Experience Desert Hunting in Rancho del Arroyo, the New Reserve for theHunter: Call of the Wild

Today, we’re excited to welcome Xbox fans to Rancho del Arroyo, the all-new desert reserve for the immersive hunting game theHunter: Call of the Wild. This addition to the game brings new animal species to hunt, biomes and landmarks to explore, a thrilling century-old family mystery to unravel, and more.

But first, let’s take a closer look at the reserve. Rancho del Arroyo is inspired by the sprawling Sonoran Desert of Northern Mexico, one of the most biodiverse deserts in the world and home to a myriad of unique animal species and ecosystems. Just as our other reserves, the open world of Rancho del Arroyo stretches across a massive 25 square miles (64 square kilometers), giving players the opportunity to explore and hunt in and around a wide variety of vibrant environments such as desert scrub, dry grasslands, lush mountainous forests and high-altitude lakes. There are also many gorgeous sights and landmarks to discover, so don’t be afraid of going off the beaten track!

But barren beauty aside, it’s high time for a tour of the animal species that roam in the desert. In Rancho del Arroyo, we’ve added nine unique species of animals to the roster – five of which are brand new to the game. For the first time, players will come eye to eye with the elusive Mexican Bobcat. This discrete predator, known for its sharp hearing and vision and distinctive black stripes of fur, is mostly active during night and will provide a tough challenge for even veteran hunters.

We’re also glad to finally introduce the Ring-Necked Pheasant, alongside an exciting new animal behavior called ‘flushing’. By pushing a group of Pheasants into the open, players can now strategically move them out of their hiding spots and cause them to fly away (‘flush’), opening up for an eventful new way of hunting. Of course, there are also plenty of other animal species for players to hunt in Rancho del Arroyo, including Antelope Jackrabbit, Rio Grande Turkey and Collared Peccary. Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Coyote and Bighorn Sheep also make a welcomed return.

Lastly, when you’re done exploring for the day and want to tweak your loadout, make sure to give the powerful new Couso Model 1897 16-gauge pump-action shotgun a try. Accessible via one of the reserve’s Caches, and available in three distinct variations, this sturdy piece of metal makes for great close-range hunting as it can fire multiple shots in quick succession and carry up to five shells in its tubular magazine.

If you can rise to the challenge, Rancho del Arroyo is ready for you. Available now on Xbox One.