Neither an MMO nor a GaaS: Monster Hunter will stay true to the battle of the individual against the beast

Monster Hunter Wilds director Yuya Tokuda and producer Ryozo Tsujimoto clear up doubts about the series' evolution and are clear about where it's going.

Monster Hunter is set to make its long-awaited return to PC and consoles on 28 February, when thousands of hunters set out to explore the Forbidden Lands in Monster Hunter: Wilds. Capcom's long-running series iterates on the 'winning formula' they started exploring in Monster Hunter World and opens up its gameplay further into more open areas where more dangerous monsters can be hunted.

And while there are now mounts, mobile camps and more, the essence of Monster Hunter remains intact, and it's something that director Yuya Tokuda and producer Ryozo Tsujimoto are clear they're going to keep. They made their stance clear during one of our questions during a Monster Hunter: Wilds presentation and preview event in Madrid, and you can watch the interview below.

When asked by our colleague Javier about whether the evolution of the series could one day turn towards a purely multiplayer title, such as an MMORPG or a GaaS, Tokuda's answer was totally revealing:

"I think Monster Hunter is based on the relationship the player has with the monster, and that's kind of a one-on-one battle," says the director. "Of course, you can play with other players, but the more people you add to that experience, I think it dilutes the real quality of what it feels like for each player to take on these big monsters in an action combat scenario."

"So if we had 50 people, 100 people all fighting the same monster I think the contribution of each individual player becomes smaller and it feels like each hunter matters less in the hunt and we want to avoid that."

So it seems that in the midst of the current gold rush to find the next game with live service, neither the Monster Hunter developers nor Capcom will take a chance on that idea, and that the hunt is more of a personal experience than a choral one. And if you want to know more about Monster Hunter: Wilds and its future, they've also dropped a hint about their plans for Nintendo Switch 2.