Pocketpair Gives Staff Holiday for Monster Hunter Wilds Debut

Palworld's development studio gave its employees a day off to enjoy the newly released Monster Hunter Wilds.

Japanese developer Pocketpair announced on social media, as reported by Automaton, that they received several "mysterious" notifications from staff members indicating they would "likely be unavailable for work tomorrow."

As a result, the studio declared February 28—the official launch date for Monster Hunter Wilds—an unofficial holiday. While this serves as a thoughtful gesture, Pocketpair clarified that ongoing game updates will proceed without interruption.

Monster Hunter Wilds has enjoyed an extraordinary launch, attracting over one million concurrent players on Steam. This impressive figure places it among Steam's top 10 most-played titles, surpassing popular games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy, and Elden Ring.

Despite its strong start, the game currently holds a "Mixed" user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official troubleshooting guidance for PC performance issues. The developer has also shared preliminary information about Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub.

Although the game's influence is felt worldwide, its impact is especially notable in Japan. One independent Japanese developer humorously noted on social media that their game had sold zero copies on Steam since Monster Hunter Wilds launched.

This isn’t the first time Pocketpair has granted staff time off for gaming—the studio implemented a similar policy back in 2022 when FromSoftware’s Elden Ring was released.

To help launch your Monster Hunter Wilds journey, explore our guides covering essential beginner tips, all 14 weapon types, and a detailed walkthrough. We also provide a multiplayer guide for cooperative play and instructions for transferring your Beta character if you participated in earlier tests.

IGN awarded Monster Hunter Wilds an 8/10 in its review, stating: "The game smartly refines the series' traditional mechanics, delivering highly engaging combat while offering a more accessible experience."