Monster Hunter Wilds Bugs and MTX Can't Stop Massive Launch

Monster Hunter Wilds boasts over 1 million concurrent Steam players despite a wave of mixed reviews. Let's delve into the game's PC performance and current issues.

Monster Hunter Wilds: A Launch Plagued by Problems

Mixed Reception on Steam

Despite mixed Steam reviews, Monster Hunter (MH) Wilds has achieved a remarkable feat: over 1 million concurrent players. SteamDB reports an all-time peak of 1,384,608 concurrent players at the time of writing, significantly surpassing its predecessors. MH World peaked at 334,684 players, and MH Rise at 231,360. However, MH Wilds' Steam page currently displays a "Mixed" rating, with only 57% positive reviews out of 54,669. Negative reviews frequently cite poor PC optimization and performance issues.

Capcom Addresses PC Performance Concerns

Capcom has acknowledged the negative feedback regarding MH Wilds' PC performance. The official Monster Hunter Status account on Twitter (X) responded on February 28, 2025, providing solutions. Their support website offers troubleshooting steps, including updating graphics drivers, installing the latest Windows updates, performing a clean video driver installation, and more. Persistent issues are addressed through a detailed troubleshooting thread on the Steam community page.

Game-Breaking Bug Halts Story Progression

A critical bug is currently preventing players from progressing through the story. The necessary NPC for Main Mission: Chapter 5-2 "A World Turned Upside Down" is missing, halting gameplay. Monster Hunter Status confirmed awareness of this issue on March 2, 2025, and stated they are actively working on a resolution. Further issues, such as the unavailability of "Grill a Meal" and "Ingredient Center" features (despite meeting requirements) and Smithy access problems, have also been reported and addressed with hotfixes across various platforms.

Character Customization Locked Behind Microtransactions

Altering character and Palico appearance in MH Wilds requires microtransactions. The "Monster Hunter Wilds - Character Edit Voucher Three-Voucher Pack" ($6.00) allows three character customization attempts and is available on all digital storefronts. While basic adjustments (hair, eyebrow and facial color, makeup, clothing) are free, further changes necessitate purchasing this voucher. A $10 voucher offers three edits for both character and Palico. Despite this, Capcom is offering a single free character edit voucher. These microtransactions, absent during the testing phase, were previously announced by Capcom.

Monster Hunter Wilds is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For the latest updates, refer to our related article.