After a strong start, sales of Monster Hunter Wilds have begun to slow down, with players complaining about numerous issues, primarily concerning game optimization. Capcom has been working hard to address these problems and still hopes to eventually surpass the sales of Monster Hunter: World, which remains Capcom's best-selling game of all time with 22.1 million copies sold.
The following is an excerpt from the Q&A session of the recent Q1 2027 earnings call:
"The continuous improvement in the technical performance of Monster Hunter Wilds has driven sales growth. At the same time, we have seen positive player response to the upcoming major expansion, Lingyue, and its related pricing strategies. We plan to continue improving game optimization, aiming to surpass the total sales of Monster Hunter: World in the medium to long term."
With over 11.4 million copies sold, the game is more than halfway to its goal, and Capcom has begun taking various measures to attract more players.
Just yesterday, Capcom released the "Prologue" demo, which includes the opening hours of Monster Hunter Wilds. It supports offline play, allowing players to fully experience character creation, all 14 weapon types, and the story up to Chapter 1, Section 3, "Head to the Forest." After the demo, players can seamlessly transfer their save data to the full version on the same platform to continue their adventure in the Forbidden Lands.
Furthermore, Capcom announced a permanent price reduction for the base game to 198 yuan to attract more buyers. Additionally, a version for Nintendo Switch 2 is currently in development, which will make Monster Hunter Wilds accessible to a broader audience.
Of course, the success of the "Lingyue" expansion pack, scheduled for release next year, is crucial. The expansion will introduce a new area called "Sky Nest," a series of floating islands and ancient ruins where players can ride Seikret mounts and glide between islands using updrafts. The combat system will also undergo significant innovations, with new "Enhanced Bracers" adding new attack methods, combos, and movement options for all 14 weapon types.
"Lingyue" also returns to the series' traditional "Master Rank" difficulty, raising the challenge ceiling and unlocking higher-tier equipment crafting. Regarding monsters, CAPCOM confirmed that the Elder Dragons Kushala Daora and Lao-Shan Lung will return, with the latter not having appeared since Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate. Additionally, the Sky Nest introduces new aerial threats specifically designed for that area.
