Monster Hunter developers face a significant challenge in creating new weapon types for the series. Delve into their process of balancing weapons for each title and explore the latest news on the MH Wilds x MH Now collaboration event.
Monster Hunter Wilds Developers Considering Adding A New Weapon Type
15th Weapon Type Not Off The Table
The Monster Hunter (MH) series, after over a decade with the same weapon lineup, is contemplating introducing a new weapon type. In an insightful 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 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 revealed the team's interest in exploring a new weapon type, noting that the idea was 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 integrating a new weapon without it overlapping with existing ones. He elaborated, "With each title, we always adjust all the weapon types and introduce new concepts to them and their relationships with each other to keep them feeling fresh. We also add new depth with new combos and moves. The resources and time required for this process have always been better spent enhancing the entire lineup rather than introducing an entirely new weapon."
Capcom On Tweaking Weapons For Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom continues to innovate by adjusting weapon mechanics to fit the vision for MH Wilds, including the introduction of 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."
Discussing 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 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 noted, "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."
Nevertheless, MH Wilds aims to be a fresh start with a complete overhaul. Tokuda stressed, "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 to ensure 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 will launch phase 2 of its collaboration event with MH Wilds to celebrate its upcoming release. This event will introduce Chatacabra to MH Now and offer players 12 Hope weapons from MH Wilds. Additionally, two new layered armors, the Hope armor style and a Seikret mount-themed armor, will be available. Phase 2 of the MH Wilds x MH Now collaboration event is scheduled to begin on February 28, 2025.
MH Now players can also earn vouchers for items usable in MH Wilds by completing limited-time quests, including Mega Potion, Dust of Life, Energy Drink, Well-done Steak, and Dash Juice. These vouchers can be redeemed on any platform where players enjoy MH Wilds.
In a press briefing for Season 5 on February 18, 2025, Niantic Senior Producer Sakae Osumi shared plans for 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 said. "I would like to get more monsters from Wilds. We will work on it closely with Capcom."
Monster Hunter Wilds is set to launch on February 28, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news on Monster Hunter Wilds by checking out our article below!
