“With Way of the Hunter, we are going to start a new franchise,” said Nine Rocks Games CEO David Durcak in a press release. “The Way of the Hunter franchise finally gives this expansive audience of players a hunting experience as rich in story-telling as it is realistic in ballistic simulation. To create the best game possible, we’ve assembled a seasoned team of skilled professionals, who worked on games like DayZ or the Cabela’s hunting games before.”

Here is an overview of the game, via THQ Nordic:

Players will take on the role of a seasoned hunter who has just taken over his grandfather’s hunting cabin and the opportunity to proceed with the family tradition of selling high-quality game meat. A variety of biomes provide the player with a vast area of beautiful nature to explore. The hunter is challenged with observing animal tracks while carefully stalking and avoiding detection from the razor-sharp senses of his prey.

Way of the Hunter‘s large selection of authentic hunting equipment and weapons, including licensed guns and scopes, are amplified by realistic handling of firearms and bullet physics. The game features two, vast, open-world hunting territories—one in the United States and one in Europe—each 55 square miles (140 km²) in size and boasting its own simulated wildlife ecosystem. Co-op multiplayer mode allows players to venture out into awe-inspiring nature and share the thrill of the chase during their greatest hunting adventures.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.