Capcom Just Referred To “Several” Free Monster Hunter Wilds Content Updates, And Now I’m Concerned

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You may recognize some individuals who invest 100 hours into Monster Hunter Worlds and later voice their dissatisfaction about a lack of content. Regrettably, I find myself among them. Now, I understand if you think my statement sounds peculiar. I’m not suggesting that I haven’t enjoyed the game or felt it wasn’t worth the price paid, but rather, I’ve experienced more rewarding and satisfying endgame content in other games previously. Despite playing far beyond the credits, I was hoping for the game to reveal new opportunities, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver on that expectation.

It’s unfortunate that Wilds isn’t getting as much recognition as Monster Hunter: World, which revolutionized the series by managing to balance its trademark complexity with accessibility. Anyone who has been playing for a while can’t avoid making comparisons, and I felt that Wilds’ endgame didn’t match up to World’s, even at launch. I had hoped that over time, with post-launch updates, Wilds would catch up, but now, after a recent tweet from the official Monster Hunter account, I’m unsure about its future.

Monster Hunter Games Keep Growing After Launch

When Capcom revealed that Wilds had sold eight million units within the initial three days post-release, they hinted that this was merely the beginning for the upcoming era of Monster Hunter.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve found that Monster Hunter Generations series follows a pattern similar to Pokemon generations. You initially get a ‘main’ title, which is often followed by a remake or spin-off, and then there are regular updates, events, and a massive DLC expansion for the main game – wrapping it all up nicely.

Based on Capcom’s “just the beginning” statement, I had a feeling we might get more content like this for Wilds. As it turns out, this is the first multi-platform ‘primary’ Monster Hunter game developed using RE Engine. Given that, I was prepared to overlook the fact that it has fewer monsters and a shorter story compared to World and Rise, assuming there would be plenty more content coming. However, I’m starting to have some reservations.

How Many Updates Is “Several”?

In simple terms, the initial free content upgrade for Monster Hunter Wilds is scheduled to release in early April, approximately one month following its debut. Capcom unveiled this update around mid-February, revealing the return of popular creature Mizutsune to the Forbidden Lands. This update will also introduce a new category of monsters with increased difficulty, surpassing tempered monsters. Although waiting a month for the first update might seem lengthy, I remain optimistic that there’s an exciting long-term strategy in place for Wilds.

On Thursday, the Monster Hunter account tweeted a promotional message about Mizutsune’s arrival, stating that Wilds will receive “multiple free content upgrades.” Multiple isn’t a specific number, but I was hoping for more than just multiple updates. I thought there would be many more updates than simply multiple.

I’d rather not dwell too much on a single term used in a tweet. It might be due to a mistranslation or perhaps Capcom is trying to keep their plans low-key, but the word “several” doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence after the game had a fairly sparse start. Just a month post-launch, we saw the Horizon Zero Dawn crossover, followed by five significant content updates within the first year. These updates included an amazing Witcher 3 campaign mission, a raid battle against Behemoth from Final Fantasy 14, the Kulve Taroth siege in El Dorado, and archtempered monsters. Referring to such a robust content roadmap as “several” updates seems odd.

In my gaming journey, before the support for “World” concluded, it brought 14 fresh monsters into the fray and 11 significant updates. On the other hand, “Rise” saw comparatively fewer updates in its inaugural year. To be honest, those updates seemed like features that should have been part of the initial package, but “Rise” shone with a more complete end-game compared to what “Wilds” offers at the moment.

It’s possible that Capcom has exciting crossovers and events planned for Monster Hunter: World, extending its life until the expansion is released. I hope this is true, but my gut feeling tells me we might not see as much Monster Hunter action as usual. The mention of “several” isn’t easing those concerns.

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2025-03-15 08:36