Capcom couldn't have hoped for a better environment to release Monster Hunter Wilds into. Monster Hunter was already ascendant: World was a breakout success that thrust the series into global awareness, and after glutting itself on Elden Ring the gaming public had a mainstream interest in precise, demanding third person combat and systems-heavy buildcraft. At launch, that math held true. In three days, Monster Hunter Wilds had sold a triumphant 8 million copies—the fastest-selling launch in Capcom's history.
10 months later, the story of Monster Hunter Wilds has a very different tone. On Steam, its review rating hangs at a middling Mixed, having intermittently plunged to Mostly Negative when updates either neglect or worsen the game's profound performance issues. By July, its sales had collapsed—and after news broke that it had gone from 10 million launch sales to less than 500,000 in a quarter, Capcom's stock price plummeted alongside.
