Originally, Capcom planned to air the Monster Hunter Showcase on December 8, 2025, but after tsunami warning due to an earthquake that occurred off the coast of Japan, the whole thing had to be pushed back. Thankfully everyone was safe, and the showcase went live two days later on December 10. Even with the delay, this ended up being one of the most important Monster Hunter updates of the year, especially for anyone waiting to see what Capcom is doing with Monster Hunter Wilds.
The showcase opened with a deep look at Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, and Capcom is not shy about calling this their most ambitious Stories game yet. The new trailer fleshed out the growing tension between Azuria and Vermeil, the strange Encroachment phenomenon, and the twin Rathalos that tie everything together.
The darker tone stands out, but it still feels like a proper Stories adventure built around character moments and emotional beats. The gameplay segment looked great too, with smoother traversal, cleaner transitions, faster turn-based combat, and a sharper cel-shaded style that really pops. Several new Monsties were show, with updated animations for returning ones. Everything points to a Spring 2026 release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Capcom says we will see more early next year. As someone who started the series on the second game, I can’t wait to see more of this game.
Next came the Monster Hunter Wilds portion, which was the part I was honestly waiting for the most, and the one that meant the most to me personally. As someone who poured over 300 hours into the game before eventually walking away, the performance issues absolutely killed my desire to keep playing. Stutter, inconsistent frame pacing, and that constant stop and go feeling during big hunts made the game more frustrating than fun. While Capcom acknowledged those problems multiple times, having them addressed directly was a huge deal. They positioned Title Update 4 not just as a content update but as a major technical reset for the game.
And it’s about damned time!
The big headline was the return of Gogmazios, and the Wilds version looks downright monstrous. Corrosive oil mechanics, destructive multi-phase arenas, and constant repositioning should keep even veteran hunters on their toes. They also showed new armor sets and teased variant hunts coming as part of the TU4 rollout. For me, though, the moment that mattered most was when Capcom finally talked specifics about performance.
Capcom confirmed that the massive performance overhaul, which includes a rebuilt shader pre compilation system, smarter biome streaming, and improved CPU thread scheduling, will arrive on December 16, 2025. This is the same day Title Update 4 goes live on all platforms. The update includes more than 100 different CPU and GPU optimizations aimed at fixing the stutter, frame pacing issues, and overall instability that pushed so many players away. I was pretty damned vocal about my frustrations with the game, and I hope this really does do what Capcom said it will.
Fingers crossed that it really helps and brings those fans who bounced when the performance issues became too much. Capcom also mentioned that additional PC focused optimization patches are planned for January 2026, which should help smooth out deeper problems like shader compilation spikes and streaming hitches on certain hardware setups. Combined with the quality-of-life improvements like better tracking tools, more responsive mounts, and faster region transitions, this finally feels like the update that Wilds has needed.
Capcom wrapped up the showcase by confirming another Monster Hunter presentation for early 2026, where we will get final launch details for Stories 3 and a clearer look at what is next for Wilds after TU4. While the delay from December 8 to December 10 was not ideal, the showcase itself delivered exactly what players needed. It reassured fans that Capcom is listening and showed that there is a real plan to get Wilds back on track while pushing Stories 3 toward a strong launch next year.
Seriously, I need those performance updates!
