From Acclaim to Critique: The Decline of Monster Hunter Wilds and Its Future in the Hands of Capcom

In February 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds was released to critical acclaim, boasting a "Mighty" rating on OpenCritic and an 88 Metascore based on 107 critic reviews. The game was praised for its combat system and gameplay loop, but in recent months, it has experienced a significant decline in reception on Steam. The game now has an "Overwhelmingly Negative" rating with more than 8,300 negative reviews.

The initial launch of Monster Hunter Wilds was met with high expectations, but fans have since become critical of the game for various issues. Technical problems on the PC version, microtransactions, a lackluster user interface (UI), and a lower monster count compared to past Monster Hunter entries have all been cited as reasons for the decline in reception. Players have also expressed dissatisfaction with the open-world elements of the game, which they believe do not serve a meaningful purpose for gameplay.

Many players have noted the lack of optimization for Monster Hunter Wilds, with some claiming that performance has worsened over time. Others are not enthused about the lack of new monsters and reference datamines from Monster Hunter Wilds near the time of launch, which had assets for monsters that were subsequently released in post-launch updates. Additionally, many players are unhappy with the overall responsiveness and usability of weapons, while others point out that there is a low volume of monsters that produce fun and engaging encounters.

Despite these criticisms, Capcom is expected to share some new details about the future of Monster Hunter Wilds during the June 26 Capcom Showcase. This event will likely have new details about the second Title Update for Monster Hunter Wilds, and if Capcom is closely monitoring feedback, some crucial fixes and changes could be made in that new update.

In conclusion, Monster Hunter Wilds has gone from a surefire Game of the Year contender to an "Overwhelmingly Negative" game on Steam due to various issues that have been encountered by players. While it is still too early to say whether these issues will be addressed in future updates, it is clear that fans are eagerly awaiting any changes or improvements to the game that will bring it back to its initial promise.