Monster Hunter Wilds Trailing Its Predecessor in Sales Figures
Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter Wilds has moved 10.7 million copies since its launch on the 27th of February. Despite these impressive numbers, the latest installment 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 Two Titles
By June's close, the figures showed Monster Hunter Wilds had sold roughly 10.5 million units. Now, the total stands at 10.7 million. Meanwhile, Monster Hunter Rise achieved 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 shipped 7.5 million units in its first six months, but needed two years plus releases on multiple platforms to reach the 12 million mark. Nevertheless, it's quite rare for an older series entry to outsell a new release, especially so soon after launch.
Community Feedback and Frequent Criticisms
Capcom did not comment on the unusual trend in the earnings document. However, a brief review at fan discussions across platforms offers clues into why players are sticking with older titles. Frequent complaints include:
- Expansive areas lacking reasons to explore
- Gameplay viewed as simplistic by experienced players
- A lackluster postgame
- General lack of friction and progression
- 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 September 2021, Rise had received six major patches that added fresh creatures, enhanced challenge options, and regular missions. In the same timeframe, Wilds has had five patches, some of which only added cosmetics or slightly tweaked existing hunts.
Sure, 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 seen just a fighting game collaboration and a FFXIV partnership.
It's been four months since a new creature was introduced to Wilds, and only three fresh critters have appeared post-release. Rise received three additional creatures in its second month and several more in subsequent title updates. 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.
