Back in October, we shared details of upcoming hit validation and trade window improvements that went live with Update 2.2. Since the changes have been allowed to play out in a live environment, we wanted to circle back with an overview of the results and improvements observed so far.
To recap, we adjusted the specific time limit for how long a player can still shoot or land a hit after death from 800 to 75 milliseconds. Our goal was to fine tune the system to create a fairer and more consistent ecosystem for everyone, prioritizing player reaction times over external factors like connection speed.

Now to the results:

Kill Trades VS Total Player Kills:

One of the key metrics we’ve been closely monitoring since rolling out the trade window adjustment is the percentage of kills that qualify as "Trade." A kill trade specifically occurs when two players eliminate each other within a specified window. This definition encompasses a variety of scenarios, from intentional gameplay mechanics like bleeding out or being taken down by a well-timed throwable, to the "bad trades" that have been a source of community concern.

Our data shows a clear and sustained decline in the percentage of kill trades since the update went live. In fact, the figure has effectively been halved compared to pre-update levels. This is a substantial improvement and highlights the tangible impact of the recent changes on gameplay dynamics.
(Please note the large spike on December 12th is due to restricted data during server downtime as Update 2.2 was rolled out)

Hit Invalidations:

We also analyzed the percentage of hit invalidations with our 2.2 adjustments, which refers to the instances where a shot does not register as intended, which can significantly affect combat, outcomes, and player satisfaction. The goal with this change was to prevent hit validation from attacks made by players who were already marked as downed on the server.

As anticipated, we have been able to track a significant rise in the number of invalidated attacks following the update.

To better understand the context behind this, we went on to analyze the root causes of invalidations, both before and after the update. Before changes went live with 2.2, most invalidated hits stemmed from general timeouts. This meant a damage request took too long to reach the server, usually due to connectivity issues between the player and the server.

Following the update, we can see the landscape has changed significantly. The leading cause of invalidations is now projectile launch prevention. This occurs when a shot is rejected at the moment of launch because the shooter was already downed and beyond the 75 millisecond death threshold.

Conclusion:

By addressing community feedback and fine-tuning the mechanics contributing to unfair kill trades, we’ve made measurable progress in creating a more balanced and satisfying experience.
We are always working to refine gameplay in Hunt, and we will continue to share updates and insights as we do. As always, we thank you for your feedback, and happy hunting!