Monster Hunter Wilds is aiming to take the iconic franchise to even greater heights, incorporating the best elements from recent entries to offer a memorable hunting experience. The Monster Hunter franchise has come a long way over the years in of popularity as well, featuring countless high-quality collaborations and Easter eggs for other media. Thankfully, this trend hasn't died out with Monster Hunter's transition into the next generation, as both World and Rise have plenty of enjoyable crossovers for fans of the series.

With Wilds aiming to offer the most immersive ecosystem and gameplay the franchise has seen so far, it may seem like there's little room for lore-breaking crossovers. Despite this worry, Monster Hunter World proved there is still plenty of room for more lighthearted content and high-quality collaborations. While Monster Hunter Wilds is setting up the perfect stage to bring back fan-favorite monsters in Wilds into the next generation, one of its best creations isn't even in a Monster Hunter game itself.

Metal Gear Solid Was One Of Monster Hunter's Most Unique Collaborations

A Welcome Crossover That Deserves A Modern Revival

As a part of Monster Hunter's long-running collaboration tradition, Capcom partnered with Konami in 2010 to create a two-way crossover event featuring Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker and Monster Hunter Portable 3. On the metal gear side, Peacewalker added side quests involving taking down various monsters from Felyne, Velociprey, Rathalos, and a Tigrex. On top of the iconic monsters making their way into the world of Metal Gear, Capcom designed an entirely original and exclusive monster based on Metal Gear Rex's design.

Meanwhile, Monster Hunter Portable 3 saw the addition of several armor sets based on Naked Snake and the Boss from Metal Gear, which offered themed catchphrases during grilling. There was also unique gear for the hunter's Palico inspired by the legendary Solid Snake, featuring unique sneaking animations. While the Monster Hunter side wasn't as expansive as Peacewalker's, it was still a fun and well-themed addition to the game that could easily get expanded upon in a future content update for Monster Hunter Wilds​​​​.

The Monster Hunter Franchise Is No Stranger To Crossover Monsters

Some Collaborations Are Much More Expansion Than Others

While the Monster Hunter franchise has had plenty of collaborations over the years, the recent Monster Hunter World took its crossovers to even greater heights than before. Aside from the standard cosmetic armor or weaponry, World introduced entirely new questlines and monsters to face off against, with the two most notable of these involving The Witcher 3 and Final Fantasy 14, respectively. Each quest followed characters or creatures from their respective games being transported to the world of Monster Hunter​​​​, aiding the hunter in their journey to take down the dangerous creatures.

Monster Hunter World took its crossovers to even greater heights than before.

While both inclusions were praised for the unique cosmetics offered, the crossover monsters Leshen and Behemoth faced criticism over the unexpectedly high difficulty level and frustrating fighting experience. The Leshen was also unique in that there was no incentive to continue battling the monster after acquiring its layered armor, with each attempt being painfully slow due to its teleportation mechanic.

The Behemoth quest offered armor inspired by Final Fantasy 14's Dragoon class while granting an emote that provides a limited period of invulnerability similar to the classic dive-evade.

Despite its critics, the Behemoth fight in Monster Hunter World was an incredibly climactic spectacle that forced players to cooperate uniquely for the series, using MMO-inspired mechanics borrowed from Final Fantasy 14 to succeed in the hunt. Given that Monster Hunter Wilds seems to take World and its Iceborne expansion while improving upon the formula, its developers could apply from fans and the lessons they learned from previous titles to deliver a more satisfying crossover experience.

Metal Gear's REX Could Make For An Exciting Fight In Monster Hunter Wilds

An Upgraded Moveset Could Draw Out Its Terrifying Nature

Gear REX itself offers a climactic fight, with moves seemingly inspired by other monsters in the series that make use of the nuclear-capable Metal Gear's power come to life. The most iconic attack from Grear REX comes from a red beam of acid shot from its additional limb, much like Greavios' heat beam from Wilds​​​​​​.

Similarly, Gear REX can shoot out spikes from its back that explode after the monster roars, with its powerful hind legs allowing for fast charges to crush anything in its way. While Peacewalker's hunting mechanics are outdated by modern Monster Hunter standards, Gear REX is still a standout design that could be significantly enhanced if given the chance to shine in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Much like how Monster Hunter World's roap was eventually updated to include its Final Fantasy 14 collaboration, the current Monster Hunter Wilds roap will expand as the game progresses toward each major content update, with plenty of room for more crossovers. With Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater releasing only a few months after Wilds, it's the perfect chance to bring back a classic collaboration between the two in stunning fidelity.

Monster Hunter Wilds May Be Getting One Deadly Collaboration Already

Continuing One Of Monster Hunter's Most Ambitious Crossovers Yet

While it's far from an official confirmation, Final Fantasy 14's director Naoki Yoshida has expressed interest in further collaborations with Monster Hunter in the past, stating that he's kept in good with the developers at Capcom. While there didn't seem to be any concrete plans for a crossover at the time based on his response, the close relationship between both studios and the positive experience shared between them could be great news for fans of both franchises when it comes to another crossover.

Yoshida expressed his interest in potentially bringing Bahamut to Wilds in a future collaboration effort.

As reposted by KonflictingKornflake on Reddit, In an excerpt from a lighthearted interview, Yoshida expressed his interest in potentially bringing Bahamut to Wilds in a future collaboration. Since Behemoth was one of the hardest monsters to fight in the entire game when it was released, the god-like Bahamut would need a massive redesign to fit with the gameplay of Monster Hunter Wilds. Regardless of how toned down Bahamut would be, its inclusion would make for one of the most intensive fights Monster Hunter has ever seen, likely incorporating MMO mechanics similar to World's Behemoth.

A deadly new monster isn't the only way FF could make a comeback in Monster Hunter either, with plenty of potential for cosmetic and gear-related quests. The hunter's Seikret also bears a striking similarity to Final Fantasy's Chocobos as well, being a missed opportunity if there isn't at least one Final Fantasy-related cosmetic DLC sometime in the future for Wilds.

Given Monster Hunter's massive rise in popularity over the years, combined with the great improvements coming to Wilds, Capcom will have plenty of options for creating worthwhile collaborations for players. While there's no confirmation that Wilds will collaborate with either Metal Gear or Final Fantasy anytime soon, the release of Delta coinciding with Monster Hunter Wilds would be the perfect opportunity for a mutually beneficial crossover once more.

Sources: Monster Hunter/YouTube, KonflictingKornflake/Reddit