Monster Hunter Wilds Took Over Five Years to Develop Due to Monster Hunter World's Success

The upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds has been in development for over five years, a timeline influenced significantly by the unprecedented success of Monster Hunter World. Released in 2018, Monster Hunter World became a massive hit for Capcom, attracting a vast new audience to the franchise and setting high expectations for future entries.

When Monster Hunter Wilds launches in 2025, it will have been seven years since Monster Hunter World’s release. With Monster Hunter World becoming Capcom's best-selling game ever, boasting 26.3 million copies sold worldwide earlier this year, it’s no surprise that Capcom aimed to meet the high demands of its expanded player base.

In a recent interview with Game Developer, art director Kaname Fujioka shed light on the extended development period for Monster Hunter Wilds. He revealed that the development team also contributed to Monster Hunter Rise and its Sunbreak DLC, further extending their workload. Fujioka noted that the influx of new players required a deeper focus on understanding and meeting their diverse needs. "The more people came on board, the more we had to think about how we actually meet our users' needs when we start a new project," Fujioka explained.

Fujioka emphasized that the growing player base brought a wide range of skill levels and experiences, necessitating extensive research and development before Monster Hunter Wilds could enter full production.

Series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto humorously remarked that game director Yuya Tokuda "felt" the prolonged development period the most. Tokuda expressed a strong desire to explore the "monster ecosystem" that originally intrigued him about the series over two decades ago. He acknowledged that bringing this vision to life in Wilds has been resource-intensive, particularly in terms of time. "We’ve reached a point where we can push the boundaries, not just in graphical quality, but in creating a living, breathing world," Tokuda stated.

Tsujimoto also highlighted the importance of maintaining the momentum of a blockbuster hit like World. He discussed enhancing the series' immersive and seamless experience, aiming to take it to the next level in Wilds.

Monster Hunter Wilds is slated for release in 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Our preview of the game reveals why a 30-minute demo captivated our writer and sparked an interest in the series, despite being a newcomer.

Additionally, it has been confirmed that Monster Hunter Wilds will feature DLC that is purely cosmetic, with no "pay-to-win" items, staying true to the series' commitment to fair play.