- Starting a new game begins with selecting your reserve: New Laurentia or Kilimaya Reserve.
- PC players enter via Steam Early Access; PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions arrived September 29, 2026.
- Your first session should focus on scouting, wind direction, and binocular work, not shooting.
- The hunting dog is available early and is the best recovery tool for your first harvest.
- Two-player co-op lets you start a new game together from a shared party session.
Way of the Hunter 2 How to Start a New Game: The Basics
Starting a new game in Way of the Hunter 2 is straightforward, but the choices you make in the first hour shape how quickly you settle into the hunting loop. After launching the game on Steam (PC) or on PS5 / Xbox Series X|S, the main menu offers a single-player hunt setup or a multiplayer party. From there, you pick a reserve, get your loadout in order, and head into the field.
| Setup Stage | What Happens | Key Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Main menu | Choose single-player or co-op party | Solo learning curve vs shared hunt |
| Reserve select | Pick New Laurentia or Kilimaya Reserve | Terrain and wildlife focus |
| Loadout | Choose rifle, optics, ammo, and calls | Match weapon to expected game |
| Lodge | Your persistent hub and trophy display | Long-term progression anchor |
| First hunt | Scout, track, shoot, recover | Establishes your hunting habits |
Most new hunters should begin in New Laurentia. Its mixed environments let you practice long-distance glassing from open viewpoints before transitioning into thicker cover, which is the natural difficulty curve the game is built around.
The two current reserves differ meaningfully, so understand both before committing your first session:
New Laurentia
- Mixed open and forested terrain
- Ideal for practicing binocular scouting
- Good balance for first hunts
- Open viewpoints reward patient glassing
Kilimaya Reserve
- Distinct landscape identity
- Requires adjusted route planning
- Rewards landmark-based navigation
- Better after you know the core loop
Step-by-Step: Your First Session
Follow this sequence when you start a new game. It mirrors the core loop the developers designed around finding animals, approaching undetected, shooting cleanly, and recovering the harvest.
Scout Before You Track
Use binoculars and elevated viewpoints such as ridgelines or towers to scan open areas. Look for animals, tracks, feeding zones, and water sources that show where a herd has been active.
Follow Fresh Signs
Once you find tracks, follow them deliberately instead of running toward the herd. The direction and density of signs reveal where animals are moving.
Watch the Wind
Plan your approach so the wind carries your scent away from the animals. Approaching directly upwind means animals detect you long before you see them.
Slow Down Near the Herd
Drop to slower movement near likely animal positions. Use terrain, vegetation, and natural cover to close distance quietly.
Identify and Shoot
Study the herd with optics before firing. Check species, range, and angle, then take a clean vital-area shot from a stable position.
Track and Recover
Watch the animal's escape direction, inspect the impact area for blood, and follow the trail methodically. Deploy the hunting dog when visual signs get hard to read.
The most common new-game mistake is firing at the first animal you see. Scan the whole group first, because a herd often contains a higher-quality trophy just out of view, and a rushed poor-angle shot means a long, difficult recovery.
Beginner Loadout and Equipment Choices
Equipment should match the hunting situation rather than a fixed ranking. Build your starting kit around target size, engagement distance, and terrain.
| Category | Role | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Rifles | Medium- to long-range hunting | Large and medium game at controlled distances |
| Shotguns | Close-range, moving targets | Birds and smaller game |
| Bows | Close-range stealth hunting | Quiet, careful approaches |
| Scopes | Target ID and precise aiming | Medium- and long-range shots |
| Suppressors | Sound reduction | Loadouts minimizing firearm noise |
| Binoculars | Scouting and observation | Locating herds before approach |
| Hunting dog | Tracking and recovery | Blood trails after the shot |
Match ammunition to the animal and weapon you are using. Treating all ammo as interchangeable leads to insufficient penetration and wounded animals you may never recover. The game's realistic ballistics reward correct pairing.
For shot placement, wait for a broad presentation, aim for vital areas, and use the shot-analysis and bullet-camera features to review every shot. Reviewing both good and bad shots is the fastest way to internalize how distance and ammunition affect bullet behavior.
Starting With the Hunting Dog and Co-op
The hunting dog is a persistent companion, not a disposable tool, and setting it up early pays off across your whole save.
Name Your Dog
Choose a name and treat the dog as a permanent part of your hunting setup.
Work It Around Signs
Bring the dog into areas with tracks so it helps narrow down where animals are currently active.
Track Blood After Shots
If an animal runs after being hit, the dog follows the blood trail, greatly reducing lost animals.
Build Bonding and Obedience
Keep hunting together to strengthen the relationship; additional training features are planned through the roadmap.
Starting a co-op game follows a similar path: create a two-player party, choose a reserve together, and coordinate scouting so you do not disturb the same herd from two directions. Keep in mind that co-op hunts are shared sessions, and parts of the experience belong to the session rather than persistent single-player progression. Multiplayer systems continue to expand through the development roadmap.
In co-op, have one player follow tracks while the other watches terrain and shot opportunities. Coordinated pairs locate animals much faster than two hunters working the same ground independently.
Early Goals Checklist
Use this checklist to structure your opening hours in a new game. Completing it establishes good habits and points your progression toward the trophy and lodge systems.
New Game Milestones:
- Complete one full hunt: scout, track, shoot, recover
- Successfully recover a wounded animal with the hunting dog
- Learn the wind indicator and plan one full upwind-free approach
- Review at least three shots with the bullet camera
- Place your first preserved trophy in the Master Lodge
Trophy hunting rewards selective harvesting. Observe herds before shooting, compare animals, and prioritize mature individuals. Future updates add non-typical, superior, and mythical trophy variations, so disciplined early habits will scale into a stronger long-term collection.
FAQ
Q: How do I start a new game in Way of the Hunter 2?
Launch the game on Steam, PS5, or Xbox Series X|S, choose single-player or a co-op party from the main menu, select your reserve (New Laurentia or Kilimaya Reserve), set up your loadout, and enter the field. Your lodge serves as the persistent hub for the save.
Q: Which reserve should a new hunter choose first?
New Laurentia is generally the better starting point because its mix of open viewpoints and thicker cover supports a natural learning curve. Kilimaya Reserve rewards landmark-based navigation and suits players who already know the core hunting loop.
Q: Is Way of the Hunter 2 multiplayer available when starting a new game?
Yes. The game supports two-player cooperative hunting. Form a party, select a reserve together, and hunt in a shared session. Note the distinction between session activity and progression that persists outside the co-op hunt.
Q: When do I get the hunting dog?
The hunting dog is part of your field toolkit early in the game. Name it, use it around animal signs to discover active life zones, and rely on it to follow blood trails after a shot. Bonding, obedience, and advanced training deepen over time.