Capcom has confirmed that Monster Hunter Wilds will not change the current microtransaction system used in the series upon release. You can still make extra purchases for special layered armor and the like, but spending more money on the game will not net you any pay-to-win style bonuses after launch. So if you’re an avid hunter looking forward to finding the best weapon switch combo, you don’t need to worry about in-game purchases giving someone else the advantage.
With the Monster Hunter Wilds release date approaching, my excitement for the RPG is through the roof. After jumping onto the series with Rise, I became instantly hooked by the long preparation and battle loop, as there’s nothing better than taking down a big beastie after hours of effort.
While we wait for Monster Hunter Wilds, then, YouTuber ‘Rurikhan’ sat down with some of the development team at Capcom to ask some of the community’s most burning questions, and talk of DLC and microtransactions was a big one.
“The basic layered armor system, so-called transmog, will be unlocked at a certain point as you progress through the game and once you unlock it you’ll freely be able to create any layered armor,” game director Yuyu Tokuda says via a translator. “We do also have plans to make some extra special layered armor that will be available as paid DLC.”
“We’re sticking with the same direction we’ve always had,” producer Ryozo Tsujimoto adds when asked about pay-to-win concerns.
New event armor, weapons, and post-launch monsters have always been a tradition in Monster Hunter, with each coming to the game for free. Premium gestures, dances, stickers, and layered armor have also been made available, but none of this has ever been pay-to-win.
You could buy the Street Fighter Hadoken and Shoryken gestures in Monster Hunter World with each doing minuscule damage, but using those to kill a monster is more about bragging rights or finishing them off with a bang than paying to fight better. Either way, it’s good to hear that Capcom doesn’t want to change how it puts microtransactions in Monster Hunter anytime soon. The team is even getting rid of gender-locked armor in Monster Hunter Wilds, so we’re all going to look great come launch.
Rurikhan also asks the team about player fears that Monster Hunter Wilds’ new weapon-switching mechanic will just lead to everyone buffing themselves with the Hunting Horn. “I’m aware that it’s a hot topic in the community,” Tokuda says. “The system where you can choose any two weapons is important and I don’t want to limit people from choosing the Hunting Horn if they want to do that. I also want to make it so that the Hunting Horn buffs you apply will remain on you even if you change back to another weapon.”
“The concern that it’s some sort of balance breaker where people will be permanently buffed is something I’m aware of, and we’re working to make sure it remains a balanced system so the Hunting Horn doesn’t become the only viable secondary weapon.”
If you can’t wait to learn more about the next entry in Capcom’s series we’ve got all you need to know about Monster Hunter Wilds Focus Mode, otherwise, there are plenty of great games like Monster Hunter to keep you busy while you wait.
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