Capcom Reveals Monster Hunter Wilds at The Game Awards 2023

Capcom is stepping up to the plate for its next home run swing in 2025.

Image: Capcom

While Monster Hunter Rise eventually made its way to platforms beyond the Nintendo Switch, it was never really presented as the “sequel” to Monster Hunter World. But now the day has come, and Capcom’s new biggest game was revealed during the 2023 Game Awards: Monster Hunter Wilds.

Monster Hunter Wilds is currently looking at a 2025 release window, and is marked to launch for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Notably, like many of the other multiplatform games during this year’s event, there is no sign of a Nintendo Switch logo. The implications there are further out, but for now, it’s a clear message. We’re looking at the next “World.”

When Monster Hunter World launched in 2018, it was a sea change in the gaming world. Capcom seems to have a knack for making that kind of impact, albeit with significant gaps of time between each one. Resident Evil 4? Street Fighter 2? Monster Hunter World.

What was originally an obscure PS2 game that evolved into a PSP series only truly successful in Japan, Monster Hunter World made this IP a AAA juggernaut practically overnight. Wilds is going to be what fans of World have been waiting for since then, although information is obviously scarce. According to the folks at Capcom during the show, we’ll learn more about Monster Hunter Wilds come Summer 2024.

The previous title, Monster Hunter Rise, wasn’t a bad game; it was almost just as well-received as World! But it was limited by its Nintendo Switch origin point, having to dial back and make compromises compared to World in certain areas. The perception of Wilds being the “next” one is largely due to the limiters being removed in that crucial, technical sense. You can tell just from the brief trailer shown during The Game Awards that there will be plenty of game to digest this time, from the scope to the visual fidelity.

Of course, we’ll truly get a taste of what to expect later next year.