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The unimagined success of Capcom’s latest action RPG, Monster Hunter Wilds, is something no one expected. When the game was initially announced, the hardcore franchise fans were excited about this game, but after the release, the entire scenario changed. Within three days of its global release, this game has crossed 8 million sales units across the globe, and most importantly, that’s not only the hardcore fans of the Monster Hunter franchise. This unprecedented success of the game has placed it as the fastest-selling game by Capcom and set a benchmark for other games to reach.
The Monster Hunter franchise of Capcom has always been one of the best RPG series to bring significant success. Starting from 2004, this franchise has launched multiple main entries and spinoffs to continue the series, and more or less all of them have performed well. Until now, the success of Monster Hunter World was the milestone, which sold five million copies within this same timeframe. Released in 2018, in its entire time frame, this game has sold over 21 million units.
Now, coming to Monster Hunter Wilds’ record-breaking sales, the numbers indicate that it will soon surpass its predecessor, probably within a year.
This massive success can’t be caused by one single factor. Therefore, there are a few things that magically worked for this success. Below are the reasons that have worked for the game to reach this height:
Global Appeal: Monster Hunter games generally feature visually impressive worlds, but there has never been an open world like Monster Hunter Wilds. Among several new features, Capcom introduces the game's expansive open world with intricate ecosystems and diverse monster designs. These features have instantly captivated players worldwide.
Marketing and Community Engagement: While the game was made well, Capcom tried its best to maximize its popularity at launch with robust marketing strategies. This has created a community-driven hype, which played a pivotal role in this success. Additionally, to make players aware of what they would get, Capcom arranged an online beta test. These strategies worked like magic.
Cooperative Gameplay: The final thing that players love about Monster Hunter Wilds is its emphasis on cooperative hunts and social interaction. These elements were never in these games, so this integration made players excited about collaborative experiences. The game's design encourages teamwork, enhancing replayability and community building.
The record-breaking sales of Monster Hunter Wilds not only makes things heightened for Capcom, but it also has a significant effect on the entire gaming industry:
Steam Milestones: Monster Hunter Wilds was released on almost all the platforms together, including Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Though the player count on the consoles isn’t yet confirmed, on its launch day, the game has reached well over one million concurrent players on Steam, which has led it to create a new milestone on Steam of reaching over 40 million users online.
Market Influence: The next factor that was impacted by this game's record-breaking sales is the confidence of the developers and publisher. The high sales of the game have significantly boosted the spirit of Capcom’s team to bring more impressive titles in the future.
This success is massive, but still, Capcom’s latest RPG has been going through technical difficulties, especially on PC. Many PC players have reported performance issues, which is gradually turning players’ reactions on Steam from positive to mixed. Anyway, Capcom is proactive about this game and has released patches to fix these issues and balance stability and performance.
Monster Hunter Wilds’ record-breaking success has set the pace this year that other games must maintain to survive in the turbulent time of the industry. No matter what the situation is, combining innovative gameplay, strategic marketing, and community engagement still captivates players, and Capcom has proved it evidently.
