As 2025 draws to a close, Monster Hunter Wilds remains a standout title in the gaming world, hailed as one of the year's best releases. By all accounts, it was a smash hit right out of the gate, with Steam player counts peaking at nearly 1.4 million—making it the fifth-highest all-time peak on the platform, even outpacing heavyweights like Elden Ring and Dota 2. Believe it or not, despite this roaring success, Capcom has shockingly labeled the game a failure. The company announced in March that Monster Hunter Wilds sold a whopping 8 million units in just three days, setting a record as Capcom's fastest-selling game ever. Fast forward to July 2025, and sales had crossed the 10 million mark, yet Capcom insists it fell short of expectations because it didn't give other franchise titles—think Devil May Cry and Resident Evil—the same boost. Talk about a tough crowd! 😮

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Capcom's president, Haruhito Tsujimoto, spilled the beans in a May interview with Nikkei, revealing that while the game met internal sales goals for the first month by exceeding 10 million units, sales hit a wall afterward. Tsujimoto pointed fingers squarely at the PS5's steep price tag, calling it an "unexpectedly large barrier." He broke it down: the console costs around ¥80,000 (roughly $540), and when you factor in software and monthly subscriptions, the total jumps to about ¥100,000 ($675) at purchase. That's not exactly pocket change, especially for the younger crowd, and this issue isn't just a Japan thing—it's a global headache. Tsujimoto emphasized, "This is not an easily affordable price," adding that Capcom's next challenge is to overcome these hurdles through sales events and strategies to get the game into more hands throughout the year. For what it's worth, this price barrier has been a real buzzkill for potential buyers. 🚫💰

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On the flip side, player reception has taken a nosedive despite the game's initial critical acclaim. Recent Steam reviews have been overwhelmingly negative, with fans airing their grievances loud and clear about performance issues on PC. Patch 1.021, released earlier, didn't address these problems, leaving players feeling like they got the short end of the stick. An update is slated for later this month, but for now, the discontent is palpable. Here's a quick rundown of the key issues players are griping about:

  • Performance hiccups: Frequent frame rate drops and crashes that make gameplay a slog.

  • Lack of fixes: Patch 1.021 ignored major bugs, leading to frustration.

  • Overall sentiment: Steam reviews are "mostly negative," with many users calling it unplayable in its current state. 😔

Looking at the bigger picture, Monster Hunter Wilds' journey in 2025 has been a rollercoaster. On one hand, it shattered records and became a cash cow for Capcom; on the other, external factors like the PS5's affordability and internal bugs have thrown a wrench in the works. Capcom is now doubling down on plans to reignite sales with promotions, but only time will tell if they can turn this ship around. After all, in the gaming world, it's not just about hitting numbers—it's about keeping the fans happy and the barriers low. 🎮✨