This gaudy Ghost Face cosmetic isn't exactly helping Hunt: Showdown 1896 players escape the feeling of corporate crossover creep

Ghost Face, a crossover costume, from Hunt: Showdown, stands awkwardly with a knife drawn among burning woodlands wearing a silly Halloween face mask.

Hunt: Showdown 1896's been going through it in recent months. Despite releasing a great new map in August and maintaining a pretty healthy playerbase on Steam, its UI update—criticised for its bad controls, confusing layouts, and prominent store tab—saw its score tanked to the tune of 10,000 negative reviews back in August.

Some complaints centred around the idea that Hunt: Showdown 1896 is getting all grotty and live service with its interface, with more visible microtransactions messing with the Wild West shooter's vibes. It's a trend I'm not all that surprised by (maintaining a live service game is famously hard) but leaves a second-hand distaste in my mouth (playing a live service game is famously annoying).