The SAWBLADE Launcher RETURNS! Shredder Mastery | Hunt: Showdown 1896

Intro

Hi guys, Rex here! With the Murder Circus Encore update, Hunt: Showdown brings back one of the most unique and iconic weapons the game has ever seen — the Shredder.
But this isn’t the same Shredder you might remember from its original release.

This version has been completely redesigned and now has a much higher skill ceiling.

The Shredder is a scarce weapon obtainable only inside the main circus tent.

It can be bought for Pledge Marks, and only one spawns per match, like the Homestead and Wildland from earlier events.

The old heat-seeking frag blades are gone entirely.
There are no alternate ammo types — just standard sawblades, which now behave as pure physics projectiles.

They ricochet off surfaces based on the angle, with no homing correction at all — meaning your bounces must be intentional and precise. If your hits don’t kill, the sawblades – as you might expect – cause intense bleeding on impact.

The Shredder contains up to 6 sawblades in its magazine and deals 300 damage with a drop range of 50 meters and a velocity of 115 m/s.

It’s a full-mag reload system: the entire magazine is removed and swapped for a new one, or partially refilled if you don’t have enough spare ammo.

What makes this weapon truly unique is the manual charging mechanic.
The weapon does not come pre-charged when equipped — you must manually charge it via the fire button or X before you can shoot.

After every shot, there’s an automatic recharge animation, which slows down the rate of fire and makes every shot count.

Once charged, the blade begins to lose speed over time, eventually spinning down completely.

If you holster the weapon, the blade keeps spinning, letting you switch to another weapon and back. If you wait too long, the blade will spin down completely, and you’ll have to recharge it.

You can also see Shredder projectiles in Dark Sight up to 25 meters by default, or up to 75 meters with the Blade Seer trait, although I honestly don’t see it being necessary.

Blades no longer pierce Hunters or AI; they now stick into bodies like arrows or bolts, which makes them much easier to retrieve, especially if you run the Blademancer trait during the event.

Mechanically, the new Shredder plays much like a hybrid between a bow or crossbow and a shotgun — but with a twist.
It has more power, better accuracy, and far better range than any shotgun in the game, while keeping that signature ricochet mechanic that no other weapon offers.

Your positioning, angles, map knowledge, and timing matter a lot, and that’s what makes this weapon so exciting.

In this video, I put the Shredder through its paces to see how it performs in the new update.

I mostly paired it with the Uppercut to cover the mid- to long-range engagements without the need for the Quartermaster trait.

Make sure you stick around until the end for my final thoughts and recommendations — but without further ado, let’s dive into it!

Thoughts & Recommendations

After spending some time with the Shredder, I’m genuinely impressed with how well this rework turned out.

This weapon is fun, powerful, and extremely satisfying when used correctly — but it’s not completely busted anymore.

It’s a skill weapon, and you really feel that when you’re lining up shots, predicting movement, and trying to land ricochets around corners.

The manual charging system completely changes the pacing.
It’s slower and more deliberate than its original form, and while that makes it harder to use, it also makes it far more balanced.

You can’t spam shots — you need to place them carefully.

In terms of raw power, it outclasses traditional shotguns with better range, accuracy, and consistency — which is exactly what you’d expect from a scarce weapon.

But it doesn’t feel completely unfair, and that’s a good sign for its long-term balance.

The biggest drawback is the audio cue: the spinning blade is loud, and good players will hear you coming.

It also demands precise aim, as ricochets are harder to land than you’d think, and the low velocity also makes it tricky to use at range, especially on moving targets.

But when everything lines up, this weapon delivers moments no other weapon in Hunt can replicate.

Holding angles, controlling space, and outsmarting your opponent is where the Shredder really shines.

Overall, I think the weapon is in a great place.
If Crytek treats it like the Homestead and Wildland, I hope this version sticks around — because it’s a fantastic addition to Hunt’s arsenal.

But now I want to hear your opinion:
What do YOU think about the Shredder returning and the way it was reworked?

Let me know in the comments — and until next time, I’ll see you in the Bayou.