The development team behind Monster Hunter Wilds is grappling with the challenge of introducing a new weapon type to the series. Dive deeper into their process of balancing weapons for each title and get the scoop on the upcoming MH Wilds x MH Now collaboration event.
Monster Hunter Wilds Developers Considering Adding A New Weapon Type
15th Weapon Type Not Off The Table
After more than a decade with the same arsenal, the Monster Hunter series might soon see the introduction of a new weapon type. In a revealing interview with PCGamesN on February 16, 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda shared insights on the possibility of expanding the series' weapon lineup.
Monster Hunter Wilds offers players a choice of 14 weapon types, unchanged since the introduction of the Insect Glaive in Monster Hunter 4 over a decade ago. Tokuda expressed the team's ongoing interest in creating a new weapon type, noting, "It’s not off the table for any particular reason, it’s just that we never really decided that we wanted to for the recent titles."
The challenge lies in crafting a weapon that complements the existing lineup without redundancy. Tokuda elaborated, "With each title, we always adjust all the weapon types and maybe bring new concepts to them and their relationships with each other to make them feel fresh. We also bring new depth with new combos and moves. The resources and time that it takes to do that is something that, in every case since the last weapon was added, we’ve always decided were better spent bringing the whole lineup to a better place than to simply start adding another new one in."
Capcom On Tweaking Weapons For Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom's commitment to innovation shines through in Monster Hunter Wilds with adjustments aimed at capturing the desired essence of the game. Features like Focus Mode and Power Clash have been introduced, reflecting the team's responsiveness to community feedback during the MH Wilds beta. Tokuda emphasized the importance of maintaining the identity of each weapon, stating, "We don’t want to change anything so drastically that it doesn’t feel like that weapon any more."
Discussing the approach to weapon balancing, Tokuda shared, "We have a concept in mind for each title where we think, ‘This is how the Insect Glaive will feel, this is how the Great Sword will feel.’" He stressed the importance of player feedback, noting, "That’s just a concept, though – you can design it and test it, but it’s really only when the players get it in their hands that you can see if the concept is matching the reality and they’re having the experience you thought they would have."
Regarding specific challenges in MH Wilds, Tokuda admitted, "With the weapons in Wilds, one particularly difficult balancing decision was with the predecessor title being Iceborne, a lot of things were added to each weapon’s upper echelons of moves and abilities, because it was an expansion and was adding in the master rank difficulty level." He explained the need for a fresh start, saying, "People who were playing a given weapon in Iceborne were assumed to have mastered the basics and it was going beyond that with adding new combos and moves and abilities."
Tokuda emphasized the importance of aligning weapon changes with the game's overall vision, stating, "That was something that I took a lot of care to decide – not just to keep things because players liked it in the last game, but [ask if] it actually fits in with my concept for the play feel of this game."
Monster Hunter Now x Monster Hunter Wilds Collaboration Event Phase 2
Monster Hunter Now is set to launch phase 2 of its collaboration event with MH Wilds, celebrating the latter's imminent release. Starting February 28, 2025, players can encounter Chatacabra in MH Now and acquire 12 Hope weapons from MH Wilds. Additionally, two new layered armors, the Hope armor style and a Seikret mount-themed armor, will be available.
Players can also earn vouchers for MH Wilds by completing limited-time quests in MH Now, redeemable for items like Mega Potion, Dust of Life, Energy Drink, Well-done Steak, and Dash Juice across all platforms where MH Wilds will be available.
During a press briefing for Season 5 on February 18, 2025, Niantic Senior Producer Sakae Osumi hinted at future collaborations, stating, "This is the beginning of the collaboration between Monster Hunter Wilds and Monster Hunter Now, and we are planning to do more down the road. I would like to get more monsters from Wilds. We will work on it closely with Capcom."
Monster Hunter Wilds is scheduled for release on February 28, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates by checking out our article below!
