The Latest Monster Hunter Release Falling Behind The Previous Game in Sales Figures
Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter Wilds has sold 10.7 million copies since its launch on February 27. Despite these impressive numbers, the new title is being outsold by its four-year-old predecessor, Monster Hunter Rise, which sold approximately 150,000 more units in Capcom's previous fiscal quarter.
Sales Comparison Between the Games
At the end of June, the figures showed Monster Hunter Wilds reached about 10.5 million copies. Currently, sales have reached 10.7 million. Meanwhile, Monster Hunter Rise had reached 17.5 million by the end of June and has now climbed to 17.8 million. Many acknowledge that Monster Hunter games often have long sales tails. For instance, Rise sold 7.5 million copies in the initial half-year, but required two years and a multiplatform launch to reach the 12 million mark. Nevertheless, it's quite rare for a previous game to perform better than a fresh title, particularly in the early post-release period.
Community Feedback and Common Complaints
Capcom did not comment on this anomaly in the earnings document. However, a brief review at various Monster Hunter communities provides insight into the preference for earlier games. Frequent complaints include:
- Expansive areas lacking reasons to explore
- Hunts considered too easy by veterans
- Weak endgame content
- Minimal challenge and advancement feeling
- Ongoing performance issues on PC
Update and Content Analysis
Above all, the lack of consistent updates stands out. The developer provided a steady flow of patches for Monster Hunter Rise following launch. When it hit 7.5 million sales in the fall of 2021, Rise had benefited from six significant updates that added fresh creatures, enhanced challenge options, and regular missions. In the same timeframe, Wilds has had five patches, including minor cosmetic additions or slightly tweaked existing hunts.
Admittedly, some of Rise's updates focused on crossover content, but Wilds hasn't had many of those. Rise included crossovers with popular franchises in the initial months. Wilds has only had a Street Fighter event and a Final Fantasy XIV crossover.
It's been four months since Capcom added a new monster to Wilds, and only three fresh critters have been added since launch. Rise received three additional creatures in its second month 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.
