How World's FFXIV and The Witcher 3 Collabs Inspired Monster Hunter Wilds - IGN First

Monster Hunter Wilds: A Legacy Forged in Collaboration

Monster Hunter Wilds boasts significant changes, new features, and quality-of-life enhancements. But its evolution wasn't solely driven by internal development; key collaborations significantly shaped its design. Specifically, insights from Final Fantasy XIV's director, Naoki Yoshida ("Yoshi-P"), during the FFXIV crossover, and the positive player response to the Witcher 3 crossover, directly influenced core gameplay elements.

Yoshi-P's suggestion, shared during a reveal event, to display attack names on-screen in real-time, directly led to a revamped HUD in Monster Hunter Wilds. This feature, initially glimpsed in the 2018 FFXIV crossover event in Monster Hunter: World (featuring the challenging Behemoth fight and the memorable "Jump" emote text), found its full realization in Wilds. The Behemoth fight, mirroring many MMORPGs, already displayed attack names, laying the groundwork for this innovation.

The success of the Witcher 3 crossover proved equally impactful. The positive player reception to the inclusion of dialogue choices and a speaking protagonist in that collaboration solidified the decision to incorporate similar features into Monster Hunter Wilds. The Witcher 3 crossover, featuring Geralt, provided a successful test case for player engagement with a more narrative-driven approach.

In contrast to previous iterations, Monster Hunter Wilds' protagonist is now voiced and engages in conversations with NPCs, a direct result of the learnings from the Witcher 3 collaboration. Director Yuya Tokuda actively sought the Witcher 3 collaboration, recognizing its potential to inform the direction of future Monster Hunter titles.

This information comes from an exclusive IGN First visit to Capcom's Japan offices. For a complete hands-on preview, in-depth interviews, and exclusive gameplay, check out January's Monster Hunter Wilds IGN First coverage.