The Latest Monster Hunter Release Falling Behind Its Predecessor in Unit Sales
Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter Wilds has sold 10.7 million copies following its release on February 27. Although this seems substantial, the latest installment is losing ground by the earlier game from four years ago, Monster Hunter Rise, which outperformed by around 150,000 copies in the last financial quarter.
Performance Metrics Of the Games
At the end of June, Capcom reported Monster Hunter Wilds had sold about 10.5 million copies. Now, the total stands at 10.7 million. Meanwhile, Monster Hunter Rise had reached 17.5 million by the end of June and currently sits at 17.8 million. It's well known that Monster Hunter games often have long sales tails. As an example, Rise sold 7.5 million copies 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 perform better than a fresh title, especially so soon after launch.
Community Feedback and Common Complaints
The company remained silent on this anomaly in the earnings document. Yet, a brief review at fan discussions across platforms offers clues into the preference for earlier games. Among the top grievances:
- Large maps with no exploration incentives
- Hunts considered too easy by veterans
- A lackluster postgame
- Minimal challenge and advancement feeling
- Persistent technical problems for PC users
Post-Launch Support Comparison
Most significantly, infrequent post-release support is notable. The developer provided a regular update schedule for Monster Hunter Rise after its debut. By the time it reached 7.5 million sales in the fall of 2021, Rise had benefited from six significant updates that added fresh creatures, expanded difficulty settings, and regular missions. During a comparable period, Wilds has had five patches, some of which only added cosmetics or slightly tweaked existing hunts.
Admittedly, a portion of the earlier game's patches only included collaboration events, but Wilds has seen few collaborations. Rise featured crossovers with popular franchises in its first five months. Wilds has only had a Street Fighter event and a FFXIV partnership.
Four months have passed since Capcom added a new monster to Wilds, and just three new beasts have appeared post-release. Rise received three additional creatures in month two and more following the PC launch. The company revealed Rise's expansion, Sunbreak, in the autumn of 2021, and there's no indication of a Wilds expansion so far. The trend is evident.
