Hunt: Showdown 1896 turns Strongholds into loot runs with Chapter 2

Crytek has put Road to Hell – Chapter 2 live in Hunt: Showdown 1896, and the update leans into extraction pressure with Stronghold Cargo Balloons, new Cargo Crates, and two permanent Story Challenges.

The Corrupted Cargo community challenge begins later today, 2 July at 16:00 CEST, while the premium Story Challenge Let Us Prey will arrive later in update 2.8.1.

Patch Notes

Road to Hell – Chapter 2 adds Stronghold Cargo Balloons that let Hunters extract Cargo Crates and Bounty Tokens from Strongholds, and rival teams can shut the whole process down by damaging the gas tanks. The chapter also introduces two permanent Story Challenges, along with a community event that rewards players for moving bounties and cargo through the new balloon system.

Road to Hell – Chapter 2 Now Live

New Feature: Stronghold Cargo Balloons

Strongholds now feature a new extraction objective that allows Hunters to secure valuable loot.

Cargo Balloons can be found at Strongholds and can be used to extract Cargo Crates and Bounty Tokens. To launch a balloon, Hunters must first inflate it using the attached hydrogen gas tanks.

Inflating the Balloon

Each balloon is connected to three gas tanks via a network of hoses. Interacting with a tank’s valve opens the flow of gas and contributes to the inflation process.

Inflation speed depends on the number of open valves:

• 1 crank open: 12 minutes
• 2 cranks open: 6 minutes
• 3 cranks open: 4 minutes

Distinct hissing sounds can be heard from the hose junction connecting the canisters to the balloon both when the inflation is at 50% and at 100%. Once the balloon is fully inflated, it becomes ready for launch and can be released through a direct interaction with it (while not holding eligible Cargo).

Loading Cargo

Hunters can load loot onto a balloon at any time. While carrying eligible cargo, interact with the balloon to add it to the payload.

Each balloon can carry:

• Up to 4 Cargo Crates
• 1 Bounty Token stored in a dedicated Bounty Canister

Launching a balloon successfully extracts all loaded cargo. However, loading cargo does not reserve ownership of the rewards. The extracted loot is awarded only to the team that successfully releases the balloon.

New Cargo Crates

The following Cargo Crates have been added and can be found scattered across the entire Stronghold:

• Scarce Ammo Cargo Crate
• Hunt Dollar Cargo Crate
• Weapon Cargo Crate

Each crate type can appear in either a Standard or Worn variant. The condition of the crate influences the quality of the rewards contained within.

Cargo Crate Rewards:

• Worn Scarce Ammo Cargo Crate – Rewards Players with 1 instance of a random scarce ammo type
• Standard Scarce Ammo Cargo Crate – Rewards players with 2 instances of a particular scarce ammo type. The ammo type is mentioned as part of the interaction prompt, ex: Dum Dum/Shredder Ammo, Explosive Ammo etc.
• Worn Hunt Dollar Cargo Crate – Rewards players with 100 HD
• Standard Hunt Dollar Cargo Crate – Rewards players with 250 HD
• Worn Weapon Cargo Crate – Rewards players with a random pistol, rifle and shotgun. These weapons are not considered contraband.
• Scarce Weapon Cargo Crate – Rewards players with an instance of a particular scarce weapon. The scarce weapon is specified in the interaction prompt, ex: Shredder, Flame Rifle etc.

Counterplay

Extraction Balloons can be disrupted by enemy Hunters.

Damaging an active gas tank valve forces it closed, stopping the flow of hydrogen from that gas tank. Coordinated attacks can significantly delay inflation progress and prevent a balloon from being launched before rival teams arrive.

Stronghold Cargo Balloons create new opportunities for risk-versus-reward gameplay, encouraging teams to defend valuable cargo while remaining vulnerable to attacks from competing Hunters.

New Story Challenges

With update 2.8.1 we are introducing two brand new permanent Story Challenges to the game: ‘The Regiment’s Last Stand’ and ‘Let Us Prey’.

‘The Regiment’s Last Stand’ (Free)

“Otis, if you find this, SEND HELP. Though God knows who could help us now, or would want to.” – Ambrose Hazen

‘The Regiment’s Last Stand’ is a brand new permanent free Story Challenge that focuses on the gruesome events of Road to Hell and narrated by Ambrose Hazen. Among other rewards, this Story Challenge brings some past Hunter models back to the game in the shape of Ambrose Hazen: Enlisted/Officer as well as Otis Blackwell: Warhorse.

‘The Regiment’s Last Stand’ will be available to all players for free starting 2 Jul, 2026 at 08:00 UTC.

Structure Overview

• Permanent
• Chapters: 4
• Rewards: 8
  • Otis Blackwell: Warhorse (Hunter, Avatar)
  • Ambrose Hazen: Officer (Hunter, Avatar)
  • Ambrose Hazen: Enlisted (Hunter)
  • Intrinsic Sin: Precision (Uppercut Precision)
  • Earned Their Stripes (Title)
  • Buckle Up (Charm)

Let Us Prey (Premium)

“Someday, you’ll learn. But that will only happen when I decide it’s time to teach you.” – Marrow Hawk

‘Let Us Prey’ is a brand new permanent premium Story Challenge that focuses on the thrill of the hunt seen through the eyes of a brand new apex predator: Marrow Hawk. This Story Challenge features a dozen cosmetic rewards for you to unlock and enjoy, including the Legendary Hunter ‘Marrow Hawk’ or the gruesome ‘Baneful Snarl’ (Sparks Skin).

‘Let Us Prey’ will be available for purchase in the game at a later point in update 2.8.1.

Structure Overview

• Permanent
• Chapters: 4
• Rewards: 11
  • Marrow Hawk (Hunter, Avatar, Frame)
  • Baneful Snarl (Sparks, Sniper, Silencer)
  • Primal Promise (Throwing Spear)
  • Stag Breaker (Bomb Launcher)
  • Marrow Drinker (Badge)
  • Incisors (Charm)

“Corrupted Cargo” Community Challenge

Backstory

When the 26th Regiment arrived in the bayou, they thought they could make easy work of the Corruption, clean up the area, and return home heroes. Instead, they faced a waking nightmare. Their leaders succumbed to the chaos and madness, becoming twisted versions of themselves, and many were massacred. Now, only a few determined soldiers remain, hopeful they can still make a difference. Using the balloon that once provided their Regiment with supplies, get as many Bounty Tokens out of the area as possible. Earn the goodwill of Desolation’s Delegate—who funded the 26th Regiment’s mission for reasons of his own—by extracting bounties and other loot via balloon. The Delegate will make sure your hard work is rewarded.

The event mainly focuses on extracting cargo with the Stronghold Cargo Balloons, with each activity below giving you points, the quicker the points rack up, the quicker the rewards unlock!

Points system

Every extract and every kill counts toward the collective effort. The points are for the following actions:

• Extract with a Bounty Token via Cargo Balloon – 5 pts
• Extract with a Bounty Token – 2 pts
• Extract with any Cargo Crate – 1 pts

Rewards

The rewards up for grabs are as follows:

• Stage 1: 5,000 Hunt Dollars & 2,000 Event Points
• Stage 2: 5,000 Hunt Dollars, 2,000 Event Points & Recovery Shot Skin (Ceremonial Remedy)
• Stage 3: 5,000 Hunt Dollars, 2,000 Event Points & Player Card Title “The Patron”

The codes for these rewards will be available for a limited amount of time so make sure to keep an eye out on our website page as well as our socials for when the rewards are unlocked for each stage.

Corrupted Cargo is going live today, 2 July, at 16:00 CEST.

Happy Hunting!

Tell us what you think about Chapter 2 in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.

Source: Steam

Hunt: Showdown 1896

Developed by Crytek Frankfurt

Hunt the corrupted in backwaters lost to history. Fight back against a timeless evil that pits you against twisted monsters and other desperate Hunters – solo or in a group – in a high-stakes, tactical, PvPvE, first person shooter. There are no heroes here. Risk everything as Hunt consumes you.

• Genre: Shooter, Simulator
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
• Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
• Release: 2019-08-27
• Publisher: Crytek
• Age Rating: CLASS_IND 18 / ACB MA 15+ / GRAC 15+ / ESRB M / PEGI 18
• IGDB Rating: 74.7/100

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