Monster Hunter Wilds brings a host of exciting changes, new features, and quality-of-life enhancements to the beloved Monster Hunter series. Interestingly, the seeds for these innovations were planted during the crossover events of Monster Hunter World, influenced by collaborations with Final Fantasy 14 and The Witcher 3. The insights shared by Final Fantasy 14's director, Naoki Yoshida, during the FFXIV crossover, along with the positive feedback from The Witcher 3 crossover, directly shaped key gameplay elements in Monster Hunter Wilds.

How Final Fantasy XIV’s Director Influenced Monster Hunter Wilds

During the collaboration on the Monster Hunter: World and FFXIV crossover, Naoki Yoshida, known affectionately as Yoshi-P, suggested to Monster Hunter Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda that players appreciate seeing the names of their attacks displayed on screen as they execute them. This feedback led to the introduction of a new HUD feature in Monster Hunter Wilds, as depicted in the image above.

This concept was subtly introduced during the 2018 FFXIV crossover event in Monster Hunter: World, which was a significant collaboration featuring unique elements like catchable Cactuars, a giant Kulu-Ya-Ku with a crystal hunted to the Chocobo music, and the stylish Drachen armor set. A highlight of this event was the challenging Behemoth fight, where attack names appeared on screen during the battle, much like in many MMORPGs. You can see this in action in the video below.

Upon completing the repel quest for Behemoth, players unlocked the Jump emote, inspired by the Dragoon’s movements in Final Fantasy. When performing this emote, the text "[Hunter] performs Jump" appeared on screen, marking a unique instance of attack names being displayed in Monster Hunter prior to Wilds.

Drachen armor set, Gae Bolg Insect Glaive, and Dragon Soul Kinsect were part of the FFXIV collaboration in Monster Hunter World, courtesy of Capcom.

How The Witcher 3 Influenced Monster Hunter Wilds

Yuya Tokuda, the director of Monster Hunter Wilds, drew inspiration from The Witcher 3, particularly after the successful crossover in Monster Hunter: World. The positive player response to playing as Geralt of Rivia, with his voiced dialogues and interactive conversations, prompted the inclusion of a speaking protagonist and more dialogue options in Monster Hunter Wilds.

In the Monster Hunter: World and The Witcher 3 crossover, players stepped into Geralt's shoes, experiencing voiced interactions and dialogue choices, a stark contrast to the silent protagonists of previous Monster Hunter games. This approach is now reflected in Monster Hunter Wilds, where your character engages in conversations with NPCs, as seen in the image below.

Monster Hunter Wilds' customizable protagonist initiating dialogue with Alma, an NPC.

Although the development of Monster Hunter Wilds was not underway during the release of World's collaborations, Tokuda was already envisioning future possibilities. He specifically sought to include a The Witcher 3 collaboration in World, a decision that paid off handsomely.

This fascinating insight was shared during our exclusive visit to Capcom’s Japan offices as part of this month’s IGN First. Be sure to check out the full hands-on final preview of Monster Hunter Wilds, new in-depth interviews, and other exclusive gameplay from January’s Monster Hunter Wilds IGN First, including:

• Behind Monster Hunter Wilds' New Approach to Starting Weapons and Hope Series Gear
• Monster Hunter Wilds Interview and Gameplay: Meet Nu Udra, Apex of the Oilwell Basin
• Evolving Monster Hunter: How Capcom’s Belief in the Series Made it a Worldwide Hit
• Monster Hunter Wilds: Gravios Returns in This Exclusive Gameplay