dog's model getting distorted when resetting the pose while paused
Photo mode
Fixed: Secondary weapon being visible while posing in Photo mode
Gear
Fixed: Incorrect focal plane configuration of "ZOOMXD Vision Professional 1.5–6x42mm" and "Leupold VX-Freedom 20 7x33mm Hunt Plex"
Thank you for your continued support and for being part of the Early Access journey with us. Happy hunting!
More info about Way of the Hunter 2:
Latest Dev Diary - Trophy & antler generation system
Way of the Hunter 2 receives its first major content update, expanding the simulation with new systems and equipment that deepen both realism and player agency.
Watch the new trailer here:
Players can now actively shape ecosystems through infrastructure improvements in reserves by restoring damaged habitats, removing pollution, and clearing invasive species. These efforts directly impact animal fitness and population potential, creating more dynamic and sustainable hunting grounds over time.
A new layer of tactical hunting is introduced with suppressors, allowing for quieter shots that reduce animal alertness and prevent nearby herds from spooking. This enables more controlled harvests and improved follow-up opportunities, encouraging careful, selective hunting strategies. The update also adds thermal optics, including both a handheld monocular and clip-ons. These tools allow players to detect heat signatures in low visibility conditions, offering multiple viewing modes for scanning terrain, tracking movement, and identifying targets with greater precision. Finally, Photo Mode is expanded with new player and dog poses, giving players more ways to capture both themselves and their hunting companions. These additions enhance storytelling and allow for more personalised and memorable in-game photography.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/7e7a48547496a92bd642925b5b3247629aff32be.jpg"]
This update also delivers major stability and gameplay improvements across the entire experience. Animal behaviour has been refined, including fixes for frozen animals clustering across the map, alongside accurate trophy star ratings, improved tracking, and more realistic reactions. We’ve also rebalanced vehicle audio, resolved numerous visual and animation issues, and enhanced performance and sound systems for a smoother, more immersive hunt. For more details, please check the patch notes below.
If you run into bugs, please report them via THQN Redmine - ideally with your saved files attached - details on how to report a bug and attach your saved files can be found HERE.
Way of the Hunter 2 is fully playable in Early Access, offering a solid core experience, but remains a work in progress by design. By opening development early, the team ensures that your feedback can meaningfully influence systems, mechanics, and future content while we are still flexible and evolving.
Play Way of the Hunter 2 in Early Access:
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2543830/Way_of_the_Hunter_2"]Download the assets here: https://thqn.net/woth2assets
Dev Stream Today!
Join us today at 5:00 PM CEST, where we at Nine Rocks Games will showcase some of the exciting new features coming to Way of the Hunter 2 - new infrastructure improvements, suppressors, thermal vision gear, photo mode enhancements, and more. This time, the stream will be hosted by Jozef (Marketing Manager), Miro (QA Engineer), and Anton (Game Designer). Watch the dev stream on our YouTube channel.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/750542b8bbfdd482dfc9ac66780e19b4d47d3422.png"]
(Way of the Hunter 2) Update 0.1.0 (Version: 190882) - patch notes:
New Features:
Thermal vision
Infrastructure improvements
New Gear:
- [p align="start"]Suppressors: “Primacy Panther”, “Primacy Whisper Magnum”
- [p align="start"]Thermal vision monocular: “Terra Observer Mono”
- [p align="start"]Thermal vision clip-on: “Terra Prometheus”
Animals:
- [p align="start"]Added: Trophy measurements for Western moose
- [p align="start"]Added: Snowshoe Hare animations and reactions, with added vocal cues
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Polish of Rocky Mountain elk trophy
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Turn off the animal path for small animals
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Improved the animal's fur rendering
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Blood signs of not fatally wounded animals disappear after a specific time
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Senses for hard difficulty game settings tweaked to be more challenging
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Delayed the animal’s reaction to the incoming vehicle
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Wood bison - white mouth, skin around eyes and hoofs
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Animals clustering and freezing across the map, causing performance issues
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Incorrect hit detection on some animals
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Missing star rating and trophy score in the Claim screen for certain animals
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Corrupted White-tailed Ptarmigan model, briefly seen when the bird transitions from running to fleeing
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Shots from far ranges may sometimes ignore projectiles if sound cues from the weapon do not reach them
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Turkeys fail to respond to the caller or the player's presence
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Wild Ducks abruptly stop and drop in front of the player after using the duck caller
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Turkeys shot non-lethally may remain on the ground with broken AI
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Birds keep flying in circles around the group location target
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Birds (landfowl) don’t escape correctly when alerted
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Animals stuck walking towards the rocks
- [p align="start"]Fixed: American wolverine’s droppings and footprints are not generated
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Dead animal bodies are difficult to find when animals die in deep water
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Swimming on the spot while in a sitting behaviour
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Western moose: Liver doesn't get any damage
- [p align="start"]Fixed: A wounded animal might lie down in water bodies while dying
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Multiple reasons causing stacked animals in terrain or in the animation graph
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Mallards in flying animations have the insides of their beaks on the outside
- [p align="start"]Fixed: White-tailed Ptarmigan stretched intestines inside the Harvest screen
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Glitching material on the Eastern Wild turkey’s head in the Claim screen
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Corrupted antler material on some Mule deer trophies
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Animal tongue occasionally blocks the bullet
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Male Wood bison clipping through the ground
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Artery shots that should be fatal are marked as "Lower volume of blood"
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Western moose's trophy tab lacks certain trophy score information in the Harvest screen
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Missing stars and trophy score in the Harvest screen on Western moose and Snowshoe hare
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Small game animals bend grass and create an animal path while escaping
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Trophy values for Wood bison and Dall sheep not updating correctly
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Lethal flesh hit doesn't kill the Eastern Wild turkey
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Silent sound cues on American wolverine and Dall sheep
Dog:
- [p align="start"]Added: Dog animated turning on spot prototype
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: More animations for the dog, including digging, wet shaking and facial animations
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: After successfully finding a dead animal, the dog will now stop barking when you get 10m to the animal
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Dogs now stop barking within a certain distance of the animal
- [p align="start"]Fixed: The dog clips into the ragdoll
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Dog sounds stopped working after repeated “Sit and Stay” commands
- [p align="start"]Fixed: “Track blood” command didn’t cancel “Sit and Stay” when far from the dog
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Dog panting sounds played too often and didn’t match its position
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Dog breathing audio is now properly synced
- [p align="start"]Fixed: The dog sometimes does not stop at the animal sign
Weapons and Shooting:
Tweaked: Update FOVs on all ironsights
Tweaked: Shot is now causing less meat degradation
Tweaked: Bullet impact in the water detection fix
Gear:
Tweaked gear (improved visual):
- [p align="start"]Scopes: “ZOOMXD Vision Professional 1,5-6x42”, “Primacy Vision Unity 1-4x24”, “Integrix iX6 3-18x44 WOTH Edition”, “Primacy Vision Pillar 4-16x50”, “DD Optics V10 1.5-15x40 NXT”
- [p align="start"]Night vision scopes: “Primacy Clarity Digital 2-16x32”, “Overgaard Night Stalker 3-9x”
- [p align="start"]Collimators: “ZOOMXD Red dot”, “Primacy Reflex Freedom”
- [p align="start"]Bow sights: “ZOOMXD Triumph”
- [p align="start"]Binoculars: “Overgaard 8x, Bushnell Prime 10x42”, “Overgaard Titan 15x56”
Hunting Map:
Added: Hunting stand markers to the hunting map
Added: Markers for placeable gear to the hunting map
Added: Land borders visible over the fog of war on the hunting map
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Improve visuals of the land highlight marker
User Interface (UI):
- [p align="start"]Added: Trophy rating (stars) to animal analysis with binoculars
- [p align="start"]Added: Control prompt for the Shooting stick to the HUD
- [p align="start"]Added: Brand logos to the Shop and Encyclopedia
- [p align="start"]Added: Player's current Rank badge in the game menu
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Impact of UI on performance
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Encyclopedia: Added information about Focal plane for Sights
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Reworked thumbnails of all firearms in Shop and Encyclopedia
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Improved the Mission screen UI
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Objective markers that show up as circle areas in the hunting map will also show up as markers in the Compass (HUD)
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Interaction with Sleep UI is disabled while time is passing
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Sound cue ripples occasionally show incorrect animal behaviour
Player:
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Player footsteps water detection
Photo Mode:
- [p align="start"]Added: Poses for the player character
- [p align="start"]Added: Aspect ratio option
- [p align="start"]Added: Height adjustment for animals
- [p align="start"]Added: Poses for the dog
- [p align="start"]Added: Toggle for dog visibility
- [p align="start"]Added: Toggle for player visibility
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Camera temperature options limited to 2500-10000K
Gameplay:
Added: Challenges "Get rid of pollution"
Added: Challenge "Improve navigation"
Added: Challenge "Place any habitat enhancement"
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Removed Skill "All Scent Masks are more effective"
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Game time now pauses while in the hunting map
Controls:
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Default aiming sensitivity and dead zone settings for controllers
- [p align="start"]Added: Shooting stick keybinding setting
Sound & Audio:
Added: New loading screen music
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Volume automation for ambient and animal sounds while in UI screens, in vehicle and NPC dialogues
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Increased animal footstep distances
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: The balance between interior and exterior while raining
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Rain is more intense during a thunderstorm
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Increased distances and volume for all water objects
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Lowered volume for the vehicle engine and tyres
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Lowered wind volume + lowered altitude wind volume
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Disabled ambient sounds during cutscenes
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Improved memory optimisation for all sounds
Ammo:
Fixed: The light effect on the ammo is too bright
Fixed: Lewellings Grande Strike (375 H&H Magnum) wrong info in Encyclopedia
Challenges:
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Certain challenges can now be fulfilled in the training grounds
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Challenges that require selling meat now also count when disposing of an animal
- [p align="start"]Tweaked: Hidden fitness value for females
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Random crashes when completing challenges (e.g. "Talk Turkey To Me" mission)
Cutscenes:
Fixed: New Laurentia intro cinematic has mismatched words displayed in the subtitles compared to the voice-over
Fixed: Visual and audio glitches in cutscenes
Encyclopedia:
Fixed: Displaying incorrect values of the trophy estimated range
Fixed: Missing description for some items
Fixed: Missing image of the WildHeart Deer Estrus Scent
Fixed: Debug text appearing in the Recommended Equipment tab for Dall sheep and Wood bison
Fixed: Arrow ammo descriptions appear the same in the Encyclopedia description
Fixed: Binoculars display the incorrect magnification in the Encyclopedia
Fixed: Cutting diameter for vanes now displays in the correct units
Fixed: Duplicate or wrongly written text appears in the guides section of the Encyclopedia
Fixed: Overgaard Titan 15x56 binoculars now only appear in the Encyclopedia after being unlocked
Gamepad:
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Binocular control prompt in the tutorial displaying "NONE"
- [p align="start"]Fixed: LT and RT not working in the Claim screen
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Missing Y-Axis inversion option
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Multiple buttons sharing the same functionality
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Tutorial voiceover didn’t skip when pressing the button
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Fast travel could cause FPS drops and animation issues over time
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Not being able to summon the vehicle in multiple campsites from the game menu
Gear:
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Game could crash when using the Primos Double Jackrabbit Predator Call near Northwestern wolves
- [p align="start"]Fixed: NPC models didn’t display correctly in binoculars
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Animals not correctly displayed in vision modes
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Duck caller visual artefacts when moving around
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Incorrect scope effects on various rendering aspect ratios
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Animation for “Primos The Great Big Can Doe Bleat”
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Binoculars displaying incorrect magnification and lens size values in the Shop
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Binoculars zoom control prompt remaining available after turning the Arcade zoom option off
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Not being able to place the “WildHeart Front Cover” and the “WildHeart Wild Turkey Decoy” on some valid surfaces
- [p align="start"]Fixed: “Primacy Vision Pillar 4-16x50” being incorrectly attached to “Primacy Classic Hunter MK II”
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Prone moving animation glitching when holding a weapon
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Resetting Skills destroys tents instead of returning them to storage
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Switching weapons while using the shooting stick resulted in a glitched camera after aiming down sights
- [p align="start"]Fixed: The initial binocular is placed in the incorrect gear slot in some situations
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Visual artefacts while moving the camera with “Primos The Original Wench Duck Call” in hand
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Zoom effect is slowing down while speeding up the mouse wheel input
- [p align="start"]Fixed: "DD Optics V10 1.5-15x40" scope attachment flickers on the sides while inside ADS on any weapon
- [p align="start"]Fixed: "Primacy Clarity Digital 2-16x32" scope attachment exhibits a glitching/flickering effect while ADS
- [p align="start"]Fixed: "Primacy Vision Pillar 4-16x50" scope attachment lightly flickers on the sides while moving any weapon inside ADS
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Placeholder text "16.73" displayed above the "Scent" type equipment while equipped in hand
- [p align="start"]Fixed: “The ZOOMXD TrueSight 1.5-5x32” attachment has an improper crosshair displayed
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Mismatch between shotgun pellet count in the Encyclopedia and in-game, causing lower damage
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Improper visual displayed for certain scopes when equipped
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Callers have incorrect optimal timing data in the Shop, storage and Encyclopedia
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Missing red dot on collimator “ZOOMXD Red dot”
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Incorrect lens quality information for “ZOOMXD Thunderstrike XR 3-12x44” in the Shop and Encyclopedia
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Scope view is too dark on “ZOOMXD Vision Professional 1,5-6x42”
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Unable to see iron sights in ADS on the “Primacy Morning silence”
Hunter Assist:
Fixed: Hunter assist dot ignoring tree collisions
Fixed: Animal sound cues are becoming visible when aiming down sights after switching from the game menu
Fixed: Sound cue ripples not expiring correctly
Fixed: Map markers could appear in the sky when placed on unloaded areas
Inventory:
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Inventory items could be lost after a crash during fast travel
Map - New Laurentia:
Fixed: Improved landscape materials during rainy weather
Fixed: Improved grass material and distribution
Fixed: Pulsating foliage on some grass and bushes
Fixed: Foliage lacks material
Fixed: Missing collisions with rocks near the main lodge
Fixed: Removed bushes placed on the trail near Salakum Shore
Fixed: Grass and a ladder are clipping through the floor at the cabin close to Juniper
Fixed: Rocks missing collision at the beginning of the river
Fixed: Painting asset placeholder texture in Juniper's cabin
Fixed: Multiple places in the lodge interior where the player could get stuck in the furniture
Fixed: Missing collision with information panels encountered in campsites
Fixed: Missing collision in the Jackalope Cordillera region
Fixed: Water flow texture between the lake and the river
Fixed: Inconsistent lake edges on the map compared to the actual environment
Fixed: Missplaced bear taxidermy pose
Fixed: Lighting issues on small objects in the lodge interior
Fixed: Added missing water surface in the swamp area
Fixed: Sharp edges on terrain in some areas
Fixed: Removed tree assets that were present on the road close to the lodge
Fixed: Removed trees and bushes that were present in the water close to one campsite
Missions:
Fixed: The player can see the deer “For the Hearth” deer spawning
Fixed: Mismatch in fitness value and its unit of measure for the Cercyonis Pegala mission
Fixed: Part of a dialogue about Mikael does not have subtitles
Fixed: Mission animal can be outside of a marked area
Fixed: Incorrect dialogue plays after completing "Tyria Jacobaeae"
Fixed: Incorrect fitness value in the objective for the missions "Cercyonis Pegala" and "Wattle Bearers"
Fixed: Player not receiving money or XP after successfully completing certain missions
Fixed: The missing postcard after completing "A Hunt For Home"
Photo Mode:
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Losing consciousness in Photo Mode could spawn multiple player characters
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Map and Photo Mode no longer cause falling through the world after fast travel
Player:
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Camera shaking when the player tries to go beyond the maximum depth of water
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Jumping into deeper water makes the character stuck
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Red visual effect remains on the edges of the screen after falling unconscious
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Screen flickering upon moving backwards while having a decoy item selected for placing
Settings:
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Hold to interact, failing to utilise the rebound key
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Lighting issues after disabling all Lumen-related settings
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Rebinding the "Action Menu" key failing to rebind the "Swap Action Menu" action
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Rebinding the "Crouch" key, failing to rebind the "Prone" action
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Removed "Aspect ratio" setting from video options
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Unresponsive keybindings for inventory gear slots 10, 11, 12
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Binoculars arcade mode has a placeholder description
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Blood tracks description is missing
SFX
Fixed: Footstep sound is accumulating and makes the performance drop
Fixed: Audio glitches after too many audio effects are played at the same time
Fixed: Voice over is very quiet compared to other audio elements
Fixed: Some environmental sound elements are overly boosted volume-wise
Taxidermy:
Added: Wall mount taxidermies
Fixed: Multiple taxidermy diorama poses refinements (clipping, improper placement, etc)
Fixed: Multiple issues with diorama clipping, slot occupancy, and taxidermy selection
Text / Translation (UI):
- [p align="start"]Fixed: "Vicinity Menu" information pops up every time after accessing the game menu near the lodge after loading a save
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Users with NVIDIA GPU's may encounter overlapping Harvest screen UIs
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Some of the lure cans have placeholder text written on their caps in the Shop
- [p align="start"]Fixed: 12-hour time format not displaying AM/PM indicators
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Callers displaying incorrect values of Optimal timing for some callers
- [p align="start"]Fixed: NPC marker is duplicating after fast travelling to the same NPC multiple times
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Player's name overflowing in the game menu if it surpasses 20 characters in length
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Pressing both "E" and "Space" simultaneously causes the screen to be indefinitely blocked by a broken Claim screen
- [p align="start"]Fixed: WildHeart Journey backpack displaying incorrect Noise parameter
- [p align="start"]Fixed: The message written in the letter is misplaced in the mission MooseNews
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Final Section of Mikael Dialogue VO towards the Player doesn't match displayed Dialogue UI Text
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Mismatch in fitness value and its unit of measure for the "Wattle Bearers" mission
- [p align="start"]Fixed: NPC Juniper's portrait and name disappear during the “Who Let The Bloodhounds Out " dialogue
Vehicle:
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Vehicle audio is very loud
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Irregular shadows cast by vehicles
- [p align="start"]Fixed: Animal’s blood appearing on the vehicle
Weapons:
- [p align="start"]Fixed: FPS drop when quickly shooting a semi-automatic rifle or shotgun
- [p align="start"]Fixed: “Primacy Rasenbaum" Manufacturing details floating during reload animations
- [p align="start"]Fixed: "Jack Bear Hunter" ironsight does not disappear when the scope is mounted
Thank you for your continued support and for being part of the Early Access journey with us. Happy hunting!
More info about Way of the Hunter 2:
Website: https://wayofthehunter2.thqnordic.com
Discord: https://discord.gg/wayofthehunter
A new patch for build 0.0.1 (Version: 188484) is now live. This patch addresses several reported gameplay issues and includes a fix for the frozen animal groups that affected a lot of players. The fix should prevent it from happening again. If you still have frozen animal groups on your map, please cull them - they should not reappear afterwards. As this issue was difficult to reproduce consistently, we are marking it as a potential fix. If this issue occurs again or if you stumble upon some new bugs, please report them via THQN Redmine - details on how to report a bug and attach your saved files can be found HERE.
We are continuing to monitor your feedback and work on further improvements.
Patch for build 0.0.1 (Version: 188484) - patch notes:
Fixed: Duplicated NPCs spawning near the cabins
Fixed: Animals now correctly react to gunshot sounds when fired from behind cover (e.g. bushes)
Fixed: Discard button for displayed trophies
Potential fix: Animals getting stuck (freezing in place in large groups)
Players affected by this issue may still have large groups of frozen animals present on their map. In this case, please cull all affected animals - the issue should not occur again afterwards.
Please note this is a potential fix, since we were not able to reproduce the issue consistently during testing.
If the issue occurs again, please report it via THQN Redmine, including any additional details (what actions were taken, steps before it happened, etc.) - thank you!
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/c6ce8b0584d3041d98296afffa10264c241840d7.png"]
Community feedback round #1 is now closed
At the same time, we are closing the first community feedback round. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts, observations, and real-life experiences on the Turkeys and Mule deer trophies - your input is incredibly valuable and helps us shape the game during Early Access.
More feedback rounds are on the way, so stay tuned!
Thank you for your continued support and for being part of the Early Access journey with us.
Happy hunting!
More info about Way of the Hunter 2:
Website: https://wayofthehunter2.thqnordic.com
Discord: https://discord.gg/wayofthehunter
Hello hunters, a new patch for build 0.0.1 (187063) is now live. This patch includes several fixes, stability improvements, performance tweaks, and more.
Patch for build 0.0.1 (Version: 187063) - patch notes:
Fixed: Issues with resolution and video settings not loading correctly
Fixed: Using binoculars could slowly reduce performance
Fixed: Voice-over autoplay after fast travel
Fixed: Dog-related crash when tracking animals that crossed water
Fixed: Crash after quitting to the main menu right after shooting
Fixed: Too many animal and footstep sounds playing at the same time could cause audio or performance issues
Fixed: Main menu music looping incorrectly
Tweaked: Reduced the character's fall damage
Known high-priority issue: Animals spawning in large groups outside their need zones and broken AI across the map. We are actively investigating this issue. Thank you for your patience while we work on a fix.
We are continuing to work on additional fixes and improvements based on your reports and feedback. If you run into bugs, please report them via THQN Redmine - ideally with your saved files attached - details on how to report a bug and attach your saved files can be found - HERE.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/d2e86e0cbf14116776d1f1511b61d4c1dca38d43.png"]
Community Feedback Round #1
We are also starting Community Feedback Rounds to collect more focused feedback and involve you more directly in shaping specific parts of the game during Early Access.
We have our own vision and direction for the game, but we also want to hear your observations, ideas, and constructive feedback - both from your in-game experience and your real-life hunting experience. We’ll be running these feedback rounds regularly, most likely in two-week cycles, each focused on specific features, animals, systems, or gameplay elements.
The first feedback round runs from April 1 to April 14. During this time, we will collect your feedback on:
Please keep the feedback constructive, specific, and based on your experience - both in-game and in real life.
Thank you for being part of the Early Access journey with us. We really appreciate the time you spend playing and sharing your thoughts.
Happy hunting!
More info about Way of the Hunter 2:
Website: https://wayofthehunter2.thqnordic.com
Discord: https://discord.gg/wayofthehunter
Hotfix 0.0.1 for Way of the Hunter 2 is now live on Steam (PC). This hotfix mainly improves stability by adjusting sound effects' memory usage. We are also investigating issues caused by old config files from the Way of the Hunter 2 Demo, which may result in graphical glitches, UI scaling issues, or incorrect resolution options in Early Access Launch.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45898873/634920e246f298539bca9fac60bcedd136492671.png"]
If you previously played the Demo, we strongly recommend deleting old config files.
Here's how to do so:
Press Windows key + R
Copy and paste this path: %LocalAppData%\\WOTH2\\Saved
Delete the folder called “Config”
Launch the game again
New files will be generated automatically
The game now also shows a pop-up message informing players about this issue. We are continuing to address the issues and other reported problems. If you are experiencing this, or any other bugs, please report them via THQN Redmine. Before submitting a report, please check the known issues list to see if the issue is already being tracked.
Thank you, and happy hunting!
Hotfix for build 0.0.1 (Version: 186592) - patch notes:
Tweaked: Sound effects memory usage to improve stability and performance
Added: Popup message informing players about old Demo config files that may cause graphical, UI scaling, and resolution issues
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Uploaded May 02, 2026
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How to Install
WOTH2.exe to play
Troubleshooting tips
• Run Redist/_CommonRedist installers if game won't start
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Download
Direct link available
16.1 GB
22991410
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a43789935a215e4e2fecda3e46e5c5d8a30f73d098ef4cac0abdd4ea3fd5f20d
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Download Way of the Hunter 2 for PC with a direct link or via torrent. Get the full version of Way of the Hunter 2 for free. Way of the Hunter 2 is a Adventure released by Nine Rocks Games.