Mods for theHunter: Call of the Wild are not an official game feature. The supported way to add new reserves, gear, weapons, lodges, cosmetics, and hunting dogs is still DLC from the game’s platform stores.
If you still want PC community mods, use the current dropzone method, keep the risk clear, and make every change easy to remove. Here is the clean order to follow.
1. Check what is supported before changing files
Official content comes through DLC and add-ons, not third-party mods. The game’s site points players to platform stores through PLAY NOW, and the DLC page sorts official content under RESERVES, HUNTING EQUIPMENT, WEAPON PACKS, TROPHY LODGES, COSMETICS, and HUNTING DOGS.
Use Steam, Epic Games, Microsoft, PlayStation, or Xbox stores for supported content.
Use community mods only on Windows PC installs where the launcher accepts command-line arguments.
Avalanche’s EULA prohibits third-party software that modifies game content or changes how the game is played.
theHunter’s anti-cheat FAQ, published for theHunter: Classic, treats any software, DLL, mod, or code that changes the game in single-player or multiplayer as cheating and can permanently ban the account. Avalanche’s EULA applies the same no-third-party-software rule to Call of the Wild.
On console, use official DLC. There is no documented current PlayStation or Xbox mod installation path.
2. Install official DLC when you only want new content
If your goal is more maps, weapons, lodges, dogs, or cosmetics, start here. It is the vendor-supported route and works across the current retail platforms.
Open the official theHunter: Call of the Wild site.
Select PLAY NOW for your platform store.
Open the DLC page.
Choose a category such as RESERVES, HUNTING EQUIPMENT, or WEAPON PACKS.
Buy or install the add-on through Steam, Epic Games, Microsoft, PlayStation, or Xbox.
On Steam, open Library, select the game page, find the DLC section, then choose Manage My x DLC. On Epic Games Launcher, open Library, select the three dots on the game, then use Explore Addons or Manage Add-Ons.
3. Download a current PC mod from Nexus Mods
For community mods, use the Nexus Mods page for theHunter: Call of the Wild. Open Mods, choose the mod you want, then use the mod page’s Files tab and download option.
Nexus listed 458 mods for theHunter: Call of the Wild in the July 2026 research. Read the compatibility notes on the individual mod page before installing, because many current COTW mods use the dropzone and launch-options method below.
4. Copy the dropzone folder into the game directory
Download the mod.
Extract the archive.
Find the extracted folder named dropzone.
On Steam, open Library, right-click theHunter: Call of the Wild, choose Properties, open Installed Files, then select Browse.
Copy the mod’s dropzone folder into the game install folder, commonly the folder that contains the game executable.
Keep the downloaded archive until the game launches correctly. Do not copy extra files into the install folder unless the mod page tells you to.
5. Paste the full launch options string
This is the part older tutorials get wrong. Current community documentation uses the full archive list, including patch_win64 and dlc_win64.
On Steam, open Library, right-click the game, choose Properties, open General, then click Launch Options.
On Epic Games Launcher, open Settings, go to MANAGE GAMES, choose COTW, then check additional command line arguments.
Enter this exact string: --vfs-fs dropzone --vfs-archive archives_win64 --vfs-archive patch_win64 --vfs-archive dlc_win64 --vfs-fs .
Launch the game from the same launcher you configured.
That parameter set is documented in current community instructions for Patch 9.2 and game version 3263984, released June 16, 2026.
6. Build generated mods with Mod Builder Revived
Mod Builder Revived is for Windows PC Steam and Epic installs. The current Nexus page displays version 2.7.2; the author notes that Patch 9.2 (game version 3263984) and Intisuyu Peru Hunting Reserve support was introduced in v2.7.0.
Open Nexus Mods and go to Mod Builder - Revived.
Open Files and download the latest release.
Open the .7z archive with 7-Zip or a similar tool.
Extract the modbuilder folder to a user-writable location such as C:\Users\<your_name>\modbuilder.
Run modbuilder.exe.
Select (change path) and choose your theHunter: Call of the Wild install directory.
Use the Type dropdown to choose a mod.
Configure the settings, click Add Modification, then build and apply the mod through the tool’s UI.
Add the same full launch options string from step 5.
7. Use Vortex only for compatible mods
Vortex is Nexus Mods’ Windows mod manager. For this game, Nexus also has a separate theHunter Call of the Wild Mod Support extension that adds basic mod support.
Download Vortex from Nexus Mods.
Install Vortex on Windows 10 or above.
Install the theHunter Call of the Wild Mod Support extension from Nexus Mods.
Use Nexus or Vortex mod management only when the selected mod supports it.
The current extension version is 0.64, last updated April 9, 2025. Use the individual mod page’s compatibility notes for current game-version support.
8. Remove mods before troubleshooting the game
To remove a manual dropzone mod, delete or rename the copied dropzone folder, then remove the custom launch options from Steam or Epic Games Launcher.
For Mod Builder files, remove the generated files or the generated dropzone folder, then clear the same launch options. For Vortex, open Vortex, disable or remove the installed mod or extension, then verify that the game folder and launch options are clean.
Do not use old Steam instructions that only list --vfs-fs dropzone --vfs-archive archives_win64 --vfs-fs .. Do not rely on Steam Workshop subscriptions for COTW mods unless a specific current mod page provides that method. Save-file replacement mods can touch the Steam save folder Documents\Avalanche Studios\COTW\Saves\<long_number> (Epic installs use Documents\Avalanche Studios\Epic Games Store\COTW\Saves\<long_number>), but older save-file mod examples are not verified against current 9.2.1 saves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are theHunter: Call of the Wild mods available on PlayStation or Xbox?
No current PlayStation or Xbox mod installation path was verified. Use official DLC on console.
What is the supported way to add new Call of the Wild content?
Use official DLC through Steam, Epic Games, Microsoft, PlayStation, or Xbox stores. The official DLC categories include reserves, hunting equipment, weapon packs, trophy lodges, cosmetics, and hunting dogs.
What launch options do current COTW dropzone mods use?
Use: --vfs-fs dropzone --vfs-archive archives_win64 --vfs-archive patch_win64 --vfs-archive dlc_win64 --vfs-fs .
How do I undo a manual COTW mod install?
Delete or rename the copied dropzone folder, then remove the custom launch options from Steam or Epic Games Launcher.
