Monster Hunter Wilds director Takuro Hiraoka says Capcom is adjusting its approach to difficulty for the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance expansion after realizing that players were more skilled than the development team initially anticipated.
Difficulty has been one of the more complicated aspects of Monster Hunter Wilds since its launch. Some players initially considered the campaign too easy, while later updates that increased monster damage generated criticism for relying too heavily on raw difficulty spikes.
In an interview with PC Gamer at Tokyo Game Show 2026 source, Hiraoka explained that Capcom’s original priority was ensuring newer players could actually finish the game.
Capcom Says Monster Hunter Wilds Players Exceeded Expectations
Hiraoka described balancing difficulty as
“one of the most challenging things to get right in a game.”
According to the director, Capcom wanted to avoid creating a difficulty curve that could cause players to abandon Wilds before completing its story.
“In my mind, that’s where the difficulty curve should be for Wilds, and I think we achieved that—but the player base was so good and so skilled. We had a bit of a gap in expectations. Maybe players got better than we expected in the intervening years,”
Hiraoka said.
He explained that Capcom was also responding to lessons from Monster Hunter: World. The previous game attracted a much larger audience, but some players reportedly stopped playing before finishing the story because the difficulty became too demanding.
With Wilds, Capcom attempted to avoid repeating that situation. However, Hiraoka acknowledged that the studio’s assumptions about the modern Monster Hunter audience did not completely match reality.
Ascendance Will Save Its Toughest Challenges for the Endgame
For Ascendance, Capcom wants to strike a different balance. The expansion is being designed so players can experience its story without requiring them to be among the most experienced hunters, while the endgame will provide substantially tougher challenges for players looking for something more demanding.
“We expect that if you purchase the DLC, you’re going to want to see as much of the story that we’ve presented as possible,”
Hiraoka said. He added that the endgame loop is intended to satisfy players who want to push their skills much further.
This approach could allow Capcom to address complaints from both sides of the Wilds difficulty debate. Newer players should be able to progress through the expansion, while veteran hunters will have more demanding content waiting beyond the main story.
Hiraoka also clarified expectations surrounding the new Boost Bracer mechanics. Although promotional gameplay footage makes the new abilities look extremely aggressive, players will not simply remain in an overwhelmingly powerful state throughout an entire hunt.
The Boost system instead revolves around building a gauge, managing charges and choosing when to activate its limited-duration boost mode. Hiraoka said players will need to determine when these abilities are most useful rather than constantly overpowering monsters.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is scheduled to launch in 2027.
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
|---|---|
| Developer | Capcom |
| Director | Yuya Tokuda |
