Get your winter gear ready, hunters! Expansive Worlds and Avalanche Studios Group have launched a stunning new hunting ground for theHunter: Call of the Wild.
The Alberta Preserve Map is now available, inviting players to brave the bitterly cold but beautiful Canadian wilderness, tracking new species and undertaking fresh missions on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Explore the Frigid Canadian Wilderness
Priced at £9.99, the Alberta Preserve (also known as Askiy Ridge) is a vast new open-world map teeming with life, if you know where to look. The environment itself presents new challenges and features:
- Diverse Biomes: Your hunt can start at altitude in the dense boreal forests before descending into rugged foothills and, eventually, the frost-swept grasslands, which offer contrasting sightlines perfect for spotting wildlife.
- The Beaver is Active: The industrious North American beaver makes its debut! Keep an ear out for the sound of falling trees, a sure sign that this new species is active nearby, adding a new dynamic element to the environment.
- Deep Snow Tracks: The snow-covered landscape reveals detailed tracks of your prey. However, this feature is platform-dependent and you’ll find that on Xbox Series X|S & PlayStation 5 the deep snow tracks are always on. If you should play on Xbox One & PlayStation 4 though, those snow tracks are always off.
New Species to Track and a New Rifle to Wield
This new preserve introduces a wealth of new hunting opportunities.
- A Diverse Ecosystem – A total of 19 species, many adapted to survive in sub-zero conditions, now roam the Albertan landscape. Keep an eye out for hardy species like the Manitoban elk and, for the truly dedicated and lucky hunters, the majestic Great One mule deer. You’ll also track snow geese, dusky grouse, whitetail deer, gray wolves, and wood bison, among others.
- The Laperriere Outrider .30-30 – To help you on your hunt, a new firearm has been added to the arsenal. The Laperriere Outrider .30-30 is a reliable lever-action rifle featuring a side-loading and side-ejecting design. Perfectly suited for small to medium game, it’s a versatile choice compatible with a wide range of rifle scopes for hunting at any time of day or night.
A Journey into Albertan Culture
The Alberta Preserve is not just a new landscape; it’s steeped in culture. Home to the First Nations, the expansion includes 13 location-exclusive missions. These tasks will see you helping the local warden and experts maintain the preserve, embark on challenges designed to test even the most skilled hunters, and even follow the trail of the secretive Sasquatch.
The experience is complemented by an epic new soundtrack inspired by the wilderness and native cultures of Alberta.
Returning to the Hunt
theHunter: Call of the Wild has captivated players for years with its stunning vistas and methodical, rewarding gameplay. In our 4/5 review from back in 2017, we stated: “theHunter:Call of the Wild is a simulator I enjoyed far more than I anticipated… It was extremely refreshing to play a game that played at the pace I wanted it to and not have to worry about convoluted story lines. Yes, it may get a tad repetitive after a while, but it looks stunning, plays beautifully and I look forward to heading back to the hunt some more.“
This new Alberta Preserve expansion doubles down on those core strengths, offering another beautiful and immersive world for players to explore at their own pace.
If you’re ready to brave the snow and track some of North America’s most iconic wildlife, the Alberta Preserve Map DLC for theHunter: Call of the Wild is available on digital stores now. Your Xbox Store link is right here.
DLC Description
It may be bitterly cold, but the frigid landscape of Alberta, Canada, is teeming with life – if you know where to look. Discover and track 19 species through the snow, tackle 13 engaging missions, and explore from the pine-covered peaks down to the frost-swept grasslands to find the perfect hunting spot – but watch out for falling trees, a sign that the preserve’s most industrious inhabitant is active!
