Monster Hunter Wildshas finally been released and is just about everything I wanted from a successor toMonster Hunter World, with plenty of potential for future collaborations. AlthoughWildshas more than its share of issues and mixed reviews, that hasn’t stopped it from being one of the best-selling entries in the franchise so far,breaking player count records for Capcom. WhileWildsalready offers a full experience that delivers hundreds of hours of replayability,I can’t help but wish the franchise would have shared a crossover with the ever-popularMagic: The Gathering card game already.
Monster Hunteris no stranger when it comes to collaboration events either, as it has had countless references and full-blown crossovers with other media,ranging fromThe Witcher 3,Final Fantasy 14,Sonic, to even aMetal Gear Solidtie-in. While it would be difficult to translate much of what makesMagic: TheGatheringso beloved intoMonster HunterWildsitself, the reverse is a completely different story. From hundreds of iconic monster designs to a wide array of unique gameplay mechanics, the release ofMonster Hunter Wildsis the perfect opportunity to share an official collaboration withMagic: The Gathering.
Magic: The Gathering Is More Than Open To New Collaborations
Taking In The Best From Countless Game Worlds
Magic: The Gathering’s collaborations have become a major selling point for many fans at this point, with their ever-growing line of Universes Beyond products becoming a staple of the game. Given thatMTG’s transformation with universes beyonddoesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon,there’s a higher chance your favorite franchises will make their way into card form at some point in the future. While there are countless highly requested options to choose from out there deserving of a future slot,Monster Hunteris one of the very first that comes to mind.
Magic The Gathering Announces Exciting New Collaboration With Popular Anime With Teaser Trailer And Release Date
Magic: The Gathering teams up with Avatar: The Last Airbender in a new Universes Beyond set, bringing elemental bending to the battlefield this fall.
Much like the most recentFinal Fantasycollaboration withMTG, theMonster Hunterfranchise has amassed more than 20 games under its belt, with its popularity only growing over the decades. While evenMonster Hunter Wildsalone has more than enough content for plenty of crossover potential, there’s a staggering amount of content that Capcom and Wizards of the Coast could pull from when it comes to making excellent cards. With the sheer number of monsters, weapons, and locations the franchise is known for, it’s easy to imagine what a Secret Lair lands theme or a set of commander decks would look like in reality.
Giving Fans Plenty Of Ways To Experience Monster Hunting Action
While it never saw a release in the west,theMonster Hunterfranchise has already had its very own card game endeavor, originating all the way back in 2008. Featuring several starter decks and individually purchasable booster packs, the officialMonster Hunter Hunting Cardseries aimed to replicate the mechanics and goals of the game versions in physical form as accurately as possible.
Rather than simply defeating your opponents,theMonster Huntercard game has you making use of Hunter Cards, Event Cards, and more to defeat iconic monsters from the series and various optional quest objectives. Each of the objectives and monsters slain will provide you with guild points much like their game versions, with the player reaching 2,000 points first being the winner.
Monster Hunter Wilds: How To Play With Friends & Join Lobbies
Monster Hunter Wilds is best played with friends and luckily Capcom makes it easy to find new friends and join existing ones for monster-hunting fun.
Aside from the Japanese exclusive card game,even the previousMonster Hunter Worldhad its very own board game adaptation with a worldwide release, featuring several large-scale expansion packs which offer even more variety. While the trading card game format is a much more drastic undertaking than a board game, it still made use of cards in interesting ways while players tackled iconic monsters from the series.
Having some experience in the market already combinedwith trading card games likePokémonandMagic: The Gatheringbeing more popular than ever, Capcom has the perfect opportunity to license an officialMTGpartnership. AMagic: The Gatheringcollaboration wouldn’t be the first crossover for the studio either, as Capcom has already released officialMTGcards in the form of itsStreet FighterSecret Lair release, with future collaborations being more than likely based on its success.
Magic: The Gathering’s Mechanics Fit Perfectly With Monster Hunter Wilds
A Crossover Wouldn’t Require As Many Workarounds
Even one of the very first monsters encountered inWildsshows how much unique potential there is with aMonster Hunter-themedMTGset, with Gypeceros able to fake its own death and steal equipment from other players. On top of the possibilities for new and unique gameplay interactions in the card game format,plenty ofMonster Hunter’s current mechanics already tie intoMTG’s without needing much alteration
It’s no wonder there are so many fan-made concepts out there already.
Plenty of fans likeRhen8927on Reddit have already imagined what a collaboration betweenMonster HunterandMTGwould look like for themselves with custom cards, featuring a wide range of fantastic art and unique abilities. From flying monsters,unique weapons and equipment, poison mechanics, and breathtaking landscapes, it’s no wonder there are so many fan-made concepts out there already regarding a potential crossover.
It wouldn’t beMonster Hunterwithout the monsters themselves, which is exactly where aMagic: The Gatheringcollaboration would shine the brightest. While it’s easy to categorize most of the monsters inWildsinto the large creatures expected from green decks, there are plenty more options for other color denominations, best showcased in these fan-made cards. Whether it’s Gore Magala and Vaal Hazak manipulating the dead in black, blue sea serpents capable of slipping past blockers, or a hasty Tigrex and Odagaron, seeingMonster Hunter’s iconic creatures come to life on physicalMTGcards would be a dream come true.
Monster Hunter’s Growing Popularity Makes A Collaboration Even More Likely
While theMonster Hunterfranchise might not have the same cultural impact as Marvel orFinal Fantasy,resulting in their recentMTGcollaborations,Wildshas proven there’s an overwhelming demand for the series in the modern gaming landscape. Selling over eight million copies in just three days,Monster Hunter Wildshas become thefastest-selling Capcom titlein history, on top of its staggering 1.38 million active player-count peak on PC alone. Even Capcom itself has taken advantage of the increased popularity of the series, releasing several mobile games offering familiar concepts with aMonster Hunter-themed twist.
Monster Hunter Wilds Has Been Branded “Too Easy” - But Here’s Why That Shouldn’t Bother You
While Monster Hunter Wilds has been met with high praise, there’s one complaint that will be eerily familiar for long-time fans of the franchise.
At this point, with how advantageousMagic: The Gatheringhas been with its collaborations, it would almost be more of a surprise ifMonster Hunterdidn’t make its way into the game sometime soon. While I would be a little disappointed to see such a monolithic franchise relegated to a single Secret Lair drop rather than a full-blown release, I’d be more than happy to take whatever I can get from the partnership. Given how creative Capcom andMTG’sStreet Fightercollaboration was, it’s easy to see a crossover withMonster Hunter Wildsor the franchise itself becoming one ofMTG’s bestsellers.
Sources:Rhen8927/Reddit
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds is the highly anticipated follow-up to Capcom’s multi-million seller, Monster Hunter World. Announced at The Game Awards 2023, Monster Hunter Wilds will put players into a sprawling world where they’ll hunt monsters to create new weapons and armor while protecting their home base and uncovering the secrets of unexplored lands with friends or alone.
