Hunt: Showdown is considered an insider tip among shooter fans. A game for real connoisseurs and connoisseurs, so they say. Now, however, the fans are exposed to a mechanic that is usually more familiar from broad-based shooters. They get a Battle Pass – and don’t like it at all.

What kind of pass is that? Hunt: Showdown is getting a Battle Pass with the new event. The developers announced this via their social media channels, causing very mixed reactions among fans of the gourmet shooter.

The pass is called “The Gilded Path” and will come in a normal and a premium version in the game. In it, you’ll be able to unlock new cosmetic items and even a legendary hunter that will evolve as you progress through the pass.

He enters the game on July 27 along with the new Serpent’s Moon event, which brings two new weapon variants and a new time of day, the eponymous Serpent’s Moon, to the horror shooter.

It’s currently unclear how long you’ll have to unlock the pass, or if it will remain in the game after the event.

What did it look like so far? Hunt: Showdown has done without such a concept in the past. One worked so far with single, cosmetic DLCs and optional, purely cosmetic in-game purchases. The events didn’t do anything to stop that, either, even if you could buy items for real money during events to complete them faster.

Developer Crytek always communicated that you didn’t need these boosters, but that they served the purpose of supporting the studio itself, if you wanted to. You could easily complete the events without these boosters.

The community reacts from above – and very divided

Players grumble about known mechanics: The players of Hunt: Showdown are very ambivalent about the upcoming Battle Pass. Many don’t like the fact that their personal insider tip will now be like all other shooters.

Some attribute this to the hiring of David Fifield as general manager of Hunt: Showdown. The latter had previously worked on Call of Duty and Halo, among others. Some users in the comments therefore jump to conclusions and scoff.

• Thus Logan writes (via Facebook): “One of my favorite aspects of Hunt was that it was so unique. That has now died.”
• Wes is also unimpressed (via Facebook): “Your CoD guy David is totally original, I’m laughing my ass off. I saw that coming from 252 yards away.”
• Humberto writes (via Facebook): “Really now? First you find less Bloodbonds, then the skins get more expensive and now a Battle Pass is coming for a full price game? Why don’t you make Hunt Free2Play right now?”
• Much encouragement is also given to Mansour (via Facebook): “I lost all hope in the game. It was bad enough that new content was coming out so slowly and that you guys were adding multiple currencies to the game. Now you’re also denying access to content to people who would rather spend their money on your DLCs and skins than a Battle Pass. I’m done with this game.”

However, the camp of negatively-minded fans shares the lousy sentiment towards Battle Pass even with those who are actually looking forward to it.

Other fans support the idea: On the other hand, there is a large part of the community that is happy to buy the Battle Pass. Funnily enough, many of them are not enthusiastic about the mechanics themselves, but want to support the developers and their favorite shooter.

The fans almost don’t care what the Battle Pass actually contains. Many of the users feel a close connection with the unusual horror shooter and want to make sure that Hunt: Showdown lives on and is developed for a long time.

• So writes toothybrushman (via reddit): “I think this is a good idea. Crytek has already tried to monetize the game in the most bizarre ways. […] Battle Passes have shown that they can be a successful system in many games. If they absolutely need to monetize the game further, this is the way to go.”
• Jan writes (via Facebook): “A lot of people don’t seem to understand that Hunt is a multiplayer game. It just takes resources. You guys wouldn’t work for free either.”
• Marc joins in (via Facebook): “I’ll buy the Battle Pass, but only to support the game I love and keep it alive as long as I can.”
• Jordan says (via Facebook): “I support the game and the team as much as I can, but I don’t think a Battle Pass is the way to go for Hunt. It can destroy games and cause fans to burnout. We’ll see what happens.”

What do you guys think about this? Are you actively playing Hunt and think a Battle Pass is exactly what the shooter needs? Or are you on the other side and condemn the developers for introducing such a system?