Monster Hunter Wilds Rushed Its Expansion to Fight a Sales Slump

Monster Hunter Wilds launched strong in February, with Capcom reporting 8 million sales in just three days, making it the best launch in the franchise’s history. The game broke records across platforms and was the top-selling title in the U.S. during Q1. But just a few months later, the hype is clearly fading.

New sales data released in Capcom’s quarterly earnings report paints a different picture from the early celebration. From April to June, Wilds only moved 477,000 units. That put it just ahead of Monster Hunter Rise, which sold 389,000 copies during the same period, even though it came out four years ago. Wilds barely secured the 9th spot in Capcom’s internal rankings for the quarter, and Rise followed closely in 10th.

To be fair, neither game is delivering spectacular numbers right now, but what stands out is the steep drop Wilds has taken. In February, Capcom celebrated a total of 10.1 million units sold, the vast majority of which came in the first week. The slide has been quick. As of July 5, Wilds still holds the title of best-selling game of 2025 in the U.S. thanks to its launch. But in June, it didn’t even make the top 20 in Circana’s monthly rankings.

Why did it fall off this hard? Players point to the endgame. While the core hunt-loop is polished and familiar, long-term fans say it feels hollow compared to previous entries. Seasonal events like Festival of Accord: Flamefete, which started on July 23, are fun—bringing in new quests, cosmetics, and themed gear—but the depth just isn’t there for people who want to keep playing for months.

Then there are the PC issues. While console versions are relatively stable, the PC build continues to suffer from performance drops and lag that haven’t been fully fixed, despite several post-launch patches. That includes the recent update that made time-limited Arch-tempered monsters like Rey Dau and Uth Duna permanently available—something fans requested for months.

Even with those changes, the core frustration with endgame pacing remains. Some players have taken things too far, directing harassment toward Capcom developers on social media over the state of the game. That’s never okay. But the rising tension has led the studio to move fast. The next big content update, previously scheduled for the end of September, will now launch on August 13.

The previous expansion, released on April 3, introduced update 1: new monsters and social areas, along with a tougher quest difficulty tier, revamped reward system, weapon balancing changes, and various other adjustments. While Capcom didn’t confirm if this update would fix the ongoing PC performance issues, it was clearly designed to re-engage the core player base.

The team has also kept seasonal momentum going through cosmetic add-ons. The Flamefete DLC pack, which launched alongside the event, adds water guns, themed hunter gear, stickers, and nameplates. NPCs like Alma, Gemma, and Erik have new summer outfits, and there are camp gear cosmetics to unlock. It’s clear Capcom is still pushing frequent content, even if it’s not solving the deeper issues yet.

This shift comes after Capcom was already dealing with slowdowns in its other franchise titles. Last year, Monster Hunter Rise was steadily declining in quarterly sales, going from 725,000 in Q1 to 384,000 in Q4. Wilds was supposed to take the torch, but it hasn’t kept the flame going.

That said, Capcom isn’t giving up on Wilds. Despite soft sales and vocal backlash, the studio is still actively developing content and responding to player requests. In interviews, they’ve acknowledged the disappointment around the endgame and confirmed that more permanent features will continue to be added in upcoming updates.

Whether it’s enough to save the long-term player base remains to be seen. The core loop of Monster Hunter Wilds is still engaging, the design and creature animations are as strong as ever, and the studio has made it clear they’re not done yet. But the momentum of 8 million sales in just three days won’t carry it forever.

If Capcom wants Wilds to have the staying power of World or even Rise, the next few updates need to be more than seasonal fluff. There’s still time to turn things around—but players are watching closely.