Yuya Tokuda, the game director of Monster Hunter Wilds, recently addressed several key topics in an interview, including why the development team is not interested in remaking older Monster Hunter titles, as well as the decision to adjust friendly fire mechanics.
Tokuda explained that one of the primary reasons Capcom has not pursued remakes of older Monster Hunter titles is due to the series’ reliance on online multiplayer. Each installment has been designed around the online infrastructure of its time, making it difficult to modernize without significant alterations.
“One of the barriers to trying to remaster or remake a Monster Hunter game is that it’s always been an online game with multiplayer. Each generation of Monster Hunter has been structured and built around the online capabilities of that generation, and those can be quite outdated in many cases. We now have a much better online infrastructure. Trying to go back to a game that was from 2004 and update it in a way that actually feels good to play in the modern day would probably end up making so many changes that it’s not meaningful to call it a remake or remaster of the first game. So, I think that’s one of the principal reasons we generally move forward with the series rather than look back to remakes,” Tokuda stated.
While not entirely dismissing the possibility of revisiting older games, Tokuda emphasized that the team’s focus remains on advancing the franchise with new experiences. He also noted that Capcom sees greater value in improving features in new entries, such as the implementation of crossplay in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Another topic of discussion was the decision to adjust friendly fire mechanics in Monster Hunter Wilds. Tokuda elaborated that the development team aims to create a more accessible online experience, particularly for new players.
“It doesn’t mean it’s gone forever for the rest of the series. We do take each title on its own concept and think about what it is we want people to experience in that game. For Monster Hunter Wilds, we just really wanted it to be an approachable online experience where you don’t need to know the rules of play, like don’t get near a hammer or don’t get near a hunting horn, or you’ll get smacked across the map. We don’t want anyone to think, ‘Oh, I didn’t enjoy that online experience because I didn’t know why those guys were hitting me whenever we’re supposed to be operating.’ That just wasn’t a match for my concept this time around. It doesn’t mean it’s off the table in the future, but for Monster Hunter Wilds, that’s pretty much the direction I’ve gone with.”
Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest installment in Capcom’s critically acclaimed action role-playing series and serves as the successor to Monster Hunter: World. The game is set to launch on February 28, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
