One of the most anticipated games of 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds, has been the subject of a disturbing content debate among players, along with its highly anticipated gameplay. The game’s “Mixed” user reviews on Steam and heavy criticism on official community forums suggest that a feature used in multiplayer mode is seriously negatively impacting the player experience: Sticker system.
Tags allow players to communicate via text messages and images in Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer sessions. However, this communication tool quickly outgrew its purpose, leading to the spread of sexually explicit and inappropriate images labeled NSFW (Not Safe For Work). While this situation has soured many players who started the game with high hopes, a small minority argue that such tags are funny and entertaining.
Community Outraged: Tag System Is Poisoning The Experience
The game's official Reddit community and other forums are filled with numerous threads from players protesting the use of inappropriate hashtags. Many users say that encountering such disturbing visuals seriously disrupts the gameplay experience, and is especially frustrating to encounter in the middle of an otherwise enjoyable hunt. Players are also harshly criticizing the game's developer Capcom's lack of active action against the spread of such content. The lack of a filtering system and a reporting mechanism for such content leaves players feeling helpless.
The backlash is not limited to sexually explicit and suggestive images. Some players have also reported that images containing racist, homophobic, or other toxic language are being spread through the tag system. This is poisoning what should potentially be a welcoming and collaborative community for the game, and creating a negative first impression for new players. The fact that young players in particular are exposed to such inappropriate and harmful content at such an early age is also causing serious concerns among parents. Capcom's silence and lack of action on the issue is further fueling the backlash from players.
Humor Advocates and Seriously Bothered
While the vast majority of the player community is upset by this use of the tag system, there are a small segment that defend the feature. These players feel that inappropriate tags add an unexpected element of humor to the game and liven up the conversation in what can sometimes be a quiet and boring multiplayer lobby. Some users even voice the extreme opinion that “it’s better to see this kind of content than to play in a quiet lobby.” However, this opinion is a minority compared to the number of players who are upset. The possibility of young players in particular engaging with this kind of inappropriate content continues to be a serious source of concern for many players and parents.
Expected Steps and Uncertainty from Capcom
The Monster Hunter Wilds community is waiting in uncertainty about how Capcom will address this troubling situation. A significant portion of players are demanding at least a simple content filtering system or a mechanism to report inappropriate tags. Those who propose a more radical solution want the tag feature to be removed from the game entirely. However, in the current situation, Capcom has not made any official statements and has not taken any concrete steps in this direction, which continues to cause unrest among players. In terms of the game's long-term success and community health, it is expected that Capcom will not remain indifferent to this important issue and take steps to address players' concerns. Otherwise, Monster Hunter Wilds' potential, may be overshadowed by these unpleasant discussions.
