Palworld Dev Pocketpair Gives Employees Monster Hunter Wilds Launch Day Off After Receiving ‘Mysterious’ Notes From Staff Who Said They’d Probably Be Too Unwell to Work

Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld, gave its staff February 28th off to play Monster Hunter Rise (Wilds appears to be a typo). Automaton reported that the studio received numerous "mysterious" employee notices citing potential illness on the 28th, coinciding with the game's release. This generous gesture allowed employees to enjoy the launch day, though Pocketpair reassured fans that game updates wouldn't be affected.

Monster Hunter Rise Weapons Tier List

Monster Hunter Rise Weapons Tier List

Monster Hunter Rise enjoyed a phenomenal launch, boasting 1 million concurrent Steam players, securing a spot in Steam's top 10 most-played games ever, surpassing titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy, and Elden Ring. Despite this success, the game received a "mixed" Steam user review rating, prompting Capcom to release official PC performance guidance and announce details for Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub.

The game's impact is global, but particularly strong in Japan. Automaton reported a Japanese indie developer jokingly lamenting zero Steam sales since Monster Hunter Rise's release. This isn't Pocketpair's first such gesture; they similarly gave staff time off for Elden Ring's 2022 launch.

To enhance your Monster Hunter Rise experience, explore our resources: uncovered game mechanics, a guide to all 14 weapon types, a detailed walkthrough (in progress), a multiplayer guide, and instructions for transferring beta characters.

IGN awarded Monster Hunter Rise an 8/10, stating: "Monster Hunter Rise continues to refine the series' rough edges, resulting in incredibly fun, yet surprisingly unchallenging, fights."