Way of the Hunter 2 Trophies, Taxidermy & Lodge Guide
Star ratings
Every animal shows a trophy rating from 1 to 5 stars, and since Update 1 your binoculars show the stars when you analyse an animal. Ratings rise as animals age and match their fitness; several Early Access patches fixed ratings that did not (Dall sheep too low, boar not matching fitness, stars fluctuating with age). Update 2 raised starting fitness for all species on new saves so fewer animals spawn as 1-star.
The claim screen after a kill shows the trophy score, the organs you hit, the ammo used and, for shotguns, the pellet spread.
Procedural antlers
In the first game trophies were mostly preset variations. In Way of the Hunter 2 they are procedurally generated by a genetic system, with asymmetry and variation in size and shape. Update 2 added antler colour variations on every map. A dev diary in April 2026 walks through how it works.
Non-typical, superior and mythical trophies
- Non-typical trophies: the most requested feature, not in 1.0. Mule deer get them first; other species follow.
- Superior and mythical trophies: announced as coming on top of non-typicals.
- A reworked hunt rating system is also planned, measuring hunts beyond trophy size.
Taxidermy and dioramas
When you harvest you can choose to taxidermy the animal. You can mount trophies on walls (added in Update 1) or put them on floor stands and dioramas that hold several animals. Installing a display costs money. Missions use this: “For the Hunt” puts your first mule deer in a diorama with a mid-sized herbivore, and “Iconic pairing” asks for a grizzly and a wood bison together.
Since 1.0, animals you taxidermy in co-op can be used for taxidermy in single-player.
The Hearth & Hunt Headquarters
Each reserve has its own lodge, but Update 0.4.0 added a master lodge on its own 16 km² Rocky Mountain map. You upgrade it room by room and display your best trophies from every reserve there. Elijah, who lives there, explains upgrades, displays and the shooting range (the studio plans to let you try weapons you don’t own there). The store page describes an elderly Irish carpenter who builds your expansions while talking about mushrooms and local folklore.
On Xbox Series S, the 1.0 known issues list warns that the game can crash in memory-heavy spots such as near a lodge with heavily populated dioramas.
Statues from DLC
| Item | Where it appears | From |
|---|---|---|
| Deer statue | New Laurentia | Season Pass |
| Dog statue and ibex statue | Hearth & Hunt Headquarters | Season Pass |
| Kudu statue | Kilimaya Reserve | Season Pass |
| Bronze elk statue | Lodge | Heirloom Pack (not part of the Season Pass) |
| Animal statues | Lodges | Lodge Decoration DLC ($1.99) |
The official FAQ uses the Season Pass statues as the way to check that your pass is working. More on editions and DLC.
Sources: Nine Rocks 1.0 FAQ, trophy dev diary (Apr 24, 2026), Update 1/2/0.4.0/0.4.1/1.0 notes, Steam store and DLC pages, checked October 4, 2026.
Noted. That helps decide which page gets updated first.