Have you ever faked a cough and called off sick just so you could spend the day immersed in a newly released game? If so, you’re in good company, and it turns out, even game developers might’ve done the same. The creators of 2024’s eagerly awaited creature collector RPG, Palworld, might understand this tactic all too well.
Japanese game studio Pocketpair recently made quite the splash when they posted an internal memo on social media. It revealed that the company declared Friday, February 28, a spontaneous holiday, giving most of the staff the day off. Their cheeky move was prompted by a slew of employees mysteriously claiming they’d be feeling under the weather that day—funnily enough, the same day Capcom’s much-hyped ARPG, Monster Hunter Wilds, hit the shelves. Quite the coincidence, don’t you think?
The memo humorously stated: "Regarding February 28th, we’ve been receiving some mysterious reports from many employees about feeling unwell tomorrow, prompting us to declare a special holiday." They also reassured fans in the same memo that updates for both Palworld and Craftopia were rolling along nicely, slated to land on time as planned.
Given Monster Hunter’s massive following in Japan, it’s no surprise that some staff at Pocketpair would want the day to dive into the latest release. Judging by its early success, it seems they weren’t alone—folks worldwide likely pulled the same stunt.
Just this morning, Monster Hunter Wilds smashed past a million concurrent players on Steam alone, dethroning Cyberpunk 2077 to clinch the spot as the seventh most played title in Steam’s illustrious history. And you can bet sites like Xbox Series X|S and PS5 are bustling just as much. Despite launching with such enormous success, bolstered by glowing reviews from critics and a high Metacritic score of 90, user feedback, particularly on PC, is less than stellar.
At the time I’m jotting this down, only about 48% of the 14,140 Steam reviews are giving positive nods, leaving the game with a "Mixed" rating. Dissatisfied players overwhelmingly point to optimization hiccups and performance issues, even on hardware that far outpaces the game’s PC requirements. Some critics and players alike have even grumbled that the game is a tad too easy—a sentiment echoed in our own review of Monster Hunter Wilds.
Jez Corden, Windows Central’s Executive Editor, aptly notes, "Without some balance adjustments, I’m unsure if Monster Hunter Wilds will match its predecessor’s staying power, though newer players might appreciate the gentler learning curve."
Despite the hurdles, most agree there’s a solid base here for Capcom to build on. After all, they’ve got a track record of nurturing their games post-launch, as seen with the 2018 hit Monster Hunter Worlds, which received years of updates and fresh content. So there’s hope yet for this new installment.
And hey, if you did take some questionable sick days only to be let down by the current state of Wilds, at least you snagged a day off. That’s a win in my book.
While Monster Hunter Wilds may not be quite up to par right now—especially for PC players—there’s still a promising path ahead. It could very well evolve into one of the top ARPGs on Xbox and PC, especially if you love battling colossal creatures. Normally priced at $69.99, you can swipe the PC edition for a smooth $58.79 on GreenManGaming.
