Monster Hunter Wilds and its 10-hour Gamescom queue was the star of the show, proving the series has truly entered the mainstream

GamesRPGMonster Hunter WildsMonster Hunter Wilds and its 10-hour Gamescom queue was the star of the show, proving the series has truly entered the mainstreamWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Capcom)

monster hunter wilds

Stepping onto the Gamescom showroom floor this year, I had no idea what the game of the moment would be for its 300,000 attendees. Some absolute bangers showed up with their grand thematic booths: Civilization 7 had a giant Roman building, knights fought in the Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 booth, and a floor-to-ceiling inflatable Goku looming over the numerous Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero demo stations.

I had a little bit of time to nosey around these booths between my appointments in the more humble-looking business areas—seeing what was hot among the public and, of course, taking a bit of time to give the Final Fantasy 14 battle challenge a whirl. I was planning to meet up with fellow writer Harvey Randall, when he texted me to say how big the Final Fantasy 14 queue was.

Upon closer inspection, however, we both realised that itwasn’tFinal Fantasy 14. This wasn’t a mass of people waiting alongside us to batter Valigarmanda and win a t-shirt. Nope, these folk were queueing for hours to try out the demo for Monster Hunter: Wilds.

If you’d asked me eight years ago if I’d ever seen Monster Hunter hit the mainstream, I would’ve said “absolutely not.” The games had their fans, sure, but I’d always considered it one of the more niche series I enjoyed. Of course, World totally changed that in 2018, and standing adjacent to the ever-growing crowd was a stark reminder of how many hunters have joined the fray in the years since its release.

(Image credit: Future)

The Monster Hunter Wilds segment of the Capcom booth at Gamescom 2024.

What was supposed to be a relatively wide walkway between well spaced out booths was slowly becoming a single-purpose funnel for fans to get their hands on Wilds. Oh, and something I totally forgot to mention:.This wasn’t even the day where it’s open to anyone and everyone who could nab a ticket. This was on thewildcard day: usually a quieter affair only open to press, trade visitors, and a handful of wildcard ticket holders.

The real fun started on day two—the first day totally open to all ticket holders—where I’m told queues were reaching upwards of 10 whole-ass hours. The queue continued to absolutely dominate the walkway, stretching halfway across the hall and covering multiple booths in its path.

The great hunt

It was easily the most popular game at the show, and the excitement is understandable. It’s the first time the game has been playable to the public and, despite a rather shaky build that crashed for multiple folks including myself, was a roaring good time. Hell, even two of my friends flew out to Gamescom specifically to play the demo—despite coming over to “loop the game,” they only managed to squeeze three tries in over two days.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

The line for #MonsterHunter Wilds is kind of wild amirite. pic.twitter.com/AOtOUnEI6sAugust 21, 2024

(Image credit: Future)

The Monster Hunter Wilds segment of the Capcom booth at Gamescom 2024.

But for Monster Hunter: Wilds, the Gamescom crowd really proved that the series is no longer the niche action game you’re trying to convince your pals is really good, actually. It’s a certified juggernaut, vastly outclassing some of the more predictably popular AAAs like Assassin’s Creed and Crimson Desert.

Ultimately, it’s a testament to Capcom for how good a job they did making World a palatable game for veterans and newcomers alike. The series was known for being frustratingly obtuse, its somewhat clunky controls turning a lot of people off. But at its core it’s always been raring fun, packed with delightful monster designs that populated gorgeous landscapes. The fact that Capcom has allowed more people to see that—to the point folk will queue 10 hours to get their hands on more—is pretty darn cool, if you ask me.

Monster Hunter Wilds weapons: Open the arsenalMonster Hunter Wilds monsters: Which beasties are backMonster Hunter Wilds preview: Our early impressionsMonster Hunter Wilds new features: What we’re psyched for2025 games: All the other releases coming this year

Monster Hunter Wilds weaponsMonster Hunter Wilds monstersMonster Hunter Wilds previewMonster Hunter Wilds new features2025 games

TOPICSCapcom

TOPICS

More about rpgCD Projekt Red boss says ‘around 100’ Witcher 3 designers still work at the company, while the Witcher 4’s story director is ‘the same person since Witcher 1’Watching an all-romances speedrun of the legendarily janky Fallout: New Vegas is a delightLatestCruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you deadSee more latest►

More about rpg

CD Projekt Red boss says ‘around 100’ Witcher 3 designers still work at the company, while the Witcher 4’s story director is ‘the same person since Witcher 1’Watching an all-romances speedrun of the legendarily janky Fallout: New Vegas is a delight

The Witcher 4 - Ciri

CD Projekt Red boss says ‘around 100’ Witcher 3 designers still work at the company, while the Witcher 4’s story director is ‘the same person since Witcher 1’

null

Watching an all-romances speedrun of the legendarily janky Fallout: New Vegas is a delight

LatestCruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you deadSee more latest►

Latest

Cruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you dead

Cruel

Cruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you dead

See more latest►

Most Popular

This bizarre roguelike has a new take on the Vampire Survivors formula: letting you build your own custom weapons out of brains, eyeballs, and chimpanzee spines

18 games the PC Gamer team can’t wait to play in 2025

The Witcher 3’s now 2-year-old bonus quest is our first taste of the ‘vibe’ CD Projekt is going for in The Witcher 4

2024 was the year updates for old games beat out all the new ones for me

Train like you game with this adventure-inspired workout

‘It’s simply impossible to make a difficulty level that’s just right for all players’: How Final Fantasy 14’s lead battle designer has been playing a precarious balancing game for Dawntrail’s dungeons and raids

Please join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)

Competitive shooters are at a crucial crossroads in 2025: ‘sweaty’ teamplay vs. casual fun

Call of Duty’s $28 Squid Game skins are the perfect crossover for our capitalist dystopia, and Activision knows exactly what it’s doing

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The great hunt#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The great hunt

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals