Compare Revisions

11 Overview
22  
33  
44 Hunting and fishing are key Food Management activities in Rooted. Together with gardening, they form the three primary methods players use to sustain themselves in the post-apocalyptic world.
55  
66 Hunting
77  
88 Deer were added to the game world on January 22, 2026, described by the developers as the "first step toward a deeper hunting experience." The full hunting system is planned as part of Alpha Phase 3.
99  
1010 Hunting methods include:
1111  
1212 MethodDescriptionFirearmsPlayers can use weapons like the M4A1 or Glock to hunt animals directly. Combat was moved to Phase 3 specifically because hunting requires firearms.Hunting trapsTraditional snare-based approach for capturing prey without requiring ammunition.
1313 See weapons for details on available firearms and animals for details on wildlife in the game.
1414  
1515 Fishing
1616  
1717 Fishing in Rooted has multiple planned stages of development:
1818  
1919 FeatureStatusDescriptionSwimmingImplemented (v0.0.2.80)Added in October 2024 as an introduction to fishing activities.Fish trapsPhase 3Craftable traps that can be deployed in lakes and rivers to catch fish passively.Open-water boat fishingPlannedFull fishing from boats on open water, announced for future development.
2020 Wildlife Layer In Development
2121  
2222 A deeper wildlife layer is in development and not yet in the public build. The first species being built are the mule deer, the black bear, and the bald eagle, each with its own behaviour. Hunting them is designed around their senses: animals perceive by sight, hearing, and scent, and because scent travels on the wind, approaching from downwind keeps a survivor harder to detect. Predators such as the bear track a per-player threat level and give a warning charge before committing, while deer herd and scatter. Blood and footprints leave trails that can be followed, lasting longest in snow.
2323  
2424 See Animals for the full behaviour breakdown of the in-development wildlife layer.
2525  
2626 Role in Survival
2727  
2828 Food gathered from hunting and fishing feeds into the Food Management system. Meat can be cooked at campfires (which require fuel with variable burn times), and fish provide an alternative protein source. Players can also gather berries scattered throughout the world as a supplementary food source.
2929  
3030 Wildlife Rollout
3131  
3232 Deer became the first live wildlife species when the January 22, 2026 update went out, framed by the studio as the first step toward a deeper hunting layer. The current implementation focuses on movement, spawning, and basic combat behavior; expanded systems for skinning carcasses and cooking the resulting meat are confirmed as planned additions.
3333  
3434 Wildlife elementStatusBuild / targetDeerLive2026-01-22 updateAdditional huntable speciesPlannedPhase 3 continuationSkinningPlannedPhase 3 / Phase 4Meat cooking depthPlannedAligned with food management rework
3535 Fishing Roadmap
3636  
3737 Fishing progresses in defined steps. Swimming has been in since the 0.0.2.80 update in October 2024, opening up water traversal that supports later fishing systems. Fish traps are announced as the Phase 3 contribution, with open-water boat fishing held for further-out development.
3838  
3939 FeatureStatusNotesSwimmingLive (v0.0.2.80)October 2024 addition; supports lakes and rivers.Fish trapsPhase 3Crafted traps deployed near water; passive catch.Boat fishingPlannedOpen-water fishing from boats announced for future work.
4040 Gear and Skills
4141  
4242 Hunting outcomes depend on how the player has invested in combat and survival systems. Salvaged firearms such as the M4A1 and Glock dropped with the December 2025 patch, joining the wider weapon set used for combat. Crafted traps offer a quieter, ammo-free option for early players still building their kit. Cooked meat and gathered berries plug into the survival loop alongside foods grown through gardening.
4343  
4444 Tips for Phase 3 Players
4545  
4646 Carry one ranged option and one melee fallback when approaching deer territory.Note spawn points across repeat sessions; the studio is validating spawn behavior with live data.Pair hunts with a salvage run so the trip home is not empty if the wildlife is sparse.Coordinate firing arcs in co-op so a missed shot does not scare the herd or hit a teammate.
4747  
4848 Full Hunting Loop (In Development)
4949  
5050 A June 12, 2026 development update advanced hunting toward a complete loop, work that is in development and not yet in the public build. Animals take the same per-bone hits as everything else, die, ragdoll, and leave a carcass that records the species and who made the kill. A bear was also given predator behavior, assessing the player before charging and disengaging back to its territory. Deer remain the only species live in the current public build; this depth is confirmed development direction.
51+ 
52+Tracking And Sound Discipline (In Development)
53+ 
54+A July 2026 development update deepened tracking, work that is in development and not yet in the public build. A wounded animal leaves a blood trail that can be followed to finish the hunt, and that trail persists through a save and reload rather than clearing when the session ends. Sound matters on the approach as well: a gunshot carries far, footsteps register only a few meters out, and a crouched survivor stays silent, so a careful stalk keeps the quarry from bolting.
55+ 
56+This tracking depth is confirmed development direction. Deer remain the only wildlife live in the current public build.