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

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

Monster Hunter Wilds has made a spectacular debut, achieving 1 million concurrent players on Steam and securing a spot in the platform's top 10 most-played games of all time, surpassing titles 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 on PC performance issues. Additionally, Capcom has teased early details about Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub for players.

The launch of Monster Hunter Wilds has had a significant global impact, especially in Japan. Automaton highlighted a local indie developer's humorous social media post about not selling a single game on Steam since Monster Hunter Wilds' release. This isn't the first time Pocketpair has shown such generosity; they previously allowed staff a day off to play FromSoftware’s Elden Ring in 2022.

To help you dive into Monster Hunter Wilds, we've compiled essential guides, including what the game doesn't tell you, a comprehensive look at all 14 weapon types, a detailed walkthrough, a multiplayer guide for playing with friends, and instructions on transferring your character from the open beta. IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds awarded it an 8/10, praising the game for refining the series' mechanics to deliver enjoyable combat, though noting a lack of significant challenge.