Hunt Showdown Tide of Shadows Pacts Explained: Smuggler, Grounded, and Primal

Hunt Showdown: Tide of Shadows event brings players new features to enjoy, including characters, traits, boss battle, and more. Additionally, Tide of Shadows includes three new pacts with unique abilities and skills. If you’re wondering what is special about these new pacts — you have come to the right place. This guide will explain the Hunt Showdown: Tide of Shadows event pacts, including Smuggler, Primal, and Grounded.

All Hunt Showdown Tide of Shadows Pacts Explained

Tide of Shadows is available now on all platforms, and it comes with new Pacts. Each Pact has a specific standard trait as well as a burn trait. Burn traits will disappear after one use, making it essential to know when to use them. Let’s take a closer look at all pacts in Hunt Showdown: Tide of Shadows as we explain them further below.

Primal Pact

In my opinion — Primal is the best new pact for Tide of Shadows, especially if you’re playing with friends. Its instinct trait allowing you to know if hunters are nearby, will provide a considerable advantage for you and your allies, allowing you to communicate when it’s time to be on guard. Below you will find the Primals Pact traits and their effects in-game.

• Instinct Trait – In Dark Sight, you can sense when enemy Hunters are nearby, with a range of up to 75 meters.
• Relentless Burn Trait – Your Hunter won’t lose a Health Chunk when downed.

Smugglers Pact

Smuggler isn’t the best Pact, but you’ll still be able to find some help within its traits. For example, its Mariner trait will allow you to get extra health when traversing through water areas — a helpful boost for the new boss Rotjaw. Outside of that, though, it isn’t the best trait compared to what other Pacts include. Below you will find the Smugglers Pact traits and their effects in-game.

• Mariner Trait – Health restoration is significantly increased while in water and marginally increased when exposed to heavy rain.
• Gunrunner Burn Trait – Removes Contraband status from primary weapons on extraction, and you’ll receive two extra ammo from ammo resupplies.

Related: Does Hunt: Showdown Have Crossplay?

Grounded Pact

I love playing games in stealth mode, so Grounded will be my go-to Pact for Tide of Shadows. Sneaking around with the Shadow trait and determining the right time to strike monsters seems like a thrill. Below are all the traits the new Grounded Pact includes.

• Shadow – Monsters can’t see you, but they can still hear you. Boss Targets and Wild Targets are immune to this trait.
• Remedy Burn Trait – Using Dark Sight, interact with a Trait to trigger a restoration effect similar to banishing for your team’s Hunters. This has a range of up to 25 meters.

All Pacts

It’s excellent that Tide of Shadows allows all players to have a universal trait, regardless of who you choose. Death Cheat has been in the game previously but recently returned in Tide of Shadows. You can find exactly what it does below.

• Death Cheat Burn Trait – You will not lose your Hunter if you fail to extract. Death Cheat is available regardless of which Pact you pledge allegiance to.

How Do Pact Traits Work in Hunt Showdown: Tide of Shadows

Like Hunt Showdown’s previous event — Devil’s Moon — Pact Traits can be acquired at Pledge Posts. For Tide of Shadows, you must pledge your Hunter to a specific Pact before special event Trait Charms appear at the Pledge Post. Then, Hunters must trade in their own Pledge Marks in exchange for an Event Trait. Players can do this quickly by interacting with the Trait Charms — where Pledge Marks will then be deducted, and the specific Trait Charm will be removed from the Pledge Post. It is important to note that Hunters can only see the Trait Charms relevant to their current Pact.