Way Of The Hunter 2 Animal List — Confirmed Species by Map

Way of the Hunter 2 launched with 13 huntable species and has been adding more with each content update. The official Nine Rocks Games FAQ lists the 13 species available at the Early Access launch and says around 30 species are planned across all maps by the full release; the Kilimaya Reserve update then added twelve more species for the African map, per the THQ Nordic announcement. That makes the roster a moving target, so the lists below are grouped by map and tied to the update that introduced them rather than presented as a final count.

How Many Animals Are in the Game Right Now

The authoritative starting point is the official FAQ, which names 13 species for the Early Access launch and describes the roster as still growing. It also notes that more species are planned during Early Access, and that the full release targets around 30 across all maps. The Kilimaya Reserve announcement adds twelve African species on top of that launch list. Because there is no single official "current total" figure published for the 1.0 build, treat the sum of these lists as map-by-map documentation rather than a guaranteed present-day count.

New Laurentia's Launch Species

These are the 13 species the official FAQ lists for the Early Access launch, most of which belong to the North American-inspired New Laurentia map.

Species	Notes
American wolverine	A low-population predator; habitat-wide management applies
Grizzly bear	Large predator; pair with a suitable weapon tier
Dall sheep	Mountain-dwelling species
Eastern wild turkey	Bird species; calls and decoys are relevant
Northwestern gray wolf	Predator species
Mallard	Waterfowl; blinds and decoys help
Western moose	Big game on the North American map
White-tailed ptarmigan	Small upland bird
Rocky Mountain elk	Featured in an early mission thread
Rocky Mountain mule deer	Common deer species
Snowshoe hare	Small game species
Northern white-tailed deer	Core deer species for herd management
Wood bison	Large plains species

Kilimaya Reserve's Species Additions

The Africa map arrived with Early Access Update 2 and brought twelve new species, along with anatomically accurate male and female models.

Species	Species
Greater kudu	Cape mountain zebra
Blue wildebeest	Common hippopotamus
Nile crocodile	Cape honey badger
Spotted hyena	Southern lion
Blesbok	South African ostrich
Cape African buffalo	Southern yellow-billed duck

Tiers, Stars, and Fitness Explained

Understanding the rating systems is what separates a random hunter from one who grows five-star trophies.

• Tier — every animal sits in a tier that should match your weapon tier; matching keeps the kill ethical and protects the meat and trophy.
• Hit energy — each animal has a recommended hit energy, which is a sign of the weapon power that drops it cleanly.
• Stars — trophies are rated from one star to five stars, per the Fandom wiki.
• Fitness — the animal's genetic potential, which determines how high it can score as it matures.
• Age — how long an animal has had to develop toward its fitness ceiling.
• Habitat — animals in their primary habitat tend to have higher fitness than those in secondary habitat.

The Fandom wiki's herd-management notes add that fitness is influenced on three levels: the individual animal, the average of its herd, and the average of the whole habitat. That is why culling weak animals across an area can matter more than shooting a single herd.

What Is Planned Beyond Launch

The roster is explicitly designed to grow. The official FAQ states that more species will be added during Early Access, that around 30 are planned by the full release, and that trophy generation is still being expanded, including features like non-typical trophies. New environments are planned for future updates as well, though the FAQ cautions that building a new map can take over a year of work. For now, the practical move is to learn the tiers and habits of the documented species on each map, then check the maps page and Africa page as new content lands. For the systems that raise trophy quality, see the herd management guide and the best weapons page.