Summary
Monster Hunter WildsandDragon’s Dogma 2may be two different games, but they have a lot of similarities. Firstly, they both come from the same developer, Capcom, which inevitably means they look and play very similarly in some ways. Secondly, and perhaps most notably, is thatMonster Hunter WildsandDragon’s Dogma 2both employed the same pre-release tactic (though they employed it in different ways) that should arguably go beyond Capcom and become an industry standard.
Ahead ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s June 21, 2025 launch, Capcom released a character creator for it where players could create their character and see it carry over to the full game. As it turns out,Monster Hunter Wildsdid something similar with its recent beta test period, in which players could create their character and play some of the game, with the promise that their created character would be carried over to the full game when it releases on Jun 01, 2025. With both of these titles having established a tradition of sorts with this pre-release tactic, it’s high time developers other thanCapcom began taking the same approach, especially with games in the RPG genre.
Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Pre-Release Character Creator Should Set an Industry Standard
Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Pre-Release Character Creator Saves Players Time
The ultimate goal of releasing a character creator ahead ofMonster Hunter WildsandDragon’s Dogma 2is to save players time. Should players take advantage of the opportunity, they can create their character before the game releases, thereby allowing them to jump right into the action once it launches. In the case ofDragon’s Dogma 2, which has one of the most extensive character creators ever made, this potentially saved certain committed players several hours' worth of time.Monster Hunter Wildsaccomplished the same when it allowed players to create their permanent character during the beta.
Character creators have been known to cost players valuable hours of playtime, a cost that is especially felt in late-night game releases when some players have limited time to enjoy the game.
WhileDragon’s Dogma 2andMonster Hunter Wildsboth released character creators ahead of their launches, the latter may have improved upon the strategy that the former introduced. Specifically, whereasDragon’s Dogma 2released a separate character creatorwith no playable preview of the game,Monster Hunter Wildsallowed players to create their characters and play some of the game. Although any progress they earned while playing the game doesn’t carry over, the character they created will, and they also got a small taste of whatMonster Hunter Wildshas to offer in the process. It’s quite an improvement over what Capcom did withDragon’s Dogma 2, and the developer would be remiss not to build on it even further from there.
Pre-Release Character Creators Can’t Begin and End at Capcom
Capcom might have started something here, especially in the RPG space, but it shouldn’t end there. There are far too many games these days withextensive character creatorsthat could benefit from allowing players to create their characters ahead of launch. Using this tactic, developers can ensure players get to enjoy their games much sooner, and that goes especially for role-playing enthusiasts who enjoy being as thorough as possible with their custom character, to ensure they have an immersive experience with the game.
Whether the pattern thatMonster Hunter WildsandDragon’s Dogma 2seem to have established continues to be a trend with Capcom’s games remains to be seen, but this tactic of releasing a character creator ahead of a game’s release deserves to extend beyond Capcom’s borders.Games by developers like Bethesda, which generally have thorough character creators, could benefit from employing such a tactic and potentially earn the goodwill of the players in the long run.
