Every animal in Way of the Hunter 2 v1.0: 15 species in New Laurentia and 13 in Kilimaya Reserve, plus the 2 species still under wraps.
Way of the Hunter 2 Animals: All 28 Species by Map (2 Unrevealed)
Way of the Hunter 2 ships 28 huntable species at version 1.0, and that split is the developer's own: 15 species in New Laurentia (North America) and 13 in Kilimaya Reserve (Africa). Two more are being held back on purpose for the regular post-launch updates. As of v1.0, checked on October 3, 2026, nothing has been added since launch day on September 29 — Update 1.1 shipped fixes and a weather system, not animals.
GOG's own launch post for Way of the Hunter 2 still carries the feature checklist written for Way of the Hunter: Wild Expeditions — "57 different animal species" and "39 different animals across 11 HUGE maps." That describes the original game and its DLC-packed re-release, whose Steam page still advertises two regions of 144 sq km each. Way of the Hunter 2 has three maps and 28 species.
Official source: Way of the Hunter 2: FAQ — "Version 1.0 ships with 28 species across Laurentia and the Kilimaya Reserve."
The 28 animals at a glance
| Reserve | Species count | Map size | How the roster was built |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Laurentia | 15 | 100 km² (38 sq mi) | 13 at Early Access launch, 2 in Update 0.3.0 |
| Kilimaya Reserve | 13 | 100 km² (38 sq mi) | 12 in Update 0.2.0, 1 in Update 0.3.0 |
| Hearth & Hunt Headquarters | Not itemised in the 1.0 roster | 16 km² (6 sq mi) | FAQ cites "additional hunting opportunities of its own" |
| Unrevealed | 2 | — | "Planned in the regular post-launch updates" |
Sizes and structure: maps and reserves.
New Laurentia animals: all 15 North American species
These are the 13 species present on March 26, 2026, plus two added in Update 0.3.0. Names follow the FAQ's spelling.
| # | Species | First available | Notes from official sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American wolverine | Early Access launch | — |
| 2 | Grizzly bear | Early Access launch | Damaged skull no longer cuts a female's trophy score (0.2.0) |
| 3 | Dall sheep | Early Access launch | Male trophy score corrected downward (0.2.0) |
| 4 | Eastern wild turkey | Early Access launch | Behaviour was an EA focus after duck work in 0.4.0 |
| 5 | Northwestern grey wolf | Early Access launch | Written "gray wolf" in the March 2026 EA FAQ |
| 6 | Mallard | Early Access launch | Territories respawn denser, living zones closer together (0.3.0) |
| 7 | Western moose | Early Access launch | Central to the New Laurentia moose-behaviour story |
| 8 | White-tailed ptarmigan | Early Access launch | — |
| 9 | Rocky Mountain elk | Early Access launch | — |
| 10 | Rocky Mountain mule deer | Early Access launch | Non-typical racks: the first species getting them |
| 11 | Snowshoe hare | Early Access launch | — |
| 12 | Northern white-tailed deer | Early Access launch | — |
| 13 | Wood bison | Early Access launch | Footstep, snorting and eating sounds added in 0.2.0 |
| 14 | Rocky Mountain pronghorn | Update 0.3.0 (v199567) | Primos Big Bucks Rattling Bag also calls it |
| 15 | Central European wild boar | Update 0.3.0 (v199567) | — |
Habitat-by-habitat advice: the New Laurentia guide.
Kilimaya Reserve animals: all 13 African species
Twelve arrived with the map itself in Update 0.2.0 (v195528, May 2026), with Latin names published by THQ Nordic. The warthog was the last one added.
| # | Species | Scientific name | Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greater kudu | Tragelaphus strepsiceros strepsiceros | Update 0.2.0 |
| 2 | Blue wildebeest | Connochaetes taurinus taurinus | Update 0.2.0 |
| 3 | Nile crocodile | Crocodylus niloticus | Update 0.2.0 |
| 4 | Spotted hyena | Crocuta crocuta | Update 0.2.0 |
| 5 | Blesbok | Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi | Update 0.2.0 |
| 6 | Cape mountain zebra | Equus zebra zebra | Update 0.2.0 |
| 7 | Common hippopotamus | Hippopotamus amphibius amphibius | Update 0.2.0 |
| 8 | Cape honey badger | Mellivora capensis capensis | Update 0.2.0 |
| 9 | Southern lion | Panthera leo melanochaita | Update 0.2.0 |
| 10 | South African ostrich | Struthio camelus australis | Update 0.2.0 |
| 11 | Cape buffalo | Syncerus caffer caffer | Update 0.2.0 |
| 12 | Southern yellow-billed duck | Anas undulata undulata | Update 0.2.0 |
| 13 | Southern common warthog | — | Update 0.3.0 (v199567, June 24, 2026) |
Two naming traps. The 1.0 FAQ calls species 11 "Cape buffalo"; the patch notes say "Cape African buffalo" — same animal. And the Nile crocodile shipped in the encyclopedia as the "Ethiopian crocodile", a label promised to be corrected. See the Kilimaya guide.
The two species still under wraps
The roster is not finished. From the same FAQ: "The remaining two species stay under wraps for now, but are planned in the regular post-launch updates. As Jozef, our marketing manager, put it on our recent dev stream, even his mom never spoiled the Christmas presents before the holidays."
Nobody has named them. The likeliest home is the eight-DLC Season One pass, whose contents have not been revealed — inference, not a confirmed plan.
How the roster went from 13 to 28
Every animal arrived through a dated, numbered update, not a fan wiki estimate.
| Date | Update | Species added | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2026 | Early Access launch | 13, all in New Laurentia | 13 |
| May 2026 | Update 0.2.0 (v195528) | 12, all in the new Kilimaya Reserve | 25 |
| June 24, 2026 | Update 0.3.0 (v199567) | 2 in New Laurentia, 1 in Kilimaya | 28 |
| September 29, 2026 | Version 1.0 launch | None — 28 shipped as-is | 28 |
| October 1, 2026 | Update 1.1 (v212672) | None | 28 |
Update 0.2.0 carries the month only: Nine Rocks dates its post May 26, THQ Nordic's patch notes page and press release both say May 27.
The March 2026 FAQ said 13 species were available at Early Access launch with "around 30 species planned across all maps by the full release." Two of those are the unrevealed pair. Sources: Early Access FAQ, Update 0.3.0 notes.
Which of these animals can charge you
Only three species have charge behaviour at 1.0, and all three are African. Charging arrived in Update 0.2.0 and will expand, with random attacks planned.
| Species | Reserve | Behaviour at 1.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Southern lion | Kilimaya | Charges the player |
| Common hippopotamus | Kilimaya | Charges the player |
| Cape buffalo | Kilimaya | Charges the player |
| The other 25 species | Both | No charge behaviour implemented |
That is why loadout and stand position should change completely between the two reserves.
What is official and what is not
Community lists are stale by six months.
| Claim | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 28 species at 1.0, split 15 / 13 | Official | Nine Rocks FAQ |
| 2 more species coming, unnamed | Official | Nine Rocks FAQ |
| 3 species can charge you | Official | FAQ and Update 0.2.0 notes |
| ~30 species planned for full release | Official, retrospective | March 2026 EA FAQ |
| Which map the 2 unrevealed species land on | Not stated | — |
| Trophy size, weight or antler measurements per species | Not published | — |
| Hand-built player species lists on Reddit | Community, pre-1.0 | Several stop at 13 |
Threads asking "what is the full species list" were answered from memory during Early Access and stopped at 13 — the New Laurentia roster only, already stale by June 2026. Treat any list without Kilimaya animals as pre-June.
Tracking and signs
Tracks are not on rails: they are dynamically created between need zones, and spooked animals generate temporary tracks as they move. Version 1.0 added a high-contrast setting for signs and tracks. Reading either is covered in the hunting tips guide.
FAQ
How many animals are in Way of the Hunter 2? 28 at version 1.0 — 15 in New Laurentia, 13 in Kilimaya Reserve — plus 2 more, unnamed.
Are there more animals coming? Yes — the remaining two are planned for regular post-launch updates. The Season One pass covers eight DLCs across the first year, contents not revealed.
Is the grizzly bear the only dangerous animal in New Laurentia? It is the one people worry about, but no New Laurentia species has charge behaviour at 1.0. The only three charging species — Southern lion, Common hippopotamus and Cape buffalo — are all in Kilimaya.
Why do some lists say 13 animals? Those are Early Access-era community lists from March to May 2026. New Laurentia alone had 13 at launch; Africa arrived in May with 12 more.
Does Hearth & Hunt Headquarters have its own animals? The 1.0 FAQ does not itemise a species list for it, only a lodge for trophies plus "additional hunting opportunities of its own."
Were any animals added in Update 1.1? No. Update 1.1 (v212672, October 1, 2026) added the long-term weather forecast and inverted look options, and fixed bugs. The roster was unchanged.
Related
More Way of the Hunter 2 Guides
Way of the Hunter 2 known issues after launch: the demo config fix for broken resolution settings, plus how to report a bug.
All 3 Way of the Hunter 2 maps with exact sizes: New Laurentia and Kilimaya at 100 km2 each, Hearth & Hunt at 16 km2. What each holds.
How to play co-op in Way of the Hunter 2: how to invite a friend, open a lobby, join a session, and the 2-player limit that trips people up at launch.
New Laurentia in Way of the Hunter 2: the 100 km2 North America map, its 15 species, elk and moose behaviour, need zones, tracks and hunting pressure.
Way of the Hunter 2 update 1.1 summary: weather forecast, inverted look, controller deadzone fixes, what is still broken, and how to report bugs.
Way of the Hunter 2 costs $39.99 or $59.99 deluxe. What the 8-DLC Season Pass adds, what Heirloom Pack includes, and how game 1 owners save.
Way of the Hunter 2 Season Pass: 8 DLCs in year one, $34.99, release window, what is inside right now, and the three statues that prove it worked.
Way of the Hunter 2 on Steam Deck: the developer says it is not officially supported. What happens when you try, and whether it is worth it.