Revision 7

Overview

In the decades since the bacteriological war, wildlife has returned to the abandoned landscapes of Rooted's world. Animals serve dual roles in the game: as a food source through Hunting and Fishing, and as a potential threat through dangerous wildlife encounters.

Confirmed Wildlife

Dangerous Wildlife

Not all animals are passive. Some wildlife species are aggressive and will attack players who enter their territory. These dangerous animals function as one of three enemy categories alongside hostile survivors and ROTOR robots. Wildlife encounters can vary between animals that flee from players and those that charge aggressively.

Hunting Development

The full hunting system is planned as part of Alpha Phase 3. Current hunting capabilities include:

• Firearms: The M4A1 and Glock can be used to hunt wildlife. See weapons for details.

• Hunting traps: Traditional snare-based traps for capturing prey without using ammunition.

• Deer: Currently the only confirmed huntable animal in the game world.

Fishing

Fishing mechanics are being introduced in stages:

Role in Survival

Animals are a primary component of the Food Management system. Hunted game and caught fish provide protein to supplement crops from gardening and foraged berries. Cooking captured food at a campfire or with a Cooking Pot makes it safe and more effective for sustaining the player.

Live Wildlife

Deer is the only species live in the world as of the January 22, 2026 update. The studio framed the deer as the first step toward a deeper wildlife system, and the implementation focused on movement, spawning, and basic combat behavior. Deer drop food items when killed, which feeds back into the hunting loop and food management.

Planned Species

Additional huntable species are confirmed as planned, with some intended to behave aggressively and some to be infected. The studio has not committed to a final roster; expect rollouts to align with Phase 3 pacing through 2026.

Expanded Wildlife Layer (In Development)

A broader living-animal layer is in active development and is not yet in the public build. Animals are simulated across the whole map as lightweight agents and become full creatures when a player gets close, then fold back into agents once everyone leaves the area. The first three species being built each use their own behaviour archetype.

Senses and tracking. Every animal perceives by sight, hearing, and scent, and scent is carried on the wind, so staying downwind makes a survivor much harder to smell. Kills decay through stages from fresh down to bones, and while they do they pull scavengers toward the carcass. Footprints and blood leave tracking marks that last longer on soft ground, briefly on firm rock, and longest in snow. These systems are confirmed by the studio as work in development; the meshes, animation, audio, and per-species behaviour are authored separately on top of the systems layer.

Player Interaction

Until skinning and meat-cooking depth ships, animals function primarily as food sources gated by combat readiness. Players running coordinated co-op can split a hunt between scouting via drones and the actual approach, reducing missed shots and reducing the chance of scaring nearby herds.