The Monster Hunter developers face the challenge of innovating new weapon types for their iconic series. Dive into their process of balancing weapons for each game and learn about the exciting 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 array of weapons, the Monster Hunter (MH) series is poised to potentially introduce a new weapon type. In a recent interview with PCGamesN on February 16, 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda discussed the possibility of adding a new weapon type to the series.
Monster Hunter Wilds will offer players a choice of 14 weapon types, unchanged since the introduction of the Insect Glaive in Monster Hunter 4. Tokuda expressed the team's ongoing interest in creating a new weapon, noting that it has been considered during the development of MH World and Wilds. "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," he explained.
Tokuda highlighted the challenge of designing a new weapon that complements the existing lineup without overlapping too much. He elaborated, "With each title, we always adjust all the weapon types and perhaps introduce new concepts to them and their interrelationships to keep them fresh. We also add new depth with new combos and moves. The resources and time required to do this have, in every case since the last weapon was added, been better utilized in enhancing the entire lineup rather than adding a new weapon."
Capcom On Tweaking Weapons For Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom continues to innovate, adjusting weapons to fit the vision they have for MH Wilds, including features like Focus Mode and Power Clash. The team has taken community feedback from the MH Wilds beta into account, but Tokuda emphasized, "We don’t want to change anything so drastically that it doesn’t feel like that weapon anymore."
He also discussed their approach to weapon balancing for each game, stating, "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.’" Tokuda added, "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 matches reality and they’re having the experience you thought they would have."
Regarding weapon adjustments for 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 continued, "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."
Nonetheless, MH Wilds aims to be a fresh start as the team decided to overhaul everything. Tokuda emphasized, "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 to celebrate its upcoming release. The event will feature Chatacabra in MH Now, along with the introduction of 12 Hope weapons from MH Wilds. Players can also look forward to two new layered armors: the Hope armor style and a Seikret mount-themed armor. Phase 2 of the MH Wilds x MH Now collaboration event is scheduled to start on February 28, 2025.
Additionally, MH Now players can earn vouchers for items usable in MH Wilds by completing limited-time quests. These items include Mega Potion, Dust of Life, Energy Drink, Well-done Steak, and Dash Juice. The vouchers can be redeemed on any platform where fans play MH Wilds.
In a press briefing for Season 5 on February 18, 2025, Niantic Senior Producer Sakae Osumi discussed future collaborations with MH Wilds. "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," Sakae stated. "I would like to get more monsters from Wilds. We will work on it closely with Capcom."
Monster Hunter Wilds is slated for release on February 28, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay tuned for the latest updates on Monster Hunter Wilds by checking out our dedicated article!
