Nov. 11, 2026, and it's permanent. Expansive Worlds says theHunter Classic's servers go offline that day, and after that "the game will no longer be playable." There's no offline mode coming, no relaunch planned, and no way to buy it anymore. If you still have it installed, you have about a month of hunting left.
The studio announced the shutdown on July 9 in a post titled Update on Development, blaming a "dwindling playerbase" and saying active support was "no longer financially sustainable." The game is 17 years old. Most things that old are allowed to slow down.
The countdown
- July 9: Shutdown announced. In-game currency purchases switched off. No new game or forum accounts.
- Aug. 19: Removed from the Steam Store. Owners can still play.
- Oct. 9: The Community League ended. The developers said they won't start another.
- Oct. 28 to Nov. 11: The final Halloween event, the traditional Classic werewolf hunt.
- Nov. 10: The last regular competitions end, so entrants can see their results.
- Nov. 11: Servers go offline. Accounts, forum accounts, and forum content are deleted.
The studio hasn't posted a specific shutdown time. If you're planning a last hunt on Nov. 11, plan it early.
Reader questions
Can I still play theHunter Classic? Yes, if you already have an account. Daily Missions keep running until the end, and regular competitions run through Nov. 10.
Is there an offline mode? No. The FAQ says that because of "the online nature of the game and how its core systems were built," it isn't possible to make it playable offline. The developers also warn that old disc copies won't work after Nov. 11 either, so don't pay a fortune for one.
What happens to my in-game currency? Spend it. Currency you already own works until Nov. 11, and the developers have put most of the store on sale at 95% off until then. The Wolfsbane weapons are 100% off so everyone can take part in the werewolf event. The FAQ says in-game currency and content are non-refundable.
Can I save my trophy photos? Only if you do it yourself. The developers say to download any images you want from the gallery or Discord before Nov. 11, because "we will not be able to save anything for you." Official community channels, including the forums, close the same day.
Will theHunter Classic come back? The FAQ says there are "no plans to resume development" or relaunch it on any platform.
Is support still available? The FAQ says customer support continues until the end of 2026, though there won't be much game left to support after Nov. 11.
How we got here
theHunter launched in 2009 as an online-only hunting game, and reached Steam on June 3, 2014. On Steam it has 44,758 reviews, rated Mixed, which for a 17-year-old online game is fairly polite.
Steam Charts puts the last 30 days at an average of 155 concurrent players, with a peak of 288. The all-time Steam peak is 2,703. The game also runs through its own launcher, which those numbers don't count, so the real total is somewhat higher, and also not high enough.
Expansive Worlds' other hunting game, theHunter: Call of the Wild, came out in 2017 and isn't affected. The FAQ says the shutdown won't touch Avalanche's staff, other games, or future projects.
Bottom line
theHunter Classic goes dark on Nov. 11, 2026. Spend your currency while it's 95% off, grab your trophy photos, and show up for the werewolf hunt starting Oct. 28. After that, the animals in Classic are finally safe. For the rest of the year's closures, see our 2026 shutdowns list.
Published Oct 12, 2026. Based on Expansive Worlds' Jul 9 shutdown announcement, FAQ and Steam notices. Game artwork © Expansive Worlds / Avalanche Studios; Steam store assets for app 253710 used editorially only.