Monster Hunter Wilds: No New Weapons Due to Design Challenges

Discover the challenges Monster Hunter developers face when creating new weapon types and how they balance weapons for each title. Also, get the latest updates 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

The Monster Hunter (MH) series, known for its diverse arsenal, might soon introduce a new weapon type. In an interview with PCGamesN on February 16, 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda discussed the potential addition of a 15th weapon type to the series.

Currently, 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 ongoing interest in innovating with new weapons, 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."

The challenge lies in designing a weapon that complements the existing lineup without overlapping functionalities. 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 with Monster Hunter Wilds by introducing new mechanics like Focus Mode and Power Clash. The development team has taken community feedback from the MH Wilds beta into account, yet Tokuda emphasized maintaining the essence of each weapon, stating, "We don’t want to change anything so drastically that it doesn’t feel like that weapon any more."

Balancing weapons for each new title is a meticulous process. Tokuda explained their approach, "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.’ 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 specific adjustments for MH Wilds, Tokuda noted the challenge of transitioning from Iceborne, 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 added, "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 offer a fresh start. Tokuda stressed the importance of aligning weapon mechanics with the game's overall vision, "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 on February 28, 2025, celebrating the upcoming release of Wilds. 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.

Players can also earn vouchers for various items usable in MH Wilds by completing limited-time quests in MH Now. These items include Mega Potion, Dust of Life, Energy Drink, Well-done Steak, and Dash Juice. Vouchers can be redeemed on any platform where fans play MH Wilds.

In a press briefing for Season 5 on February 18, 2025, Niantic Senior Producer Sakae Osumi shared future plans for the collaboration, 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. Stay tuned for more updates on Monster Hunter Wilds by checking out our related articles!