Monster Hunter Wilds’ Gathering Hub NEEDS a Poogie, OK???

Monster Hunter Wilds has been keeping me busy since its drop a few weeks back. I’m working on boosting my hunter rank in the high-rank environments, and vacillating quickly on which new armor set I’m going to craft next. (Right now I’m hunting gnarly Jin Dahaad, but the armor-plated Gravios armor — perfect for my hammer build — might have stolen my attention.) There’s a lot to do in Wilds, but there is also something missing.

Specifically, I’d like to be able to dress a pig up in clothes and carry him around like a baby.

I’m talking about the Monster Hunter’s Poogie, an chubby, floppy-eared pig that is nearly as recognizable as a series’ mascot as the fearsome Rathalos. Poogies have a long history appearing in Monster Hunter games; I first met one in the hub world of Monster Hunter World. There’s an important ritual of petting the Poogie, which plays a little song while the hunter showers him with affection. Time your button presses correctly, and Poogie loves it! Because nothing can be easy in Monster Hunter games, you can screw up petting Poogie. If you pet Poogie at the wrong time, he’ll get mad and run away until you finish another quest.

In previous Monster Hunters, a Poogie would wander around one of the main gathering areas, and petting him before departing on each hunt was a way for auspicious players to boost their luck, so as to guarantee getting the rarer monster pieces they needed. (There are some folks who believe this is really buried in Monster Hunter’s code, but it has never been proven or confirmed.)

But Poogie isn’t just for luck! Previous iterations let you dress Poogie in different outfits after you gained his trust and love. Who doesn’t want a pig dressed in a bee costume?! In Monster Hunter World, I would carry Poogie lovingly in my arms around the hub world, waiting for my controller to vibrate, indicating there was a treasure for him to dig up nearby. (YouTuber TagBackTV has a great video on how it worked.)

Monster Hunter Wilds does have a Poogie, but players don’t meet him until chapter 3, and he’s far off in a village I rarely need to visit unless it’s for specific quests. While this Poogie is often found with a spherical frog balanced on its back — undeniably cute! — there aren’t really the robust level of Poogie interactions found in previous games. And certainly no stripey pajamas or a wooly ram costume. All I can do is pet Poogie, and change his name.

With the announcement of the Title 1 update coming to Monster Hunter Wilds next week, Capcom teased a robust gathering hub as a base option as an alternative to the campsites scattered across the Forbidden Lands. Footage from the 12-minute update from Capcom hints at delights and diversions at the hunters’ new Grand Hub, including games and a larger kitchen. (That is another feature I am excited for, as it could mean the return of the fantastic cooking cat, the Meowscular Chef.)

But the new hub won’t be complete in my heart if there isn’t a pig I can pick up and hold. Please, Capcom, give the people (me) what they want.