Monster Hunter Wilds has had no shortage of worthwhile content updates to encourage players to keep coming back to its addictive gameplay loop. While it'll still be a few months before the highly anticipated summer update arrives, the wait is much shorter for Wilds' first of many collaboration events. While I'm always excited about an excuse to hop back into Monster Hunter Wilds, I can't help but feel this new update is a missed opportunity for the series.

The Monster Hunter franchise is no stranger to crossover events, having countless collaborations over the years that range from simple cosmetics to entirely new questlines and monsters to face off against. While many of these collaborations vary in depth, Monster Hunter's crossovers have gotten much more advanced in recent years while featuring properties I would never have expected to see meet with the series. Although the first of many crossover updates was already confirmed to be a Capcom-owned franchise, the ultimate choice was more than a little disappointing to hear.

Monster Hunter Wilds Is Getting Yet Another Street Fighter Collaboration

An Announcement That's All Too Common For Monster Hunter Fans

Although there's no exact date given just yet, Monster Hunter Wilds has already made it clear on its X that the crossover event will be another collaboration with Street Fighter. If it wasn't too obvious in the initial teaser, the next few days saw even more posts further hinting about the theme of its collaboration event, from fighting game combos to a mannequin of Chun-Li holding a Greatsword.

While there's no doubt that Street Fighter is one of Capcom's most iconic and recognizable franchises, it's far too obvious a choice to be exciting, especially given how many times we've seen it in the past. Including Monster Hunter Wilds, Street Fighter has made an appearance in every one of the last five Monster Hunter entries, going all the way back to 2015. With over a decade of Street Fighter crossovers, it still feels like a missed opportunity for the very first collaboration celebrating the success of Monster Hunter Wilds, even if it's practically tradition at this point.

Street Fighter has made an appearance in every one of the last five Monster Hunter entries.

Even the comments on each of Monster Hunter Wilds' social media posts are filled with disappointed fans who are growing tired of the same repetitive crossover events. While there's still a chance that Monster Hunter Wilds could provide a worthwhile collaboration similar to the Akuma outfit in Monster Hunter Rise, which added entirely new animations and special effects, it's hard to justify getting my hopes up.

On top of the somewhat generic theme choice, many of Street Fighter's cosmetic outfits are full-body transformations that don't allow players to mix and match their layered armor, making them entirely unusable if you don't want to play as the character. Although I greatly appreciate Street Fighter and its cultural impact on both Capcom and gaming as a whole, there are only so many times I can farm for a Chun-Li or Ryu costume before skipping it altogether.

Capcom Has No Shortage Of Franchises That Deserve A Monster Hunter Crossover

Limitless Options For An Exciting And Fresh Collaboration

This isn't to say that Street Fighter is a terrible choice by any means, as it's a nostalgic way to start off the new era of Monster Hunter that will likely excite the countless new players to the series. While the problem is more applicable to Monster Hunter veterans, I would have been fine with another Street Fighter collaboration if other franchises had the chance to shine first, with a plethora of fantastic options for Capcom to choose from instead.

Dragon's Dogma is one of the first Capcom properties that came to mind as a potential crossover.

Dragon's Dogma is one of the first Capcom properties that came to mind as a potential crossover, with the 2024 sequel offering plenty to borrow from thanks to its medieval fantasy setting and renewed interest in the series, on top of never appearing in Monster Hunter before. Even if Capcom wanted to go for a repeat crossover like Street Fighter to act as a throwback to previous entries, Resident Evil or Devil May Cry would have been a much better fit for the more realistic style of Monster Hunter Wilds, unlike Rise, where extravagant fighting styles shine most.

Despite the overall disappointment at the news, the Street Fighter collaboration is only the first of many coming to Monster Hunter Wilds in the future. While I would personally love to see Lost Planet or even a follow-up to Capcom's Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker collaboration event in Wilds, Monster Hunter World's crossover success is likely to bring even higher-budget experiences in the future. Regardless of what comes next for the series, I trust that Monster Hunter Wilds is only saving the best for later with its crossover content.

Source: Monster Hunter Wilds/X