Pocketpair Grants Day Off for Monster Hunter Wilds Launch After 'Mysterious' Staff Notes

The developer of Palworld, Japanese studio Pocketpair, has generously given its staff a day off to enjoy the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds. As reported by Automaton, Pocketpair shared on social media that several employees mysteriously claimed they would be "feeling unwell" on the game's release day, February 28. In a heartwarming gesture, Pocketpair declared this day a sort of holiday for their team, though they assured fans that this wouldn't impact updates on their own games.

Monster Hunter Wilds has made a spectacular debut, boasting an impressive 1 million concurrent players on Steam, securing its place among Steam's top 10 most-played games of all time. This puts it ahead of heavy hitters like Baldur’s Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy, and Elden Ring. Despite this success, the game has received a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official guidance to address PC performance issues. Capcom has also teased early details about Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub for players.

The launch's impact is felt worldwide, with a particularly strong reception in Japan. Automaton highlighted a humorous post from a Japanese indie developer who claimed not to have sold a single game on Steam since Monster Hunter Wilds was released. This isn't the first time Pocketpair has shown such support for its staff; they previously offered a day off when FromSoftware's Elden Ring hit the market in 2022.

To help you dive into the world of Monster Hunter Wilds, we've gathered resources to kickstart your adventure. Check out what the game doesn't tell you, a comprehensive guide to all 14 weapon types, and our ongoing Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough. For those looking to play with friends, our multiplayer guide has you covered. If you participated in one of the open betas, learn how to transfer your Monster Hunter Wilds Beta character over.

IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds awarded it an 8/10, noting that "Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge."