Crytek has released a new video detailing the monetization changes in Hunt: Showdown. Social Media Manager Bence Hamos guided through all the details. We'll tell you what you need to know about it.
That's going on: Already with the devstream for version 1.8 at the end of April, the developers expressed their plans to change the monetization system in Hunt: Showdown. The topic was also briefly addressed in the dev stream for version 1.9, but it was quickly pointed out that further details should follow in a separate video. That's the case now, and social media manager Bence "Beedyboy" Hamos joins publishing manager Hans Van Brakel to discuss the details.
Some of the monetization changes already made in 2021 include:
The idea: The idea behind the Bloodbond Points, which you can use to purchase legendary hunter and weapon skins in-game, was that they should become a continuous source of funding through in-game purchases.
The problem: The problem was that the players mainly spend Bloodbonds, which they receive directly in the game, and do not buy them through the shop. So, Bloodbond sales were lower than Crytek expected. For every 100 free Bloodbonds, about 10 were bought in the shop. So Crytek lost most of the new content that could be acquired through Bloodbonds.
The solution: To counteract this, Crytek had 2 options:
Crytek obviously chose the 2nd option, which not everyone liked. But it was a necessary decision to improve the economy in Hunt and ensure that Hunt continues to get new content in the future.
Another change was the event prizes. So while there were more options to spend Blood Bonds, the prices were also raised. Crytek's focus was on the one hand the free choice of the players, but also the return on investment, i.e. to achieve the largest possible profit margin.
The DLCs were similar. The turnover was also quite low here, but was higher and more stable than with the Bloodbonds. To keep that up but maximize profits, more DLCs were released, at higher prices. But also the number of discounts has been significantly increased to satisfy the players.
In order to generate further sales, the players had to be made more aware of the shop. Here the developers have introduced a pop-up system that keeps showing you messages on the screen, at least within the menu or the lobby, to inform you about current offers.
Of course, there will be more changes to monetization in the future to ensure that Hunt: Showdown generates enough revenue to fund ongoing development, upcoming DLCs, and more content.
You will be able to purchase discounted legendary Bloodbond content in the Black Market. The Black Market will initially have 3 vendors available, each with its own theme and limited inventory. All items are visible and are regularly renewed randomly.
A few of the current actions that cost Bloodbond, such as cleaning a weapon or health respecs, will soon no longer cost Bloodbonds, but normal Hunt Dollars. Other areas should instead give additional Bloodbonds as a reward. The whole thing is still a work in progress, however, since the economy has a very delicate balance that should not be shaken.
It is not yet certain whether there will be further monetization opportunities in the future. In any case, Crytek will continue to experiment and primarily use the events for this purpose.
In addition to hunters and weapon skins, other cosmetic items could also be added to the shop.
Crytek relies on player feedback. Crytek is not working on these changes because they care about the money. They're doing it because they want to continue supporting Hunt: Showdown for as long as possible, and that's not going to happen if there's no money coming in. You can continue to play the entire game for free after purchase with no monthly fees and never have to spend a penny again. For players who want to spend a little more money on cosmetic items, there will still be enough options in the future.
Would you like to join our community and discuss Hunt: Showdown? Then join our new Discord server, we look forward to seeing you!