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

The developers at Pocketpair, creators of Palworld, gave their staff a well-deserved day off to celebrate the release of Monster Hunter Rise (assuming "Monster Hunter Wilds" is a typo). As reported by Automaton, the studio playfully acknowledged a wave of "mysterious" sick calls on February 27th, coinciding with the game's launch. This led to February 28th becoming an unofficial company holiday dedicated to enjoying Monster Hunter Rise.

Pocketpair reassured fans that this generous gesture wouldn't impact game updates. This isn't the first time the studio has prioritized employee well-being and gaming; a similar event occurred in 2022 for the release of Elden Ring.

Monster Hunter Rise Weapons Tier List

Monster Hunter Rise Weapons Tier List

Monster Hunter Rise has experienced a phenomenal launch, boasting over 1 million concurrent players on Steam alone. This impressive figure catapulted the game into Steam's top 10 most-played games of all time, surpassing titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy, and Elden Ring. Despite its immense popularity, the game's Steam reviews are currently "Mixed," prompting Capcom to release official PC performance troubleshooting guidance and announce details for Title Update 1, including a planned endgame social hub.

The game's success is global, but particularly noteworthy in Japan. Automaton highlighted a Japanese indie developer who humorously commented on their lack of Steam sales since Monster Hunter Rise's release.

To enhance your Monster Hunter Rise experience, explore our resources: discover what the game doesn't explicitly tell you, master all 14 weapon types, follow our detailed walkthrough, learn how to play multiplayer, and find out how to transfer your beta character. IGN awarded Monster Hunter Rise an 8/10, praising its refined combat while noting a lack of significant challenge.