Monster Hunter Wilds Trailing The Previous Game in Sales Figures
The developer revealed that Monster Hunter Wilds has moved 10.7 million copies following its release on February 27. Despite these impressive numbers, the new title is being outsold by its four-year-old predecessor, Monster Hunter Rise, which outperformed by around 150,000 copies in Capcom's previous fiscal quarter.
Performance Metrics Of the Games
By June's close, Capcom reported Monster Hunter Wilds had sold about 10.5 million copies. Currently, sales have reached 10.7 million. Meanwhile, Monster Hunter Rise achieved 17.5 million at that time and has now climbed to 17.8 million. Many acknowledge that the series often have long sales tails. As an example, Rise shipped 7.5 million units in the initial half-year, but needed two years plus releases on multiple platforms to reach the 12 million mark. Nevertheless, it's quite rare for a previous game to outsell a new release, especially so soon after launch.
Player Reactions and Common Complaints
Capcom did not comment on this anomaly in the earnings document. Yet, a quick look at various Monster Hunter communities offers clues into why players are sticking with older titles. Frequent complaints include:
- Expansive areas lacking reasons to explore
- Gameplay viewed as simplistic by experienced players
- A lackluster postgame
- General lack of friction and progression
- Ongoing performance issues on PC
Update and Content Analysis
Most significantly, infrequent post-release support is notable. Capcom maintained a regular update schedule for Monster Hunter Rise after its debut. When it hit 7.5 million sales in September 2021, Rise had received six major patches that added fresh creatures, enhanced challenge options, and regular missions. In the same timeframe, Wilds has had five patches, including minor cosmetic additions or slightly tweaked existing hunts.
Sure, a portion of the earlier game's patches only included collaboration events, but Wilds has seen few collaborations. Rise featured Mega Man, Okami, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter Stories events in its first five months. Wilds has only had a Street Fighter event and a FFXIV partnership.
Four months have passed since a new creature was introduced to Wilds, and just three new beasts have been added since launch. Rise received three additional creatures in month two and several more in subsequent title updates. Capcom announced Rise's expansion, Sunbreak, in the autumn of 2021, and no signs have emerged of a Wilds expansion so far. The message is clear.
