Way of the Hunter 2 vs Call of the Wild (and vs WotH 1)
“Way of the Hunter 2 vs Call of the Wild” is one of the biggest comparison searches for the game, and most Reddit threads in launch week were people deciding whether to switch. Here is what can be checked, and what players said.
Way of the Hunter 2 vs theHunter: Call of the Wild
| Way of the Hunter 2 | theHunter: Call of the Wild | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Nine Rocks Games (THQ Nordic) | Expansive Worlds |
| Released | 2026 (1.0 on Sep 29) | 2017 |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5.7 | Apex engine |
| Maps at launch | 2 reserves (100 km² each) + 16 km² hub | Many reserves via years of DLC |
| Species at launch | 28 | Far more across all reserves |
| Co-op | 2 players, online | Online lobbies for more than two players |
| Dog | Foxhound tracking companion, in the base game | Added through paid DLC |
| Trophies | Procedurally generated antlers; herd fitness system | Fixed ratings and rare variants |
| Base price | $39.99 | Lower base price, many paid DLC |
Rows about Call of the Wild describe it in general terms; it has been updated for years, so its map and species count keep changing.
What switching players said
From the r/WayOfTheHunter thread “WOTH2 is it worth it so far?”, started by a long-time COTW player:
- Several players called COTW “more arcade-like” and faster paced, and WotH2 slower and more about stalking.
- One summed it up as COTW being “fast and all about the kills” while WotH has the “fitness/population evolution mechanic”.
- Others said WotH2 looks much better and presents shots and kills better, but still has bugs and floaty gun handling.
- A few long-time players recommended staying on COTW or WotH 1 until patches land.
Way of the Hunter 2 vs Way of the Hunter 1
| Way of the Hunter 2 | Way of the Hunter (2022) | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 (Nanite, Lumen) | Older engine |
| Trophies | Procedurally generated | Mostly preset variations (studio FAQ) |
| Tracks | Created dynamically between active need zones | Fixed paths |
| Dog | Yes, Foxhound | No |
| New gear types | Thermal optics, suppressors, shooting stick, shotgun choke | — |
| Ammo switching | Yes since 0.5.0, “mechanically similar” to WotH 1 | Yes |
| Mods | Not planned | — |
Loyalty perks: owning WotH 1 on the same platform gives 13% off WotH2, and WotH 1 base game owners get the Night Hunting Pack free in WotH2.
Bottom line
If you want lots of maps and a busy multiplayer scene now, the older game has years of content. If you want slow stalking, ecosystem management and a modern engine, and you can live with launch bugs, WotH2 is built for that. The worth-it page has the review numbers.
Sources: Nine Rocks 1.0 FAQ (engine, trophies, tracks, ammo, loyalty), Steam store, r/WayOfTheHunter launch-week threads, checked October 4, 2026.
Noted. That helps decide which page gets updated first.