BULT: Hunting simulator News & Patch Notes

The "Duck Attack" event has officially wrapped up! Hunters, congratulations to everyone who managed to defeat General Shoveler! Thank you to all who took part in this episode! This patch also includes several fixes and improvements:

Fixed a rendering issue that caused visible line-like wave artifacts; overall quality and performance of the technology have been improved.
Fixed an issue where the reload animation would be interrupted when pressing ESC.
Improved stick interaction:

• The stick no longer bounces due to surface tension at low speeds

• Lighter birds no longer get pushed away when being retrieved from the water

Seagulls no longer attempt to catch fish under the ice (fixed a bird freeze)

The ducks have had enough... Armed, organized, and absolutely done with being the prey — they've turned the tables!

Expect razor-sharp maneuvers at insane speeds, coordinated formations, and a level of tactical sophistication that, frankly, we did not see coming. You'll face three types of duck soldiers, each with their own unique combat style and weapons. The sound design alone will make you question your life choices. And at the end of it all — the General Shoveler is waiting. To start the event, head to the hunter's cabin in the spring season "Maliye Karasi" and interact with the poster on the wall. Defeat the General and you'll unlock an exclusive camo outfit designed for this event — available only while the event runs, so don't sleep on it. Think that was too easy? If you somehow manage to beat the General at night, there's a pair of boots with the Duck Alliance emblem waiting for you. We'll be honest — we're not even sure anyone has actually unlocked them. But if you ever meet a hunter wearing those boots, know one thing: they have nerves of steel. Good luck. You're gonna need it!

Fixed a rendering issue that caused visible line-like wave artifacts; overall quality and performance of the technology have been improved.
Fixed an issue where the reload animation would be interrupted when pressing ESC.
Improved stick interaction:

• The stick no longer bounces due to surface tension at low speeds

• Lighter birds no longer get pushed away when being retrieved from the water

Seagulls no longer attempt to catch fish under the ice (fixed a bird freeze)

The ducks have had enough... Armed, organized, and absolutely done with being the prey — they've turned the tables!

If you've been waiting for the right moment — BULT is 20% off until March 27!

Happy hunting!🦆

Fixed the damage calculation system for hazel grouse. Due to their anatomical specifics, the algorithm was incorrectly determining wound severity and often underestimating damage Damage is now calculated correctly

Added

New Rare Bird

A new rare bird species has been introduced to the fall season at the “Maliye Karasi” hunting grounds. With a wingspan of up to 1.5 meters and weighing nearly 3 kilograms, it’s no small target — we recommend always carrying a couple of large-shot shells just in case...

Weapon Realism

Semi-automatic shotguns now feature a malfunction mechanic: when using old ammunition, spent shells may fail to extract and become stuck in the extractor.

Interface & Settings

Added background music volume control in the main menu.
Added Turkish and Chinese language support.

Bug Fixes

Fixed localization issues.
Disabled the ability to collect prey while reloading.
Fixed a bug that prevented ammunition purchases.
Resolved an issue causing the camouflage net to remain permanently stretched.
Fixed underwater shader issues.
Removed an invisible hill that allowed players to leave the map boundaries.
Fixed cursor disappearing when managing ammunition after pressing ESC.
Fixed reload menu opening while the backpack widget is active.
Fixed a visual glitch when exiting aiming mode while moving.
Improved global illumination (stability, visual quality, and performance).

The upcoming patch will include several bug fixes and a transition to a joule-based system for damage calculation.

❓ What's wrong with the old system?

The old damage system used pellet velocity and diameter to estimate damage. While this simplified our calculations, it wasn't entirely accurate in assessing the degree of damage and could count serious damage based on the sheer number of pellets, even at long distances.

⚖️ What's the difference?

The new system is based on the projectile's velocity and mass. This allows it to accurately calculate the momentum and energy of the impact, making it easier to correlate this data with real-world ballistics.

🎯 Here's data from a test shot at 25 meters:

#3 shot — 258 m/s — 8.47 J
#5 shot — 239 m/s — 4.46 J

📊 The result: with a relatively small difference in velocity, we get almost a twofold difference in impact energy.

💡 What's the advantage of using joules?

✅ Firstly, the data is calculated automatically, taking into account the bird's anatomy, so we don't need to manually input artificial parameters for each bird.

✅ Secondly, calculating in joules will allow for a much more reliable assessment of the impact force and the penetrating ability of the shot (through feathers, fat, soft tissue) for a realistic evaluation of the damage to the bird.

🎮 How will this affect gameplay?

It won't affect shooting at all—the ballistics in the game remain untouched; we've simply learned to extract and process impact data more effectively. However, the choice of cartridge will play a more significant role, just like in reality 🦆

For example, preliminary calculations show that to inflict any noticeable damage, even to a vulnerable part like the head, the shot must have a minimum energy of:

Green-winged Teal — 0.6 J
Greylag Goose — 2.6 J

As you can see, the difference is significant—and that leaves plenty of room for experimentation

🌤 What will this enable in the future?

When we finish developing the "resource module" for our AI, birds will be able to make decisions based on the injuries they've sustained: will the duck be able to swim to the opposite shore, or would it be better to hide in the nearest reeds?

Hello Hunters!

It's been almost a month since release, and we are incredibly grateful for your support and feedback!

Here’s what we’re working on right now:

Fixing some bugs and issues you’ve reported;
Correcting mistakes in existing translations;
Adding full localization for Turkish and Chinese.

We also recently published a video where we answered your questions and shared our plans for 2026

If you missed it, be sure to check it out!

We need your expertise!

We’ve prepared two surveys that will help guide the future improvements of the game:

https://forms.gle/VseBLRqFH8NkJYfW7: Your Opinion about Penalty and Premium Edition & Ideas
https://forms.gle/SojKnBE18Ed42rFv7: Your hunting experience

It won’t take much of your time, but your input will truly shape the project’s development

Thank you for sticking with us! Your feedback is our most important compass

Best regards, The BULT Team

Q: Are there any ducks in the game? I haven't seen a single one.

Searching for ducks can be challenging. We built BULT with a focus on realism to capture the atmosphere of real hunting. If you don't see them, you likely need to adjust your tactics.

Action plan for your first harvest:

Time: Dawn or Dusk - peak bird activity.
Wind: Pay attention to the wind when choosing your hunt day. Hunt into the wind (wind blowing towards your face).
Stay still and quiet near water: Find cover and remain in place. Use your binoculars (B). Ducks frequently come to water bodies to rest.
Listen: Play with headphones. The first sign of a duck is often its quack or the sound of wings.

Q: Ducks fly away before I even see them.

This means the ducks have detected you. Thanks to the game's AI, birds possess keen hearing and sight.

What to do:

Use camouflage: Wear camo clothing suited to the selected season. Stay in cover.
Move slowly: When approaching a spot, avoid making unnecessary noise. Move slowly or use the crouch key (Ctrl).
Shoot at resting birds: Don't try to shoot a duck in flight until you've mastered the basics.

Q: The game is too hard for beginners, there's no proper tutorial.

It's true, we don't have a classic linear tutorial. However, in-game you can check the Hunter's Journal in the lodge, which contains key hunting tips.

Q: How do I use a duck call/decoys?

The call and decoys are your tools. Their effectiveness depends on conditions:

Duck Call: Don't call constantly. Wait until you see or hear a flock. Give a short series of calls. If the ducks change course and head your way, stop calling or you might scare them off.
Decoys: Place them in shallow water where ducks usually feed, within your line of sight. Without the right position and wind consideration, they may be useless.

What you can do in the game right now:

2 Game Modes: For Relaxation and Thrills

Free Hunt: Explore the map and track game at your own pace.
"Bet" Mode: For those seeking an extra thrill. Place bets and test your skills for a high-stakes result.

Core Hunting Mechanics

Gear and Camouflage: Choose clothing suited to the weather and hunting season. Proper camouflage matters in the game, as ducks assess in real-time how well you blend into your surroundings.
Arsenal: You have access to several shotguns with different mechanics, including double-barrel and single-barrel models. Each weapon has its own weight, inertia, and realistic reloading system.
Ballistics: Ammunition has its own weight characteristics, and you decide the loading order for your bandolier and barrels.
Attraction: Use duck calls, decoys, and camouflage nets to lure game closer.

Game: What can you hunt now?

Ducks: Several species, including diving ducks. Their behavior, flight patterns, and reactions to danger are controlled by the advanced BAYANAY AI system.
Hazel Grouse: Added in the autumn update. A fast and secretive forest bird that requires special tactics.

1 Map, Inspired by the Nature of Yakutia Currently, one expansive location is available: "Maliye Karasi." It's an open world of marshes, lakes, and forests, created based on real landscapes.

Also:

Realistic Daily Life: If you get cold or wet, you can warm up by the stove and dry your clothes.
Living World: Dynamic weather, realistic sounds (recorded in the field), a body heat system, and various birds and insects inhabit the map.
Reputation: Earn money from trophies, buy new gear, and increase your status as a hunter.

Hello hunters! We’re back with some news

We’d like to share three important updates!

First, we’ve added localization support for six languages!

The game will be available in Russian, English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), and Turkish

Second, we want to showcase a new gameplay system coming in the next update — dual chokes and ammo management.

These additions significantly expand your tactical options and bring the experience even closer to real-world hunting. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/u4JZSCYQedo?si=zaLdnFF_lVOq1DSA

Finally, we know many of you are waiting for a release date — and we’re just as eager to get the game into your hands.

We’ve already begun testing the final version of BULT and are currently aiming to release before the end of the year

We also share daily content on our social media, highlighting the realistic details that form the fabric of our game

In the fourth quarter of this year BULT will be released on Steam.

The game's developers Evgeniy Pashkov and Vladislav Petrov shared how they decided to make a game about hunting in Yakutia, what sets their game apart from other similar simulators, and what makes BULT unique

How did you come up with the idea to create and release a hunting game?

We were sitting by a campfire after an unsuccessful day of hunting, talking, and jokingly said, "Let's make our own simulator and see how ducks behave and why they won't land on a certain lake."

Over many hunting trips, we formed our own vision for such a simulator. We wanted, first and foremost, to make it the way we saw it, so that during the winter off-season, we could enjoy playing it ourselves.

This idea eventually evolved first into a prototype and then into a full-fledged game. Although the game was in a pre-alpha stage when we announced it, we received tremendous feedback from the community that plays these types of games. We realized we had to make a complete game and started investing more effort into it.

What started as a hobby has now become our full-time work. Evgeniy started development on his own, driven by a desire to learn the game engine, while Vladislav handled promotion and marketing.

From the very beginning, we started taking our own photographs because we realized there was nothing quite like our native nature available. There are no high-quality photos in the public domain to use for models and references. We began studying methodologies for photographing bushes and grass to use in BULT. For the same reason, we started recording our own sounds.

How many people are on your team?

The two of us handle the core work.

The other members are outsourced specialists who have been with us for over a year now.

We have two programmers—one for C++ and one for HLSL. We have regular modelers: a Hard Surface artist who creates weapons and works with solid materials, a character artist who works on creating birds and insects, and an animation specialist.

At the very beginning, our friends, whom we go hunting with, helped us immensely. We harvested ducks, they helped with photographing, processing, and discussing how the game mechanics should work.

Now we have clearly distributed roles, and the workflow is well-established.

An interesting fact: Evgeniy is the technical mind, while Vladislav is more of a business developer and entrepreneur. We have completely different ways of thinking, we play different games, meaning we have different perspectives on the gaming industry as a whole. During discussions and development, this creates a synergy that helps us find solutions. And so far, this method has worked flawlessly.

You often go on hunting trips to record nature and bird sounds. How long does this work take?

As we mentioned, we couldn't find high-quality bird recordings, so we decided to record them ourselves. Every sound in BULT is unique. We don't use pre-made background soundscapes like other games, which places a significant constraint on our sound sourcing. If you find a ready-made recording, it often features a chorus of different birds. But we need, for example, the sounds of a specific individual, isolated from everything else. Finding that is very difficult. In the central regions of Yakutia, we recorded the sounds of so-called "dry ducks" – like teals, mallards, and so on.

But this work is highly dependent on weather conditions. Sometimes we arrive on a windless day and can start recording sounds immediately. We place a recorder by a lake, ducks land, start making sounds – everything gets recorded perfectly. Other times, there are simply no ducks, and we have to wait for several days.

Our shortest expedition was three days, and the longest was about 20 days when we traveled to the Srednekolymsk district. We aim to go on at least four trips per year.

Initially, we went out with microphones ourselves, but then we switched to another method: we set up recorders on tripods around a lake, and they record 24/7. This way, we capture the sounds of various birds.

There are many hunting simulators on Steam. What fundamentally sets BULT apart from similar games?

Based on feedback from users on VK Play, we see that our game stands out due to its strong emphasis on realism because we are hunters making a game for hunters. It's filled with small details and important nuances. We approach development from an expert standpoint, which makes the atmosphere in the game feel much more natural.

We aren't trying to compete with the big hunting games; we're trying to enrich the genre as a whole.

For example, BULT features a minimal user interface, forcing the hunter to learn to rely on sounds and their own vision. If you shoot a duck, you have to remember where it fell.

Details we noticed during our real hunts have been transferred into the game. For instance, interaction with the environment. You need to watch your step for branches to avoid making noise. If your boots are too short, you'll have to change your route to keep your feet dry. If your feet get wet, you'll get cold, and your hands will shake.

We've also focused on high-quality mechanics for the ducks themselves—their behavior, flight, and so on. In this regard, our game is very different because most hunting simulators currently on Steam aim for broad appeal. They try to cover a wide spectrum. That's cool, of course, but some animals, including birds, don't behave entirely naturally there.

In our game, every sound is a living entity because there are no superfluous sounds on a hunt. This inherently creates situations that arise in real hunting.

For example, as you approach a lake, a sandpiper might fly up from under your feet and draw your attention. Or you might shoot a duck; it's wounded and dives, while a muskrat is diving nearby at the same time. You need to quickly distinguish between them to take a timely shot. There are plenty of such moments; even an insect can be a distraction.

Thanks to this, BULT has high replayability, aided by the Bayanay algorithm. We don't have "need zones" where ducks fly to a specific place at a specific time; there are no pre-made scripts. Encountering a duck is a matter of luck, just like in real life.

Yet, there are natural patterns. For example, we know ducks are most active in the evening. When they fly to a lake, they might see your decoys. And if you lure them with a call, your chances of them landing near you are higher. But no one gives a 100% guarantee—that's what creates the authentic atmosphere and immersion in the game.

What are your future plans for developing the game?

We already have our own roadmap that we're following now. We will also release DLC in the future, both free and paid.

We've added a third game mode – "Contracts."

In it, the player will collaborate with various organizations — restaurants, cafes, shops — each with its own character and specific demands for different types of game. Long-term cooperation with them will yield certain rewards.

Unlike other modes, the player needs to learn to hunt specific species of ducks. That means they must understand where a particular duck flies, which lakes it prefers, purchase the right decoys for it, buy a wind call, learn to play that wind call, and learn to set up decoys correctly. And for this, they receive a much greater reward.

This mode is designed to activate many more of the game's underutilized mechanics. Like sleep, for instance. Right now, there's no strong need to sleep, but what if you have a contract to fulfill? For example, you need to harvest a duck within four in-game days. You can't just exit and start over—your rating drops, your reputation suffers, and you won't get paid. This will be a very interesting mode for hunters who want to master the subtleties.

And, as promised, we plan to add three more locations. They will each have their own atmosphere, weather, and little stories. Hunting in each of them will be different. If we create a map with swamps, you'll have to use a boat most of the time and learn to handle it well. The player will need waders. Even the game will differ, making each location unique and interesting in its own way.

We’re excited to share that BULT now has an official Discord server! It’s the perfect place to stay updated with the latest news, ask questions, share your thoughts, and connect with other players who are looking forward to the release.

We’ve also gathered answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the game — нou can now check them out in the #faq channel.

👉 https://discord.gg/UevqNXYw

We’d be happy to see you join our community!

We want to thank you deeply for your interest in our project!

Every comment and every wishlist means the world to us — your support inspires us to keep moving forward. For a small team like ours, this is especially important

We’ve named the game Bult. And you might already be wondering: what does it mean? Bult \ is a word from the Yakut language, and it translates as “Hunt”

We come from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) — a region in the very heart of Siberia, where taiga and tundra stretch for thousands of kilometers, where countless rivers and lakes lie, and where hunting is an inseparable part of tradition. For us, this word is more than just a name — it’s a part of our culture and our life

This is where we grew up and where we live today. It is also where we find our inspiration for creating this game — recording the sounds of nature and going on expeditions to capture the atmosphere of real hunting

For us, Bult is not just about a game. It’s about the silence of a lake at dawn, the breath of northern nature, and the connection to our homeland — something we wish to share with you.

Thank you for being with us!

There’s still a lot of work and discoveries ahead, and we’ll be happy to share them with you along the way

BULT: Hunting simulator news & patch notes