I’ve been diving deep into Monster Hunter Wilds since it hit the shelves a few weeks ago. My time has been consumed with leveling up my hunter rank in the high-rank zones, and I’m constantly debating over which new armor set to tackle next. Currently, I’m on the hunt for the formidable Jin Dahaad, but I find myself distracted by the allure of the Gravios armor, a perfect fit for my hammer enthusiast build. There’s a ton to keep a player engaged in Wilds, yet, there’s a small piece missing from the puzzle that I dearly miss.
I’m talking about the beloved Poogie, the series’ iconic pot-bellied, floppy-eared pig that almost rivals Rathalos in terms of mascot fame. Poogies have been a staple in the Monster Hunter franchise for a long time; I fondly recall meeting my first one in the hub world of Monster Hunter World. There was this delightful ritual of petting Poogie, which played a charming tune while he basked in the attention. Nail your timing with the button presses, and Poogie is over the moon! True to Monster Hunter’s style, even something as simple as this wasn’t without its pitfalls. Get it wrong, and Poogie would storm off, only to return after another quest is under your belt.
In the past titles, Poogie would roam around the main gathering areas, and giving him a little pet before every hunt was believed by the superstitious players among us to improve their luck in acquiring those elusive monster parts. Though there’s always been chatter about this being hardcoded into the game, it remains a point of debate and hasn’t been confirmed officially.
Yet, Poogie isn’t just about luck! In earlier games, once you’d won over his affection, you could dress him up in a variety of outfits. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to see a pig strutting around in a bee costume? In Monster Hunter World, I delighted in carrying Poogie through the hub, eagerly waiting for the vibration in my controller that signaled a treasure nearby that he would dig up. (TagBackTV on YouTube did a fantastic job covering this!)
Now, Monster Hunter Wilds does feature a Poogie, but you won’t cross paths with him until chapter 3. Sadly, he resides in a village that’s rarely on my visiting list unless I’m tackling specific quests. This Poogie, often seen balancing an adorable spherical frog on his back, lacks the depth of interaction we’ve seen before. There are no stripey pajamas or woolly ram costumes to dress him in. My interactions are limited to petting and renaming him.
However, with Capcom’s recent announcement of the Title 1 update for Monster Hunter Wilds, there are exciting prospects on the horizon. They’re introducing a vibrant gathering hub as an alternative to the scattered campsites across the Forbidden Lands. The 12-minute update video from Capcom gave us a sneak peek into the enticing features of the new Grand Hub, like games and an expanded kitchen. (The return of the beloved Meowscular Chef seems a promising possibility here!)
But for me, this new hub will never feel quite complete unless there’s a Poogie I can scoop up and cradle. Here’s hoping Capcom listens and gives us what our hearts—and Poogie enthusiasts like me—have been longing for.
