2025 COTW Predictions

[sly pewter]

This idea is basically a prediction of the content that I think will be coming to the game this year 2025, I'm most likely wrong about 90% of what I said but who knows, and regardless of whether they are added to the game or not, this idea also serves as ideas for the future of the game.

[elder wagon]

I may have misheard, but i thought in the winter update show they said they was going back to the 2 full sized reserves this year. I hope that's what I heard anyway.

[sly pewter]

As far as I remember, I think they only said that there would be two reserves, they did not specify. Even though I may be wrong

[elder wagon]

if it ends up being Alberta i hope it has Elk. We have more Mule deer maps compared to Elk maps.

[sly pewter]

To be honest, I think there will be no more maps with elks, a clear example is NEM.

[elder wagon]

That's not a very good example. Maine and New Hampshire isn't exactly an Elk paridise.

[sly pewter]

It may be, but in my opinion I think that.

[elder wagon]

I respect your opinion but don't agree it

[sly pewter]

By the way, I'm going to change my prediction since you're right, the small maps are called compact maps or parks and they mentioned two new reserves so it's most likely that it will be as you said.

[elder wagon]

I hope it is. That would be better

[fallen lark]

I'd honestly be stumped if EW put off an Africa 2.0 for the 7th year in a row

[elder wagon]

I predict the December map will be some form of an Africa map. Just my opinion

[sly pewter]

I think that since Africa 2.0 has been so requested by the community and they always say that when they do it it will be a perfect map, they could do it for the game's tenth anniversary perfectly.

[fallen lark]

The only way to make a "Perfect Africa 2.0" imo is for EW to have people experienced in what it's like to live and hunt in Africa in the region they choose and to make a map with about 30 animals that's at least double the size of any map currently in game. I wouldn't be able to complain if they release it on CotW's 10th anniversary as long as it can accurately portray the African hunting experience in a more realistic way

[sly pewter]

Keep in mind that making that kind of map and something precise is quite complex in the game, they could make a map a bit bigger than the current ones with maybe 14/15 relevant species from the location on the map and they will surely make the requested class 10.

[fallen lark]

ja I assume its significantly more complicated than just making it as I described above, but still, that is what the perfect African map would be as far as I'm concerned whether its possible or not

[shell anchor]

I’ll riot

[acoustic hazel]

I highly doubt the upcoming summer map will be Alberta.

[mossy oracle]

I like your ideas! Bear bait barrels would be awesome, but I also want bear hounds. I do think the summer map is going to be Canadian Arctic, and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if the winter map is South America. I don't think Africa 2.0 is coming yet, but I do expect something big is in the works after the success of Sundarpatan.

[mossy kernel]

I make this at the start of every year

[sly pewter]

The map of this summer is debatable. What we know is that it will probably be in Canada, and then I think that there are more relevant locations than South America, such as Mongolia, the Caucasus, Greenland, etc.

[mossy kernel]

I would pay 50$ for this

[sly pewter]

It's possible but who knows, besides this is a prediction and I made it based on the surveys of the fur and antler variants.

[acoustic hazel]

You mean the free update?

[sly pewter]

No, I mean that all the species that were included in the surveys are American and normally all the content that is released together in the same update is related and so if we look for where we can find those species in a snowy place it is Alberta, Canada and so I think that is where the next map will be and so there is room for a map of Greenland. So this does not have to happen but I think it is well planned.

[acoustic hazel]

Why would they hype up the Alberta map as much as they have?

[sly pewter]

when was it promoted?

[acoustic hazel]

The end of the preview show and many times throughout recent streams.

[sly pewter]

I basically thought EW's plans were to add that Canada map with some new species and then do an Arctic map of Greenland.

[sly pewter]

In the previous view they only put a snowy background and in recent broadcasts they said something about a map of Canada?, I didn't hear anything and if it's true I would like to hear it and draw my own conclusions.

[acoustic hazel]

It is willfully ignorant to say that wasn’t a hint to hype up the next map

[sly pewter]

I'm not saying it's not a clue, but they did hint that it would be a snowy map, but it could still be anywhere in Canada.

[acoustic hazel]

That comes right back to the beginning of this.

Why would they hype up anywhere else in Canada?

[sly pewter]

What I thought was that they would make the map of Alberta with few new species since the Arctic species would be added to a map of Greenland.

But of course that is pure speculation on my part.

[mossy oracle]

I'd be down for a lot of those. I'd love some Asian Wapiti species, more sheep species, and Saiga.

[ripe prawn]

I only disagree with the Map Predictions

Reasons I disagree
• A map set in Alberta would not be coming with a whole bunch of new big game species, something that Sundarpatan and Emerald Coast are popular for, that is why a lot of people including myself were kind of predicting a Canadian Arctic Reserve (Northwest Territories/Nunavut)
• To add on, the teaser background reminds me of Whiterime Ridge from Classic, a map with Polar Bear and Dall’s Sheep, which can both be realistically hunted in the Northwest Territories
• Just like the Cinnamon Teal getting an update despite not being on Salzwiesen Park, the Mule Deer could get their update without being present on the Summer 2025 Reserve
• Greenland isn’t a bad location, but its very bird heavy and would make for an Arctic Salzwiesen, though this could be taken over by Iceland

[sly pewter]

One of your reasons is not valid because the cinnamon teal received its remaster because they added the ferruginous duck and added the new graphics to the cinnamon teal.

On the other hand, regardless of whether the next map is Alberta, Nunavut, or the Northwest Territories, I am 100% sure that the animals mentioned in the surveys have some relation to the new summer content.

I would also like to comment on the fact that my concept of a map of Greenland is like that of Salzwiesen, I don't see it like that because it has polar bear, musk ox, caribou, arctic wolf, arctic fox and arctic hare, in addition to all the birds I mentioned. So I don't see it as a salzwiesen park 2.

But that doesn't mean I don't respect your opinions.

[sly pewter]

I already guessed 1 DLC out of 2 released.

[sly pewter]

I guessed another DLC again, I already predicted the Alberta map and the feeders DLC.

[sly iris]

Interesting for the winter DLC personally, I’m leaning more towards South America 2.0…. Jaguars anyone?!

[mossy oracle]

I had been thinking that myself until yesterday. Got a sneaking suspicion we're getting a Roe Deer map now, or maybe that will be next summer's map.

[sly iris]

Imagine how funny it would be if they did give us a South American map with Jaguars, but then they also added Roe Deer to the map as an exotic/Invasive species on it?! I doubt that will happen, but if it did, I feel like it would be more comical than anything

[mossy oracle]

Also, super excited about the bait barrels! Just need treeing/baying hounds now! I wonder what options we'll have for bait? I know beaver carcasses are a very popular black bear bait, maybe we can save our beavers to use later?

[sly iris]

Yep! Now all we need is a Salt Lick for the Sheep, Goats, and Cattle, and a Predator Bait for Every kind of predator in the came from classes 2 to 9 and then we are absolutely gold

[mossy oracle]

A post feeder holding a warthog carcass would be fun to hunt lions or leopards over. 😂

[sly iris]

Yep, and hey, don’t forget cheetahs!

[sly iris]

Is it wrong that I Want Cheetahs on Africa 2.0 just as much as I want leopards?!

[cinder jolt]

I want rock hyraxes and antelopes

[mossy oracle]

Sounds like the critters come to the bait stations during their normal feeding hours. I really hope bears come into the feeders during the day. You don't hunt them at night IRL and no one wants to hunt them at night in-game. I will be much less excited about this DLC if that's how they do it.

[sly pewter]

The new map in winter is Central European.

[strange python]

I think that’s just hirsch no?

[ripe prawn]

That looks like Hirschfelden

[ripe prawn]

Funny thing about Hirschfelden, even though we all know that its a German map, it has been marketed as a Central European Map (which isn't entirely wrong considering that Germany is considered Central European) so if we did get a European Map I would prefer somewhere like the Balkans or a transcontinental region like the Caucasus Mountains or Turkey (These regions would play well into having Red Deer be split into subspecies without affecting Great Ones too much) and if none of those areas get in I suppose a French Map would be nice since I could see a lot of upland game and small game get added alongside Chamois, Alpine Ibex and potentially the Apennine wolf

[brisk vault]

I have to disagree, this is just some areas on the Hirschfelden map, and according to the survey, the European map we would get is either Sweden, Poland or Turkey, none of which would look like this in terrain. Central Europe stands out from previously mentioned countries in it’s nature

[sly pewter]

Do you really think that, just three months before they release the winter map, they’re going to ask us which map we’d like? When it takes at least six months to make a map? Seriously, try to be logical. I’ve been playing this game for seven years, and I know perfectly well how EW works, so that claim is pretty absurd. In fact, those reservations are clearly the ones that won’t be available in the winter of 2025.

[sly pewter]

Therefore, we have 4 possible destinations for the winter map, which would be Austria, Romania, France, and Hungary.

For these reasons:

1. The countries Sweden, Poland, and Turkey are not possible maps for this winter because they were featured in a survey in September, so there isn’t enough time to create a hunting reserve.

2. Additionally, the Wild Boar and Red Deer will be on the map because they are being redesigned, so England-Scotland are also not possible destinations.

3. Therefore, we are left with these 4 locations: France, Austria, Romania, and Hungary.

[brisk vault]

It is possible that those maps are already on the move and the choice we make now could impact the one they release. I’m not suggesting that the maps are being started out in september and being good enough to release in december, but since i don’t know their work ethic it could be possible as well. Most likely, one or more of the maps have been started to be built, and we can get the final say in which one gets released. Just because they take 6 months for a map to be released doesn’t mean it takes 6 months to create and finish a map. Wild boar and red deer are species spread across Europe and western Asia, wild boar even, and all the possible reserves mentioned in the survey (except Poland and Wyoming not having red deer) the other countries do make sense

[sly pewter]

From a "logical" point of view, starting several maps only to abandon all but one would be a waste of time and resources, so it is most likely that the winter map is about to be finished. Therefore, the survey will be useful for maps from 2026 onward, not including future surveys. With this in mind, the most obvious conclusion would be to rule out the survey locations as possible locations for the 2025 winter map.

A clear and recent example is Askiy Ridge. I predicted the location and 80% of the species by thinking this way. In January (I think) they conducted surveys about which animals we would like to see with new coats and new antler variations. So I took all the animals that appeared in the surveys and saw that the only place in the world where those species could be hunted was Alberta, Canada. Obviously, those species would be on the map and that’s exactly what happened. And I also guessed the GOs, the Grey Wolf and the Mule Deer (although the Wolf came out later), because since they would be working on the Mule Deer’s antlers and the Grey Wolf’s coats, they would take advantage and make them the GOs.

So that’s why I believe that none of the locations from the September survey will be the location of the winter map.

[brisk vault]

From what i remember before we got Emerald Coast (idk how long before the map release this post was) there was a poll on what map people wanted next, and Australia was on there, it got the most votes and it was the next map. What you are saying makes sense though, it could be a waste to do what i’m suggesting, and yes idk how their work ethic is or how their planning works out so i’m considering all possibilites since i lack understanding. But what makes you think it will be Europe? I still think it’s possible we’re getting Mongolia because even though it was on the survey, it doesn’t exclusively mean that all those maps on the survey are coming next year. I still see, from a more logical standpoint with my limited understand of game development, that two maps can be worked on at the same time, therefore Mongolia can be at the same development stage as another European map. Only map i can see happening in Europe is the alps or Transylvania but those are not as near as requested as Mongolia. Only reason i see there being a European mostly (not because it hasn’t been requested) is because of remodels. However we’ve seen remodels being done without having to be released with a new map, which makes more sense with wild boar but less with red deer

[sly pewter]

Of course, that's why I think it's from Europe, because of the remastering of the wild boar and red deer.

[brisk vault]

From a logical perspective it makes sense, but it think more people would appreciate Mongolia now, and remodels since they are shown now already doesn’t have to mean it is coming because of the map. It makes sense though i’ll give you that

[sly pewter]

I think Mongolia was also a location in the September survey so they will probably take that into account.

[sly pewter]

Roe deer rework

[brisk vault]

I think the background is a tease for the new map

[sly pewter]

I don't think so, most likely it's hirschfelden

[queen schooner]

do you think the wolf post, where the sentence: ''get behind us, kitten'' is said, means something? the first letters of each words are G B, U K. Great britain, United kingdom? and the background of the picture, would it be the new map?