Illfonic has just released Patch 2.11 for Predator: Hunting Grounds which features general fixes, sees the Predator’s armour increased, a new Predator perk and the Viking Predator’s Battle Axe now unlockable for everyone at level 85.
The new patch also gives the Fireteam a brand new class, the OWLF Operative, for free, along with the new weapons Plasma Rifle Prototype, a Proximity Detector Launcher and a new gear, the EMP Mine!
The OWLF has opened up their R&D department to give you new toys. All players can now enjoy a new OWLF class unlocked at level 40 and multiple weapons as part of the free update. All players will also now be able to unlock the Battle Axe at level 85 which came with our Viking Predator update in October.
We are adding a new OWLF Operative class, built with one job in mind, to take down the Predator in combat. Equipped with a thermal suit, the soldier’s infrared signature will be difficult for all to track. This power player will not need to mud up much, if at all.
New weapons include:
- Proximity Detector Launcher – PDL (Level 43 Unlock): Using modified Predator technology, the OWLF retrofit a grenade launcher to fire proximity sensing mines. This new tool allows them to turn the tables on a Predator and become the hunter.
- Electromagnetic Pulse – EMP Mine (Level 80 Unlock): The OWLF whipped up this modified – EMP mine to interact with Predator tech. When triggered, it will knock out a Predator’s cloak and send their whole system into overload.
- Plasma Rifle (Level 135 Unlock): Fresh out of the OWLF’s R&D department, this projectile-based weapon fires a concentrated, explosive, plasma-energy round at a high velocity. Fully automatic, energy-based, with a venting process to reload the plasma shots.
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In addition to the new free swag, the Holiday paid DLC is also now available which features a new character, Dante “Beast Mode” Jefferson, who is voiced by and modelled on American footballer Marshawn Lynch.
Recruited into a special ops group early in his military career, Dante “Beast Mode” Jefferson earned a reputation for ruthless ferocity in combat. Using his signature explosive weaponry, Dante led his team through multiple missions worldwide with incomparable success. During one covert mission in the jungles of Thailand, his team was hunted by a Predator. He watched as his team was dragged off one by one and slaughtered. Dante was forced to hunt the killer on his own, and with a well-placed B34S-T rocket, managed to destroy the Predator, leaving no trace. After calling for an exfil, Dante was picked up and flown to an undisclosed location, finding himself face to face with Dutch, who had an offer: join his team…
So, he did.
The Beast Mode DLC also comes with early access to the B34S-T, Predator: Hunting Ground’s first rocket launcher. It will be available as an unlockable for everyone else when the next update drops in February.
The full patch notes can be found below.
General
- Fixed an issue where CrossPlay Linked Accounts that were searching for coming out of a Quickplay match would sometimes become stuck in the “Connecting” state
- Fixed an issue where match can become desynced when host pauses during cinematic
- Fixed an issue where the AI would sometimes have their full head covering display incorrectly
- Fixed a crash that would sometimes occur when using the Field Syrette and another item in a specific way
Clash
- Fixed an issue where the Predator selection countdown would sometimes display an incorrect timer
Fireteam
- General
- Fixed an issue where the Fireteam weapons and perks may sometimes reset after round cycling
- Fixed an issue where the minimap icons would sometimes appear to be inconsistent between teammates
- Fixed an issue where firing an impact grenade from the Hammerhead would cause the ammo functionality to change when playing as the support class
- Gear
- Grenade
- Fixed an issue where the grenade projectile would not deal direct damage
- Fixed an issue where the animation would not play correctly when throwing a grenade while crouched
- Weapons
- General
- Significantly increased max range of all shotguns
- CS-12
- Increased damage of close ranged shots
- Increased ammo pickups
- Significantly increased max ammo
- XDB-12
- Reduced damage
- Hammerhead
- Reduced magazine size for grenade launcher attachment
- Mercenary (‘87)
- Reduced magazine size for grenade launcher attachment
- Grimtech 19
- Increased damage
- Increased ammo pickups
- 1011-12
- Increased ammo pickups
- D34-D
- Increased damage
- Reduced splash damage range
- Reduced ammo pickups
Predator
- General
- Increased armor of all Predators
- Fixed an issue where the “Want some candy?” VO could be heard from anywhere on the map
- Fixed an issue where the dead boar icons were smaller than intended on the minimap
- Fixed an issue where the Predator was not holding weapons correctly in the loadout screen
- Perks
- [NEW] Ironside (Level 80)
- Take reduced damage from behind while moving, healing, claiming, or performing a stealth kill
- Dithered Lens
- Increased cost from 2 to 5
- Modified Reserves
- Significantly increased energy regeneration gained from Modified Reserves
- Impenetrable Resistance
- Significantly increased the amount of damage resistance gained from Impenetrable Resistance
- Increased cost from 5 to 6
- Gear
- Audio Decoy
- Added Predator healing sounds
- Added Predator eating sounds
- Removed Predator pouncing sounds
- Weapons
- Plasma Caster
- Reduced energy cost of fully charged Plasma Caster shots
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Predators aren't supposed to have Facebook - it's not in hunter's way !
There is another post out there that shows the class being completely invisible when crouching with
AmphibiousSpotter. Can't even see the FT member when not paying attention.There is another map that will be coming in 2021 (Airstrip is the name) but I agree - more maps are needed and having just a single map on the 'short term' release roadmap is not very encouraging.
OWLF has the same health as Recon.
The rocket launcher isn't viable when not using the specialization 'Unleashed'. Damage is pretty minor when not scoring a direct hit.
The plasma rifle isn't bad but not great, either. Be careful shooting that close range, though - it takes ~15% of your health away when shooting in close combat with the Pred.
Here is a link to what it looks like with Spotter perk while crouched. I had stated incorrectly that it was Amphibious perk.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/703366634546528397/786683120136355890/image0.png
A player posted this helpful nugget in one of the game's Facebook Groups.
Top, then left to right.
1. Nothing.
2. Mud
3. Ice Cold Perk.
4. Ice Cold Perk and Mud.
https://i.ibb.co/M13TTxq/Screenshot-20201209-160615-Facebook.png
It's the OWLF guy that has low health. I've not unlocked the DLC guy.
Plasma rifle feels good to use, just not digging the fact that the weapon is the second weakest rifle out there when its supposed to be a high tech plasma rifle. With the addition of slow reloading times, the weapon almost makes it not worth using. Bad logistics going about here. I know someone can throw in a perk but I already do with Yautja bane and its still weakish. Needs a bit more buff, just one on par like the AK or somethin. I do love how it melts Stargazer people like nothing.
Yeah I played a few matches with him last night and that's totally what it is. Only 2 bars of health and can get knocked down fairly easily.
I'd like to know what his thermal signature looks like from the Predator's point of view, as the description is a little inconsistent with it's "he might not need to ever mud up" wording. Can he be seen or not? Gonna have to play some Predator matches and hopefully find out.
Yeah honestly with how long it took them to come out with this one new map (which as you say, often doesn't even show up) I'm not expecting one in the February update. I'd happily be proven wrong, but I'm not getting my hopes up in that regard.
Yeah I really like the new rifle. The cooling reload is a nice change from the usual reloading.
The EMP mine seems like it has a really small radius to activate. I threw one on a rooftop early in a match, died later and watched the last player fighting the Predator on that same rooftop, really close to where I could still see my mine, and it never went off.
It feels like something that might be best to throw in doorways you know the Predator will have to run through in order to set it off because yeah, I've not had much luck with it either.
The Fortnite player base is in the millions. And also not all of them are adolescent children. This is a brilliant move, if true.
I was under 10 when I was exposed to Predator. I'm now 34 and a lifelong fan who has purchased theater tickets, collectables and other merch for the past 20 years and going. They want to create more me's, I'm sure.
It's funny, I played only three matches last night and one of them as Lynch and the other players didn't mud up at first but were eyeing me up and down at the infil point. It's a good model, but Oy, his line delivery? The man needs acting lessons.
The rocket launcher? I have to test it more so the jury is still out with that one.
Playing as one of the OWLF commandos was fun. And hot damn is that plasma rifle a blast to use. It just feels good using it.
That EMP mine I have to figure out however. I guess the Predator has to step on it? I need more time to figure it all out.
Yeah that Excavation map needed to be in heavy rotation 75% of the time at least for that first month of release. There were a couple hours I played the week it launched and never landed on it once! Frustratingly I kept saying to myself, this is not rocket science Illfonic! What are you doing?
Yeah, the announcement might be made tomorrow it seems!
That's good exposure. We should want that.
I'm beyond disapointed with this shit. Nice to see some buffs to the Predator though.
He seems clearly better than some other classes.
I mean, aside from my initial WTF reaction to it, I'm not overly fussed. Would have been nice for some lore tapes to build up a character, but the dude's not an actor so... *shrugs*...I dunno man. It just seems like a promo stunt, and if it works, yay for them. I understand he's a pretty big gamer and if he can draw the attention, why not.
I haven't had the chance to play, but from what I remember looking at yesterday, he had pretty low health? Not quite as low as the scout, but 2 bars maybe?
And that's if we even see one. And if we don't, I will just be so disappointed. I said when the game came out that 3 maps wasn't enough. And when I do play I don't see that new map that often. It needs a good drop of maps. So badly.
That sounds really stupid. It'd SUCK If they did something like that
Cool for people who know and like him I guess, but not exactly something that's going to get me to shell out for him.
The new OWLF character sounds cool though. I'm interested to see what sort of balancing they've done with him to counter him needing to never, or almost never, mud up. Maybe his health sucks or he moves really slowly? And some new weapons and gear, too! That's certainly more than I was expecting for this update, to be honest. Looking forward to trying out that plasma rifle.
But yeah like Hicks said, they seriously need more maps. It's been one of the biggest flaws of the game since launch. Ultimately they can add as many new characters as they like, but unless they give us more maps it's still just going to feel like we're doing exactly the same things we've been doing a million times already; because we are.
Even the new map they put out the other month had some of the shine taken off of it by reusing so many mission objectives from other maps and only having a few that were unique to that one. It's just a shame it looks like it's going to be February at the earliest before we might see another one.
For returning users it needs about x4 new maps all at once, minimum
I appreciate resources and internal support is probably lessening, but the game cost £35 at launch. I know we're in a pandemic but I don't think the product is good enough... I'd pay for a map pack. Just give us some variety and use the assets the franchise can offer.
Rocket Launcher was a meme until the mad lads at Illfonic actually brought it in. New grenade launcher that shoots proxy emp mines, can you imagine rigging trees with this thing or pig spawn points? And THAT PLASMA RIFLE!!!! Its sound is even like that of the Terminator plasma rifles..........TERMINATOR BUILD BABY LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Preds are on suicide watch now.
I'm just glad we got two new Fireteam characters that isn't Dutch!
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On the lore side of things, the plasma rifle is now officially part of the Predator/AVP lore so how is this going to affect stories in the future now? Why even use a Pulse Rifle anymore when you had this bad boy available since 2025? At this point, it feels like the events of Alien and Aliens will be altered in the AVP Universe with all this new tech we never seen before.
I like OWLF agent but you really need to pay attention because Predator can just drop in and wreck FT. Buffs made to Predator can also make him a freaking tank so Fireteam needs to be way more attentive if they got someone on the move. The katana is brutal if you're not paying attention.
I think overall they made the right call here with the balance changes. Out of the community right now it seems the issue is more that people don't know who Lynch is while expecting a Predator. The OWLF agent did show up though so that's a plus as well as both characters being fairly solid. So the bigger issue aside from maps is the lack of more movie characters. I suspect movie FT might just be due to getting likeness though I have no idea how they got a football player and Arnold twice.
Agreed!
But Mashawn Lynch? It may be worse if you are very familiar with him. At least it is for me. He's become a real character in sports. So they took his "Beast Mode" American Football play nickname and made a character around it?
Maybe they'll add a Skittles perk.
So much agreement with the maps though.
After Dutch 87 I would think any character, dead or alive, should be game.
Definitely need a new map. The Jungle while awesome, has become quite stale. And I've only been playing in a month. Can't imagine what other longer term players are feeling.
At least flip it up a bit, and give us an alien jungle Planet. Give us Yautja Prime or something, even.
I hear ya. I would say it was because those characters are dead, but they brought back Jungle and City Hunter skins, and an de-aged Dutch.
Btw, I really like your signature. lol Gives me life everytime I see it.
https://media.tenor.com/images/a8c4fd7cd865592d7855c7469f771ac4/tenor.gif
I'm really pleased to see the new OWLF class and weapons (wtf to Beast Mode though