Monster Hunter Wilds: Weapon Creation Challenges Revealed

Monster Hunter developers face a significant challenge: creating new weapon types for the series. This article delves into the complexities of weapon balancing and reveals news about the upcoming MH Wilds x MH Now collaboration event.

Monster Hunter Wilds Developers Consider Adding a New Weapon Type

A 15th Weapon Type Remains a Possibility

With over a decade of consistent weapon options, the Monster Hunter series might benefit from a fresh addition. In a February 16, 2025 interview with PCGamesN, Monster Hunter Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda discussed the possibility of introducing a new weapon type.

Monster Hunter Wilds offers 14 weapon types, a selection unchanged since Monster Hunter 4 and the introduction of the Insect Glaive. While Tokuda expressed interest in creating a new weapon, he explained that the decision to hold off on adding one in MH World and Wilds stemmed from resource allocation: "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 difficulty lies in designing a weapon that doesn't overly overlap with existing ones. 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's Approach to Weapon Refinement in Monster Hunter Wilds

Capcom continues to innovate, refining weapons for MH Wilds with additions like Focus Mode and Power Clash. While incorporating community feedback from the beta, Tokuda emphasized a commitment to preserving the core feel of each weapon: "We don’t want to change anything so drastically that it doesn’t feel like that weapon any more."

Weapon balancing across titles is a meticulous process. Tokuda explained, "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."

Balancing MH Wilds' weapons presented unique challenges, particularly considering Iceborne's additions to existing weapons: "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 this, MH Wilds represents a fresh start, with a deliberate overhaul of existing mechanics: "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 will launch Phase 2 of its collaboration event with MH Wilds on February 28, 2025, to celebrate the latter's release. This phase introduces the Chatacabra, 12 Hope weapons from MH Wilds, and two new layered armors (Hope armor style and a Seikret mount-themed armor).

MH Now players can earn vouchers for MH Wilds items (Mega Potion, Dust of Life, Energy Drink, Well-done Steak, and Dash Juice) through limited-time quests, redeemable on any platform.

In an February 18, 2025 press briefing for Season 5, Niantic Senior Producer Sakae Osumi hinted at future collaborations: "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 launches February 28, 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.