Julio Neves
The countdown is on! Monster Hunter Wilds is just days away from launch, and the excitement is off the charts. Many are already hailing it as a potential Game of the Year. Sure, there are still some issues with the PC version that the second beta didn’t quite fix, but players are keeping their fingers crossed that everything will be polished by the time February 28 arrives. And hopefully, that infamous ‘Polygon monster’ from the beta stays in the past.
Even after two open betas, though, there’s still a lot we don’t know about this game. What new monsters will we be facing? Which classic beasts will return to terrorize us? And, perhaps the biggest question of all: Are we finally going to get a brand-new weapon type?
What the Devs Say About Adding a New Weapon
So, is there a 15th weapon on the horizon? The answer isn’t a hard no—but it’s not a yes, either. In an interview with PCGN, Monster Hunter Wilds director Yuya Tokuda shared some insight into the possibility of expanding the iconic 14-weapon roster. According to Tokuda, adding a new weapon is something the team always considers at the start of development. It’s never completely off the table. But creating something that feels fresh, useful, and balanced alongside the existing weapons is a major challenge.
“When we start development of games such as World and, recently, Wilds, we always consider whether or not this is the time to add another weapon type,” Tokuda said through a translator. “It’s not off the table for any particular reason, it’s just that we never really decided that we wanted to for the recent titles.”
The Challenge of Balancing Weapons
Why is it so difficult to introduce a new weapon? The problem, according to Tokuda, goes beyond simply designing cool moves or mechanics. It has to fit into the ecosystem of weapons without stepping on any of the other 14’s toes.
“It’s not enough to just create a new weapon and techniques for it,” he explained. “It has to feel equally as valid as the other weapon types while also not overlapping with them too much.”
Currently, each of the 14 weapons serves a unique playstyle—whether you’re a long-range Bowgun user, a swift Dual Blades hunter, or a calculated Great Sword master. Adding a 15th could disrupt that carefully crafted balance.
Tokuda continued, “With each title, we always adjust all the weapon types and maybe bring new concepts to them and their relationships with each other to make them feel fresh. We also bring new depth with new combos and moves.”
The Real Reason There Hasn’t Been a New Weapon
It all comes down to resources. Every Monster Hunter title introduces fresh mechanics and innovations for the existing weapons. For example, Monster Hunter World added clutch claw mechanics, and Rise introduced wirebugs. Each new mechanic means reworking every weapon’s moveset to keep gameplay exciting and balanced. That effort, according to Tokuda, is a better use of resources than building a brand-new weapon from scratch.
“The resources and time that it takes to do that is something that, in every case since the last weapon was added, we’ve always decided were better spent bringing the whole lineup to a better place than to simply start adding another new one in,” he said.
Will We Ever See a 15th Weapon?
Tokuda’s comments leave the door open. A new weapon isn’t off the table, but it’ll only happen if the team finds a concept that truly adds something unique without breaking the balance. In the meantime, players can look forward to seeing how the existing weapons have evolved in Wilds.
And who knows? Maybe one day, we’ll finally see that long-rumored Whip weapon or something entirely unexpected. Until then, sharpen your blades, ready your bows, and prepare for the hunt—because Monster Hunter Wilds is almost here.
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