New map and mode arrive today in Predator: Hunting Grounds

Today is the day! The IllFonic team has been hard at work all summer, locked in our makeshift home offices, to bring you this update. We have heard you and we’re excited to show what we have in store for our largest free update yet: a new Mode and new Map for Predator: Hunting Grounds. That’s right; you’re not only getting a new playground, but also a new way to play, a full-on PVP mode called Clash.

Clash is the ultimate 4v4 PVP that puts players in an all-out, no-holds-barred war. We wanted this new mode to take the high tension of Hunt and turn it into an unpredictable, high-octane battle to see which team is king of the jungle.

Lasting roughly fifteen minutes, two Fireteams will spawn on one of the four Predator: Hunting Grounds maps with one goal: to capture a location before the next capture area spawns – think a deadly game of king of the hill. With each location captured, a point is awarded until none are left and a victor is crowned. All this might sound easy, but not so fast. While each team battles it out to claim territory, every point gained and enemy killed fills up your team’s Predator meter. Once filled, the Predator mode is unlocked and one person on your team will become the extraterrestrial hunter.  

But I’ll warn you all, even with a Predator on your side you must keep your head up and your eyes peeled. The Predator can do some serious damage, but this time there is no second wind or target isolation like there is in Hunt. There is no mudding up for fire teams either – it’s go mode! If you die, you respawn – there is no downtime, and as they say, “Failure is not an option.” 

Here’s a hint from the QA team: load up on your smoke bombs, use your UAV gear, and pace yourself. This new mode will provide players with a chance to test their combat skills. After all, humans are less predictable and much smarter than AI. 

With the new map “Excavation” we really hope to challenge player’s skill sets as it brings the need for hand to hand combat to the forefront. Lore has it this map is ground zero for a unique dig site that was once a thriving scientific hive seeking artifacts deep in the caves of the Predator jungle. Now overrun by the Stargazer mercenary fleet, the scientists are gone… but missions, Easter eggs, and the ultimate game of cat and mouse remain. 

This map still features the iconic jungle – but will force both the Fireteam and Predator to think vertically and spatially as they traverse through an intricate multi-level cave system. A word of warning: don’t get caught alone… there are enemies at every turn as your team works through missions that force you into potentially compromising and claustrophobic conditions. Predkour is obsolete within the labyrinth cave system, forcing the Predator to attack from the ground or seek out a perfect perching place. With so many possible choke-points, the new map will force you to ask, “How skilled are you in face-to-face combat?” 

Other highlights new to Predator: Hunting Grounds include a new quickplay menu that prompts players to choose Hunt or Clash. And last but not least, with all the cool options for loadouts we are expanding the current loadout from five to ten – giving everyone more choices.

See you in the caves!

* This article was originally published here