Way Of The Hunter 2 Africa — Kilimaya Reserve Guide

Africa arrived in Way of the Hunter 2 as the Kilimaya Reserve, the game's second map and a deliberate change of climate from the North American New Laurentia. THQ Nordic announced it on May 27, 2026 as part of Early Access Update 2, describing a 100 km2 (40 square mile) reserve built on contrast: highlands, forests, grasslands, wetlands, shrublands, and sun-scorched barren terrain packed into one environment. The same update added twelve new species, new gear, and a cast of new characters, making it the biggest content drop of the Early Access period. If you came to the game for African big game, this is the map, and this page collects what is officially documented about it.

What the Africa Map Adds

The headline additions are the terrain variety and the twelve-species roster. THQ Nordic frames Kilimaya as built on contrast, which matters for hunting because a single reserve can hold dense forest cover and open glassing country a short walk apart. Update 2 also introduced anatomically accurate animal models, so males and females reflect true biological differences in appearance, a layer of authenticity the studio says hunters will notice. Alongside the wildlife, the update shipped additional gear and a cast of new characters, each with their own stories, so Kilimaya is a full progression surface rather than a reskin. A dedicated Africa trailer was published with the announcement.

Kilimaya Reserve Species List

The twelve species below are listed in the THQ Nordic announcement for the Africa update.

Species	Notes
Greater kudu	African antelope
Blue wildebeest	Plains grazer
Nile crocodile	Water-based danger species
Spotted hyena	Predator
Blesbok	African antelope
Cape mountain zebra	Highlands species
Common hippopotamus	Water-based danger species
Cape honey badger	Small but formidable
Southern lion	Apex predator
South African ostrich	Large flightless bird
Cape African buffalo	Big game
Southern yellow-billed duck	Waterfowl species

• Predators are present. Lion, spotted hyena, and crocodile change how you move through open ground and water edges.
• Water species matter. Hippopotamus and crocodile make wetlands a different risk profile than New Laurentia's lakes and rivers.
• Bird hunting continues. The southern yellow-billed duck extends the waterfowl side of the game.
• Big game is represented. Cape African buffalo and greater kudu anchor the trophy-hunting side of the map.

Terrain and Landmarks to Explore

The reserve is documented as containing both natural and man-made points of interest, which gives exploration on Kilimaya a different flavor from the launch map.

Terrain type	What it means for a hunt
Highlands	Longer sightlines and mountain species such as zebra
Forests	Close cover, harder tracking, and ambush positions
Open grasslands	Classic spot-and-stalk country where glassing wins
Wetlands	Waterfowl and dangerous water species
Shrublands	Mixed cover that rewards slow movement
Barren, sun-scorched terrain	Exposed ground where sound and silhouette give you away

• Ancient stone ruins, remote village settlements, lookout towers, and hidden cave paintings are the documented landmarks.
• The mix of wetlands and barren ground means your clothing and loadout choice matters more than on a single-biome map.
• Because Kilimaya was added later, interactive map coverage for it may be thinner than for New Laurentia, so treat online map pins as a work in progress to confirm.

For the mechanics behind African trophy hunting, read the herd management guide and the animal list. The maps page covers both environments side by side.