FFXIV, Witcher 3 Inspire Monster Hunter Wilds in IGN Exclusive

Monster Hunter Wilds: A Legacy Forged in Crossovers

Monster Hunter Wilds boasts numerous innovations and quality-of-life enhancements. But its development was subtly shaped by earlier crossover events in Monster Hunter World, specifically collaborations with Final Fantasy XIV and The Witcher 3. These collaborations weren't just fun additions; they served as crucial testing grounds for features ultimately implemented in Wilds.

Naoki Yoshida, director of Final Fantasy XIV, offered a key suggestion during the FFXIV crossover event. He noted players' preference for seeing attack names displayed on-screen in real-time. This directly inspired the new HUD feature in Monster Hunter Wilds, showcasing attack names as they're performed. This builds upon a small precedent set in the Behemoth fight within the World crossover, where the boss's attacks were similarly labeled. The inclusion of the "Jump" emote, mirroring Final Fantasy's Dragoon class, further exemplifies this influence.

The overwhelmingly positive player reception to the Witcher 3 crossover proved equally impactful. The success of Geralt's voiced interactions and dialogue choices in Monster Hunter: World led to the decision to incorporate a speaking protagonist and expanded dialogue options in Monster Hunter Wilds.

The Witcher 3 collaboration served as a valuable experiment, demonstrating player enthusiasm for more narrative depth and character interaction. Director Yuya Tokuda, while not actively developing Wilds at the time of the crossovers, recognized the potential and used the feedback to inform the direction of the new game.

This insightful approach to development, leveraging the success of past collaborations, highlights Capcom's commitment to player feedback and innovative design. The result is a Monster Hunter experience enriched by the lessons learned from these significant partnerships. For a deeper dive into Monster Hunter Wilds, explore IGN First's exclusive coverage, including gameplay previews and interviews.