New Weapons Absent in Monster Hunter Wilds Due to Design Challenges

The development team behind Monster Hunter Wilds is grappling with the challenge of introducing a new weapon type to the series. Dive into the intricacies of their weapon balancing process and get the scoop on 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

For over a decade, the Monster Hunter (MH) series has maintained the same arsenal of weapons. However, the introduction of a new weapon type could breathe fresh life into the franchise. In an insightful interview with PCGamesN on February 16, 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda discussed the possibility of adding a new weapon 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. Tokuda revealed that the team has considered adding a new weapon type, stating, "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 highlighted the challenge of finding a weapon that complements the existing lineup without overlapping too much. 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 continues to innovate within the Monster Hunter series, making strategic adjustments to weapons to align with the vision for MH Wilds. Features like Focus Mode and Power Clash have been introduced to enhance gameplay. The team has taken community feedback from the MH Wilds beta into account, but as Tokuda noted, "We don’t want to change anything so drastically that it doesn’t feel like that weapon any more."

Tokuda delved into the weapon balancing process for each title, explaining, "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 is matching the reality and they’re having the experience you thought they would have."

Regarding weapon adjustments for MH Wilds, Tokuda acknowledged the challenges, saying, "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."

Despite these challenges, MH Wilds aims to be a fresh start. 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, celebrating the upcoming release. Players can expect to encounter Chatacabra in MH Now, as well as receive 12 Hope weapons from MH Wilds. Two new layered armors, the Hope armor style and a Seikret mount-themed armor, will also be available. The second phase of the MH Wilds x MH Now collaboration event kicks off on February 28, 2025.

Additionally, MH Now players can earn vouchers for various items to use 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 players enjoy MH Wilds.

In a press briefing for Season 5 on February 18, 2025, Niantic Senior Producer Sakae Osumi shared future plans for collaborations with MH Wilds, 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 slated for release on February 28, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Keep up with the latest updates on Monster Hunter Wilds by checking out our article below!