Huntsman Unleashes Free Hardcore Mode and Protect & Serve Combat DLC This October

The eight-legged terror of Huntsman is multiplying. The sci-fi horror game is launching its free Hardcore Mode alongside the combat-focused Protect & Serve DLC on October 26, bringing a fresh wave of genetic nightmares to Steam. According to the official announcement, this dual release aims to completely reshape how players navigate the creepy corridors of Atherton Labs, whether they want to test their survival instincts or finally fight back.

For players who found the original game a bit too cozy, the free update is designed to punish. Meanwhile, the paid expansion shifts the game's formula from pure evasion to tense survival combat, giving horror fans two very different ways to experience the arachnid outbreak.

The details

• Release Date: October 26
• Hardcore Mode: Free update introducing faster enemies, randomized codes, and limited saves.
• Protect & Serve DLC: Paid story expansion featuring combat, a new protagonist, and a handgun.
• Cosmetics: Nature Pack and More Spiders Pack skin bundles (reveals coming soon).

How Hardcore Mode raises the stakes

If you thought tracking one giant mutated spider was stressful, the studio is actively raising the stakes. The free Hardcore Mode adds a second Huntsman spider in multiple locations, meaning you can no longer assume your back is safe while tracking a single threat.

According to the developers, the update also forces players to hunt down physical save discs before they can record their progress, severely limiting your safety nets. To make matters worse, Orb Weaver attack speeds have been increased, and door codes are now randomized on every run, throwing memorized route strategies completely out the window.

A shift to survival combat in Protect & Serve

For those who prefer firepower over hiding in closets, the Protect & Serve DLC picks up shortly after the main game's credits. This time, you step into the boots of a local police officer investigating Atherton Labs after a lone survivor barrels into the station with wild stories of giant arachnids and piles of corpses.

Instead of relying purely on a flashlight, players will get to wield a handgun. The expansion takes place in a previously missed hidden wing of the facility, stashed behind storage crates, where players must complete missions and stand their ground against hungry, genetically altered swarms.

Grab your boots and check the ceiling. Atherton Labs is opening up again, and those dark corners aren't going to clear themselves.