Capcom says it wants Monster Hunter Wilds to outsell World ‘over the medium to long term,’ but it’ll need to muster a lot of sales momentum to get there
Monster Hunter Wilds enjoyed a record-breaking debut in February 2025, yet failed to sustain momentum as player criticism mounted over technical performance problems and design decisions. By year's end, earlier Monster Hunter titles were outselling the newest entry, marking a significant disappointment following its strong start. Capcom attributes the slowdown to these technical and creative missteps that alienated the player base during a critical period.
In response, the publisher has publicly committed to overtaking Monster Hunter: World—currently the franchise's bestseller with over 30 million copies sold—by continuing technical refinements, releasing the Ascendance expansion, and reducing the game's price. Early 2026 patches have already yielded modest sales improvements, and Capcom claims the expansion announcement and discount have generated renewed interest. However, bridging a widening sales gap against a mature title with years of post-launch support represents a substantial challenge that will require sustained player engagement over an extended period.
- Monster Hunter Wilds launched successfully in February 2025 but saw declining sales by mid-year, facing criticism for technical and creative issues
- Capcom has set an ambitious goal to eventually exceed Monster Hunter: World's 30+ million lifetime sales through performance improvements and new content
- Recent patches, the announced Ascendance expansion, and a price reduction have shown early sales recovery, though Wilds still faces a significant sales gap