Monster Hunter Wilds: No New Weapons Due to Design Challenges

The developers of Monster Hunter Wilds are grappling with the challenge of introducing a fresh weapon type to the series, which has remained unchanged since the Insect Glaive was added in Monster Hunter 4 over a decade ago. In a recent interview with PCGamesN on February 16, 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda discussed the possibility of adding a 15th weapon type to the game. With 14 weapon types already available, the team is keenly aware of the difficulty in creating something new that doesn't overlap with existing options. Tokuda remarked, "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 emphasized the importance of balancing and refreshing the current lineup, stating, "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 adjustments in Monster Hunter Wilds reflects their commitment to innovation while maintaining the essence of each weapon. The introduction of features like Focus Mode and Power Clash showcases their efforts to evolve the gameplay experience. Tokuda highlighted the importance of community feedback from the MH Wilds beta, yet stressed the need to preserve the core identity of each weapon, saying, "We don’t want to change anything so drastically that it doesn’t feel like that weapon any more." He also discussed the process of weapon balancing, noting, "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." Tokuda further elaborated on the challenges of balancing weapons post-Iceborne, where advanced moves and abilities were added, and how MH Wilds aims to be a fresh start, carefully considering what fits the new game's play feel.

In exciting news for fans, Monster Hunter Now is set to launch phase 2 of its collaboration event with Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, 2025, coinciding with the release of MH Wilds. This event will introduce Chatacabra to MH Now and offer players 12 Hope weapons from MH Wilds, along with two new layered armors: the Hope armor style and a Seikret mount-themed armor. Players can also earn vouchers for items like Mega Potion, Dust of Life, Energy Drink, Well-done Steak, and Dash Juice by completing limited-time quests, which can be redeemed across various platforms where MH Wilds is available. During a press briefing for Season 5 on February 18, 2025, Niantic Senior Producer Sakae Osumi expressed enthusiasm for future collaborations, 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 scheduled for release on February 28, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth coverage on Monster Hunter Wilds by checking out our related articles.