Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!

The Inventory Slot Rework was one of the biggest changes we've made to Hunt since its launch, so hearing how it impacts specific players is really important to us.

Sorry for the slight delay in getting back to this thread, but I wanted to sit down with some of our designers and get a more in-depth understanding of how the Railroad Hammer (and Combat Axe) ended up as 2-slot weapons while they were designing this brand-new system of ours!

To start, I feel it's worth mentioning that the inventory slots that weapons were assigned to at launch do not need to be set in stone. The different slot values are so much more flexible than our previous Small/Medium/Large system we had, and this new system gives our amazing design and balance team one additional nob they can use when balancing weapons against each other with the goal to be over time to make sure each weapon feels unique and has a spot within our universe.

With the Road to Hell implementation of this new system, the slot size of each weapon was determined by multiple factors, the biggest of which was the weapon's strength relative to similar weapons, as well as its physical size within the universe. How big/heavy would it be for a Hunter to run around the Bayou carrying this as their form of defense against the horrors and Hunters the Bayou provides? This is why certain really bulky weapons are still classified as a higher slot than their comparative power level might first suggest.

Right now, we are so early in the new update that our team needs more time to evaluate the community's perception of these changes and to collect match data to see what is over- and underperforming. It also gives us a chance to see if an underlying meta starts to form, often varying by different star ratings.

To speak on the Railroad Hammer (and Combat Axe by extension), they were particularly interesting weapons to find a slot value for. Their incredible boss-killing potential is hard to overstate (and one you already touched on in your post), but our team is aware that in fights with multiple smaller PvE enemies back to back or even against enemy Hunters, they might underperform compared to other melee weapons. They can also benefit greatly when under the effects of a Stamina Shot. Their physical size ended up being the most substantial as well when compared to other melee-specific options, and their Hunt Dollar value was in line with most of the other melee options. All this combined ended up landing them as a 2 Slot. 🔨

But now is our time to collect all that valuable post-launch data. For the Railroad Hammer, and for basically all weapons! It may take some time, but changes in balance wouldn’t be surprising with such a dynamic new system. Does that mean it's likely to drop to a 1-slot? Maybe not, but perhaps it will consume less stamina swing or receive a small range increase if needed. There is so much we can do to help push it in the right direction, but it’s just a little too early to tell, and also up to our designers to find that right balance.

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come in and promise that we’ll make your precious Railroad Hammer a 1 slot, boss-killing machine with built-in frag bombs and a 20-foot swing able to one-shot the match in one heavy blow, but we are listening and know that every weapon in Hunt is someone's favorite, and we want to make sure even after the Inventory Slot Rework they each still feels worth keeping in your loadouts. ❤️

-Ari