Monster Hunter Wilds became one of the year’s most anticipated games because of its improvements to its iconic franchise. Within the game, players explore all-new monster-filled continents on their hunt. Along with its stellar reception, the game also boasted equally impressive sales.

Within days, the latest Monster Hunter game became a commercial success and the fastest-selling game from the giant publisher, Capcom. Here is a breakdown of why Monster Hunter Wilds earned this title and what it means for Capcom and the industry.

Monster Hunter Wilds’ Speedy Sales

According to Forbes, Capcom’s latest hit, Monster Hunter Wilds, became its fastest-selling game ever. Within three days, the game sold over eight million copies, more significant than any other game in Capcom’s five-decade history. Furthermore, the game boasts over a million consecutive Steam players, a feat usually reserved for the biggest industry titans. One tool used was its multi-console release day one. By every metric conceivable, this is a powerful start.

Given the company’s long history, its reach, and the many iconic franchises it has owned, this is quite the achievement. For reference, second place goes to the Resident Evil 4 remake, one of the most iconic horror games in the medium. This puts into perspective how massive a success Monster Hunter Wilds became. The previous Monster Hunter, Worlds, sold 21 million copies total, meaning Wilds could quickly become the best-selling game from this massive series.

The Latest Entry

While the Monster Hunter franchise has always been a classic RPG, Wilds perfected many parts of its formula. This latest game follows a rookie Hunter venturing to an unexplored continent, searching for a tribe destroyed by the “White Wraith.” This latest entry features everything fans loved about the original saga, brought to their fullest potential. One of the biggest changes added was the “Skieret” mounts that help carry equipment.

The Monster Hunter franchise rose to popularity for realistically capturing the scale and even the logistics of being a hunter of beasts in such a fantastical world. Its massive world and equally huge arsenal at players’ disposal helped cement this reputation across dozens of mainline games. The series was popular enough to earn a Hollywood film adaptation in 2021, though audiences and critics panned it. As the previous game, World, was released seven years ago, Wild’s sales show how much the game’s fanbase has grown.

Capcom’s Success

In an age when many respected developers and publishers have abandoned their workers and fans, Capcom remains one of the survivors. Many other live-service multiplayer games have also failed to stay afloat, such as recent failures like MultiVersus and XDefiant. Therefore, Monster Hunter’s formula has proven its longevity, even in a constantly shifting market for multiplayer games.

Alongside Monster Hunter Wilds and its series, Capcom published many other iconic franchises, such as Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Mega-Man, etc. Achieving such impressive sales so quickly for one of their games is a strong sign for the future of their franchises. While the Monster Hunter franchise had an uphill battle reaching Western markets due to its difficulty, this massive start likely put many of those concerns to rest.

Conclusion

Monster Hunter Wilds has become the latest success for its iconic franchise. Within days, the game received critical acclaim for its design and record-breaking sales. Due to the scale of this game’s success, the series will see unprecedented fame for years.

Early sales can make or break a game’s status in the mainstream and doom others that fail to take off. The fact that the game achieved these sales shows how popular the Monster Hunter franchise has become since its inception.