In the lead-up to its global launch, Monster Hunter Wilds shattered pre-order records on both Steam and PlayStation, effortlessly following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Monster Hunter Rise (2022) and Monster Hunter: World (2018). These staggering sales figures reaffirm Capcom's Monster Hunter series as a juggernaut in the video game industry, a testament to its enduring appeal and global reach.
Yet, the journey to this point was not always smooth. A mere decade ago, the notion of a Monster Hunter game achieving such widespread acclaim seemed improbable. Flash back to 2004, when the original Monster Hunter game debuted to mixed reviews, and the idea of global domination would have been unthinkable. It wasn't until the series transitioned to the PSP with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite in 2005 that it truly exploded in popularity, albeit primarily in Japan.
For years, Monster Hunter epitomized the "big in Japan" phenomenon. The reasons were straightforward, as this article will explore, but Capcom remained steadfast in their mission to crack the international market. Their perseverance paid off, as evidenced by the global success of Monster Hunter: World, Rise, and now Wilds.
This is the story of how Monster Hunter transformed from a domestic sensation to a global powerhouse.
Around the time of Street Fighter 5's launch in 2016, Capcom underwent a significant internal reorganization to prepare for a new generation of games. This overhaul included transitioning to the company's new RE Engine, replacing the outdated MT Framework. However, this shift was more than just a technological upgrade; it reflected a new mandate to create games that resonated with a global audience, not just territory-specific fans.
"It was a combination of factors," says Hideaki Itsuno, a former game director at Capcom renowned for his work on Devil May Cry. "The engine change, along with a clear goal for all teams to develop games that appeal to the global market, games that are fun for everyone."
During the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, Capcom's attempts to cater to the perceived "Western games market" yielded mixed results. While the action-heavy Resident Evil 4 was a success, other efforts like Umbrella Corps and the Lost Planet series, which chased Western gaming trends, fell short. Capcom realized the need to craft games that appealed universally, not just to fans of specific genres.
"We had a clear goal of focusing on creating good games that would reach people from all over the world," Itsuno emphasizes. "The lead-up to 2017 was pivotal, with organizational and engine changes coming together," he adds, noting that Resident Evil 7's launch that year marked the beginning of a Capcom renaissance.
No other series encapsulates this new global focus better than Monster Hunter. While it had dedicated fans in the West, the series was significantly more popular in Japan for decades. This wasn't because Monster Hunter was intended to be a Japan-only phenomenon, but rather due to real-world factors.
Monster Hunter found immense success moving from the PlayStation 2 to the PSP with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Japan's robust handheld gaming market, driven by devices like the PSP, DS, and more recently, the Switch, played a crucial role. According to Ryozo Tsujimoto, the series' executive producer, a key factor in Monster Hunter's success in Japan was the country's advanced wireless internet infrastructure, which enabled seamless multiplayer gaming.
"Twenty years ago, Japan's network environment was highly developed, allowing people to connect and play online together," Tsujimoto explains. "By moving to handheld systems, we expanded our player base, enhancing multiplayer interaction."
Monster Hunter, built on the foundation of cooperative play, thrived in this environment. However, this focus on the local market inadvertently branded Monster Hunter as a "Japan-only" series, with exclusive content and events further reinforcing this perception.
Despite this, Monster Hunter had a devoted following in the West, eagerly watching from the sidelines as Japanese players enjoyed exclusive content. As global internet infrastructure improved and online play became standard, Tsujimoto and his team seized the opportunity to launch Monster Hunter: World, their most ambitious and globally accessible game to date.
Released in 2018 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Monster Hunter: World marked a monumental shift for the franchise. Designed for powerful consoles rather than handhelds, it offered AAA-quality action with enhanced graphics, expansive areas, and larger monsters.
"Our approach to globalizing the series ties into both our design themes and the game's name," Tsujimoto shares. "Calling it Monster Hunter: World was a nod to our goal of appealing to a worldwide audience."
It was crucial that Monster Hunter: World did not favor one market over another. The game launched simultaneously worldwide, with no Japan-exclusive content, aligning with global standards. Tsujimoto and his team also conducted extensive global focus tests to refine the game's systems and enhance its appeal across different regions.
"We conducted focus tests and user tests worldwide, and the feedback we received significantly influenced our game design and contributed to our success as a global title," Tsujimoto notes.
One key adjustment from these tests was displaying damage numbers when players hit monsters, a simple yet effective tweak that helped propel Monster Hunter to unprecedented heights. Previous games typically sold between 1.3 to 5 million copies, but Monster Hunter: World and its 2022 follow-up, Monster Hunter Rise, both exceeded 20 million in sales.
This growth was no accident. Rather than altering Monster Hunter's core to suit Western tastes, Tsujimoto and his team made the series more accessible to a broader audience without compromising its essence. This strategy continues with the latest installment, Monster Hunter Wilds.
"At its core, Monster Hunter is an action game, and mastering that action brings a sense of accomplishment," Tsujimoto explains. "For new players, reaching that point is key. We analyze where players struggle, what's hard to understand, and gather feedback to design new systems, as seen in World, Rise, and now Wilds."
Within 35 minutes of its release, Monster Hunter Wilds reached 738,000 concurrent players on Steam, more than doubling Monster Hunter: World's peak. With glowing reviews and promises of future content, Monster Hunter Wilds is poised to surpass even the achievements of World and Rise, continuing the series' mission to conquer the global gaming market.
