Checked 2026-10-30
Hunting Simulator 3 vs theHunter: Call of the Wild
theHunter: Call of the Wild is not a Nacon game. It is Expansive Worlds and Avalanche's 2017 sim, still on Steam at $19.99, with years of reserves behind it. Hunting Simulator 3 is the new $39.99 game with two maps and no co-op at launch. This page is only for people choosing between them.
Why the older game still wins some searches
Call of the Wild's Steam page lists 16 February 2017, a $19.99 price, co-op for up to eight hunters, 18 reserves, 160 achievements, and a 140 GB free-storage requirement. The recommendation count on that page was 171,918 in the read I used. Hunting Simulator 3's recommendation sample was a few dozen reviews. Age explains a lot of that gap. It does not make the new game worse or better by itself.
| Hunting Simulator 3 | Call of the Wild | |
|---|---|---|
| Release | 29 October 2026 | 16 February 2017 |
| PC price | $39.99 list | $19.99 list |
| Who made it | Nacon Studio Ghent | Expansive Worlds / Avalanche |
| Places to hunt | Colorado and Texas | 18 reserves |
| Friends | Not at launch | Up to 8 in co-op |
| Required free storage | 25 GB | 140 GB |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Minimum GPU | RTX 2060 / RX 5600 XT | GTX 660 / HD 7870 |
Price-source note, 30 October 2026: the US Steam Buy box shows $19.99. Its API numeric price is also 1999 cents, but the API formatted-price string says Free. The page separately offers an install entitlement for theHunter Classic owners. These fields are reported separately; no universal free-copy claim is made. The 18-reserve figure describes the wider paid-content catalog, not 18 maps bundled with the base game.
Who should cross over
Stay with Call of the Wild if your group already has a server habit and you do not want to re-buy a map pack philosophy from scratch. Look at Hunting Simulator 3 if the licensed Browning, Winchester, Remington and Bear Archery gear, or the new dog commands, are the reason you are shopping. HS3 will not run on the GTX 660 that COTW still lists. The hardware jump is the practical cost, on top of the higher sticker.
Metacritic lists Call of the Wild at 64. HS3's metascore was still waiting on more reviews, with one 75 on the board. I will not call that a win. Species totals for Call of the Wild are not a single official number in the store text I used, so I do not print one. The rest of the field is on compare.
Questions
Is Hunting Simulator 3 the new Call of the Wild?
No. Different studios. COTW remains on sale with 18 reserves and 8-player co-op. HS3 is Nacon's 2026 game with two reserves.
Which is cheaper?
Call of the Wild lists at $19.99. Hunting Simulator 3 lists at $39.99, shown at $31.99 on Steam on 30 October 2026.