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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From$12Subscribe now Gamescom 2025 schedule Battlefield 6 Horror Special New Games for 2025 Recommended reading Monster Hunter A bruised Capcom escapes "Overwhelmingly Negative" Steam hell as Monster Hunter Wilds' recent user reviews climb to 20% positive Monster Hunter Capcom announces yet more great Monster Hunter Wilds changes that really won't matter at all until the PC port is fixed Monster Hunter Alarms must be blaring at Capcom: Monster Hunter Wilds dropped from 10 million sales in a month to under 500k in 3 months, falling behind years-old games as the PC port remains busted Monster Hunter I've waited literal months for these Monster Hunter Wilds changes, and I don't say this lightly, but I think we might actually be back Monster Hunter Monster Hunter Wilds is getting more PC improvements, but they don't seem to address the CPU issues tanking the game's performance Monster Hunter Analyst says stumbles like Monster Hunter Wilds' PC fiasco are only getting uglier with intense competition: "A prominent streamer or YouTuber can single-handedly, by showing one screenshot, really impact what the perception of a game is" Monster Hunter After fears it wouldn't, Capcom has addressed Monster Hunter Wilds' CPU issues on PC, but it's not out of the woods just yet Action RPGs Monster Hunter Monster Hunter Wilds What is wrong with Monster Hunter Wilds? Another debate burns besides difficulty and PC performance: has Capcom removed too much of the classic charm? Austin Wood 18 August 2025 Even if Monster Hunter Wilds ran perfectly, it would still see heated debates When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Capcom) The latest Monster Hunter Wilds patch is a perfect distillation of everything people like and dislike about the game, with its community appearing split between different fans pushing for different visions. The patch added yet another difficulty tier, a new endgame grind in the form of talismans with random skills, and a raft of weapon balance changes (that I was a big fan of as a lance main). It is, by and large, good stuff, though we're still severely lacking in increasingly overdue performance improvements, especially on PC. Because Monster Hunter Rise started as a Nintendo Switch exclusive, Monster Hunter Wilds marks the first time since Monster Hunter World – which dramatically grew the series' audience – that a new mainline game in the series has launched on almost all major platforms (Nintendo is excluded). It's the most accessible, modern Monster Hunter yet, and 10 million people bought it in a month. We see debates about difficulty, style, and variety with every new Monster Hunter game, but those discussions have seemed especially fierce with Wilds. You may like A bruised Capcom escapes "Overwhelmingly Negative" Steam hell as Monster Hunter Wilds' recent user reviews climb to 20% positive Capcom announces yet more great Monster Hunter Wilds changes that really won't matter at all until the PC port is fixed Alarms must be blaring at Capcom: Monster Hunter Wilds dropped from 10 million sales in a month to under 500k in 3 months, falling behind years-old games as the PC port remains busted We're seeing the effects of audience expansion, with different player demands colliding and Capcom struggling to please both sides in patch after patch. If you ask how hard the game should be, how long hunts should take, and where difficulty should come from, you'll get very different answers depending on who you ask. Capcom seems desperate to add new content to sustain the game's player base until the inevitable Master Rank DLC arrives, as evidenced by the fact that the latest update moved up several features and changes previously planned for a separate, future patch. The new difficulty tier, for instance, answers requests for more of a challenge. Some people are happy to feel threatened by monsters again, but other people are quickly getting tired of being killed in one or two hits by monsters they previously didn't have much, or nearly as much, trouble with. This ever-growing tower of difficulty reveals some inelegance in Wilds' post-launch updates. We now have 9-star versions of Tempered monsters outdoing Arch-Tempered variants meant to be special, end-all name-takers. Similarly, is a grade-5, 8-star monster more dangerous than a grade-3, 9-star? Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. (Image credit: Capcom) Only a small selection of monsters have 8-star and 9-star versions, and which monsters are available to hunt at any given time is unpredictable – this funnels players into a small pool of hunts that neglect some of Wilds' best original creatures. The strongest monsters are getting stronger, but Capcom seems unable or unwilling to quickly bring a broader variety of monsters and gear up to the level of the current endgame standard, landing the game in a sort of purgatorial pseudo-Master Rank. I don't think any previous Monster Hunter game has made such dramatic difficulty leaps within six months of launch, and it can feel like Wilds is a ship being pushed around by waves of community demands. In another example, the return of random talismans answered cries for more buildcrafting freedom under the new split armor and weapon skills, but it's also torqued the power level of mixed armor sets to 11, devouring would-be design space for future gear and necessitating stronger monsters that can keep up with players. You also want to hunt the strongest monsters to get the best talismans, putting players back on a wheel that routinely sees half their health bar disappear in two frames. One path here is making those monsters so dangerous that you're strongly encouraged to sacrifice some offensive skills in favor of defensive ones, but then we're back to the difficulty debate. (Image credit: Capcom) When Monster Hunter Wilds was released, with seamless food buffs and quest joining, readily obtainable rare drops, a full-throated narrative, no guild multiplayer hub (added later), new Focus Mode attacks, and a combat system infused with reactive Offset attacks, many longtime series fans wondered if Capcom had sanded off too much of the friction and charm that gave the series its own identity. In almost every update since, Capcom has seemingly sought to add some of that friction back in. This new patch added a lot of it, forcing players to take on brutal monsters if they want to get the very best randomly rolled gear. Some people love the direction Wilds is headed, others find it offputting, and others still can't play it at all, because it reduces their PC to ashes. I've been monitoring Monster Hunters discussions across forums, videos, and social media for months, and this tug-of-war feels eternal. Make this harder, make this easier, make this take longer, make this more rewarding. This patch brought it to a boil, so I wanted to dive in. The backdrop to all this is the unassailable fact that Wilds is a critical darling (our Monster Hunter Wilds review gave it high marks) and became Capcom's fastest-selling game ever. But based on sharply declining sales, it does seem that the optics on the game, perhaps extending beyond its busted PC port, have had an impact. My mind goes to the devs championing sicko games made for niche communities, trusting that those games can draw outsiders in if they are good enough. Looking at all the back-and-forth in Wilds' post-launch updates, I do wonder if Capcom has perhaps spent too much energy trying to build a game for everyone. Monster Hunter Wilds 1.021 is already getting a second hotfix just days after launch, as Capcom confirms that stealth Long Sword nerf was accidental. See more PC Gaming News Xbox Series X PlayStation Austin Wood Social Links Navigation Senior writer Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. A bruised Capcom escapes "Overwhelmingly Negative" Steam hell as Monster Hunter Wilds' recent user reviews climb to 20% positive Capcom announces yet more great Monster Hunter Wilds changes that really won't matter at all until the PC port is fixed Alarms must be blaring at Capcom: Monster Hunter Wilds dropped from 10 million sales in a month to under 500k in 3 months, falling behind years-old games as the PC port remains busted I've waited literal months for these Monster Hunter Wilds changes, and I don't say this lightly, but I think we might actually be back Monster Hunter Wilds is getting more PC improvements, but they don't seem to address the CPU issues tanking the game's performance Analyst says stumbles like Monster Hunter Wilds' PC fiasco are only getting uglier with intense competition: "A prominent streamer or YouTuber can single-handedly, by showing one screenshot, really impact what the perception of a game is" Latest in Monster Hunter Monster Hunter Wilds 1.021 is already getting a second hotfix just days after launch, as Capcom confirms that stealth Long Sword nerf was accidental Monster Hunter Wilds' new update splits the community like never before: performance issues remain, and now difficulty complaints are back with some players saying fellow fans don't "know what the f*** they want" I've waited literal months for these Monster Hunter Wilds changes, and I don't say this lightly, but I think we might actually be back Monster Hunter Wilds update expands endgame content as Capcom addresses negative Steam reviews regarding optimization and commits "to delivering a more enjoyable and satisfying gaming experience" A bruised Capcom escapes "Overwhelmingly Negative" Steam hell as Monster Hunter Wilds' recent user reviews climb to 20% positive Capcom announces yet more great Monster Hunter Wilds changes that really won't matter at all until the PC port is fixed Latest in News Final Fantasy 10 and Kingdom Hearts writer Kazushige Nojima is "delighted" to learn his games have made you all cry: "There's nothing more joyful" Valve founder Gabe Newell is doing billionaire things again with the $300 million purchase of a ship the size of an NFL football field designed to explore the deepest parts of the ocean Valve makes major change to Steam user reviews with new "language-specific" scores enabled by default – which could explain or minimize review bombs "This dude’s gonna single-handedly delay GTA 6 for several years": Bold truth seeker asks if GTA 5 street signs are actually legal, commissions a mod that corrects Rockstar's many mistakes The Conjuring: Last Rites popcorn bucket features everyone's favorite haunted doll – and I don’t want that thing in my house Longlegs director's new psychedelic horror movie traps She-Hulk star in a cabin with her husband and a load of dark secrets GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS This D&D-style board game "pairs gentle strategic fun with tempting press-your-luck mechanics" for a very good time Sword of the Sea review: "Joyous, fluid hoverboarding connects together everything I loved about Journey and The Pathless" This D&D board game could be the magic item needed to refresh your game nights, but it won't be a critical hit for everyone OFF review: "Undertale fans need to play this RPG that inspired it – I can't believe it took this stellar remake to get me to step up to the plate" Drag x Drive review: "I'm left craving Arms' sauce from Nintendo's twitchy yet shallow basketballer, which feels like a tech demo" Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian" The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids." 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