Hunt: Showdown 1896 - Lawson Delta Map Update

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a first person extraction shooter developed by Crytek. I joined the Hunt team in June 2024 to help with shipping the re-launch of the game as Hunt: Showdown 1896. Since then I've been part of the strike team that worked on the first maps of the game in order to bring them up to current standards. I was responsible for going over several compounds to propose and improve gameplay as well as check for quality issues and optimize them.
More in-depth before-after shots can be found on the official website: https://www.huntshowdown.com/news/developer-insight-lawson-delta-updates

The Lawson Delta map update shipped together with Post Malone's Murder Circus event. Before-after shots of some of the work I did can be found on the official website: https://www.huntshowdown.com/news/developer-insight-lawson-delta-updates

I was responsible for opening one of the previously inaccessible spaces above the Prison entrance. To facilitate flow through the new area I also added a ladder connection.

On top of the gameplay changes and item placements, I also did the set dressing for this space.

The interior space connecting the new space and the old, where I also did the set dressing.

Other areas of the Prison also received additional connections to facilitate better flow. In this case, a ladder connection was added so players could reach the top platform more quickly from the outside.

Inside the Prison, several windows were opened together with the lighting team. This created new opportunities for entries. In this example, players can now reach the window from the outside and then use the platform under it to hop onto the second floor.

For the Brickworks location, I was responsible for improving the cover options outside the main entrance. This was mainly driven by the intent to help players rotate around more easily.

Another change I did to this location was the addition of an elevator on the side of the boss building.

Although the distance is short, the elevator adds another quick getaway option when fighting in this space.

A different location where I spent some additional time was the Fort and its surrounding trenches. I was responsible for doing a massive clipping pass on the trenches in order to improve navigation.

In some cases I had to adjust the positioning of different log clusters in order to create better angles for the 3C.

The work was quite extensive since the trenches span over 3 sides of the location.

Some connections between the Fort modules didn't quite match perfectly and adjusting bigger chunks was not a viable option at this stage. I found a simple solution of adding an extra arch to mask the issue. I also did the vegetation placement above this.

Other changes were smaller in scope, like increasing the entry/exit angle to elevator shafts. Small changes overall compound for a better experience.

I also improved the broken stairway to one of the ruins and its top platform. Previously, people reported it was janky and hard to play around. I maintained the destruction and overgrowth aspect of it, while improving the gameplay experience.

Previously it was hard to make use of the space and fight other players. After my adjustments, the platform is more generous and everything is clipped and smooth. One of my friends reported a good experienced playing here after the update went live.

Additional angle on the ruin from the official blog post: https://www.huntshowdown.com/news/developer-insight-lawson-delta-updates