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 the day off to celebrate the release of Monster Hunter Rise. According to Automaton, the studio received numerous, shall we say, "creative" absence notices from employees anticipating the game's launch. Therefore, February 28th, Monster Hunter Rise's official release date, became an impromptu company holiday. While a generous gesture, Pocketpair reassured fans that game updates would remain unaffected.

Monster Hunter Rise Weapons Tier List

Monster Hunter Rise has enjoyed a phenomenal launch, boasting 1 million concurrent Steam players—a feat propelling it into Steam's top 10 most-played games of all time, surpassing titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy, and Elden Ring. Despite this impressive debut, the game's Steam reviews are currently "mixed," prompting Capcom to release official guidance on PC performance issues. Furthermore, Capcom has unveiled early details for Monster Hunter Rise Title Update 1, introducing an endgame social hub.

The game's impact is global, but especially noticeable in Japan. Automaton reported on a Japanese indie developer humorously lamenting a complete lack of Steam sales since Monster Hunter Rise's release. This isn't Pocketpair's first foray into game-day holidays; they similarly granted their staff leave for Elden Ring's launch in 2022.

To enhance your Monster Hunter Rise experience, explore our resources: uncover hidden game mechanics, master all 14 weapon types, follow our detailed walkthrough, learn how to play multiplayer, and discover how to transfer your beta character.

IGN awarded Monster Hunter Rise an 8/10, stating: "Monster Hunter Rise continues to refine the series' rough edges, resulting in incredibly fun battles, though it lacks significant challenge."