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Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds has stormed the gaming landscape with a record-shattering debut, drawing 1.2 million concurrent Steam players within nine hours of launch. The figure marks the biggest PC launch in Capcom’s history, dwarfing Monster Hunter World’s all-time Steam peak of 334,684 players and securing the seventh spot on Steam’s all-time most-played list.
The action-RPG’s explosive start outpaced giants like Elden Ring (953K peak), Baldur’s Gate 3 (875K), and Cyberpunk 2077 (1.05M), and it’s set to outpace Dota 2’s 1.29 million record. Despite launching during off-peak hours in key regions, the game’s concurrent numbers are expected to climb through the weekend.
However, the triumph is tempered by widespread criticism of the PC version’s performance. Over 50% of Steam reviews are negative, with players citing “atrocious optimization,” crashes, and framerate instability even on high-end rigs like RTX 3080 Super/4070 systems. “This game is absolutely amazing – but has the worst optimisation I’ve ever seen,” reads one top review, contrasting the game’s visuals with its demanding hardware requirements.
Capcom has advised players to update graphics drivers and disable compatibility mode to mitigate issues, while analysts note the backlash mirrors Monster Hunter World’s rocky 2018 PC launch. The publisher’s decision to include Denuvo DRM has also drawn ire, with some blaming it for performance woes.
The hype for Wilds has reignited interest in its predecessor, Monster Hunter World, which sold 1 million copies in late 2024 ahead of the sequel’s release. Capcom now faces pressure to stabilize Wilds’ PC version quickly, as the company aims to sell 11.08 million new-title units by March 2025.
With console player counts yet to be disclosed, Monster Hunter Wilds is poised to challenge World’s lifetime sales of 28 million—if Capcom can address its technical shortcomings. As one reviewer lamented: “This game is everything wrong with PC optimization in 2025”
