The release of Monster Hunter Wilds is gradually approaching, and fans are starting to prepare for it. They discuss whether they should take vacation time for this or whether it might be wasted after all.
Why is the community asking this question? Many players want to get as much as possible from their highly anticipated game and ideally be there from minute 1. Some are even taking extra vacation to effectively use the time and enjoy the game for as long as possible in its early hours.
However, the question arises as to whether it is worth taking vacation from the release day.
With the ever-approaching release date of February 28, 2025, fans of Monster Hunter Wilds now face a dilemma. In various threads on different platforms, players (for example on Reddit) are discussing various arguments for and against taking time off in this case.
In the latest video, actress Daisy Ridley introduces you to the story of Monster Hunter Wilds:
Vacation or no vacation?
What supports taking vacation on release? Reasons they mention for wanting to take a week or more off include:
- Many want to be there from the very beginning and share their experiences with other hunters and enjoy the game
- The release day is a Friday, so taking that day off gives a long weekend for gaming
- They fear missing out or getting spoiled if they’re not there from the start
In the comments, there are mostly fans advocating for vacation, some of whom have already submitted their requests.
What does the opposing side say? In their discussion, the proponents also encounter the following counterarguments:
- Players have concerns that Monster Hunter Wilds won’t be unlocked exactly at 00:00, which would mean they might not have the whole day to play, potentially wasting a significant portion of their day
- Since the release day is a Friday, some think the vacation day would be wasted as the weekend starts the next day and most players will start then
- Some fear bugs and problems that could make the game unplayable or ruin their enjoyment – these could be addressed with a potential hotfix or patch after the release day
The most common argument against taking a vacation day right on the release is the potential instability of the game servers. Players fear there might be outages that could make the game unplayable for a longer time on that day, thus wasting their free day.
Many games, especially around the release, struggle with initial problems that often need to be resolved through day-one patches. Additionally, online games often suffer from server issues at launch (like Throne and Liberty), which is frequently discussed, for example, in this thread on Steam.
The beta as a stress test for the servers
What counters these arguments? Many from the community are trying to reassure other fans about exactly this concern. To prevent issues, there was a beta at the end of 2024, which served as a stress test for the servers.
In the beta, over 360,000 players participated within 20 minutes and there were lobbies with up to 100 simultaneous hunters. Additionally, some fans point out that there have been rather few issues in the past with Monster Hunter games (via Reddit).
The issue of the timing of the game release is also on many people’s minds and is a reasonable argument. However, if you look at the official product page of Monster Hunter Wilds, you can see the times until which you can receive the pre-order bonuses.
This could provide a hint as to when the game will be available. Accordingly, players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S would be able to start hunting monsters at midnight – PC players would have to wait until 7:00 AM (CET).
Also, the other bugs and problems that existed in the beta have been addressed or are the focus of further development until the release. Therefore, the community sees little reason to worry that a vacation day for the release would be wasted. Ultimately, whether it is worth taking vacation for the game and how long to take it, everyone will have to decide for themselves.
The editor-in-chief of MeinMMO, Leya, had the opportunity to interview the lead developer at an event in Japan, which could also alleviate some fans’ concerns: “Some beta feedback won’t be a big problem by the release” – The lead developers of Monster Hunter Wilds in the interview
