Let me tell you that Capcom has very recently wowed the fans by unveiling some of the earliest concept artwork for their upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds and players are going wild over the possible scenarios that could have emerged from it. The Tough Monster Hunter account on Twitter shared the pictures of primitive drawings for the Rey Dau and Uth Duna Palico gear that show in what different ways the creators were trying to think of the ‘purrrfect’ armor for your furry friend. And believe me, one of those concepts is making the community scream out loud in anguish.

The unveiling was not just an exhibition of the team’s creativity but also a window to see how different the final in-game model based on the sketches of the Palicos Rey Dau and Uth Duna would be. It’s a pretty remarkable insight into the artistic process, where one can observe the evolution of a design from rough sketches to the final in-game model that we will eventually get to dress our cats in. However, one sketch has gone and taken the entire spotlight. Among the concepts for Uth Duna, there is a design that for all practical purposes resembles a full-blown mermaid outfit for your Palico. We are talking about a sleek, aquatic-themed look that is light-years away from the more animal-like final version. And the response? Demand, nothing less, and nothing purer.

“WE COULD’VE HAD A MERMAID PALICO,” cried one user Vio13ntSt0rm777, perfectly capturing the common sentiment. That sentiment was felt everywhere. “Give us the mermaid!” pleaded another user named Damian. “We need the mermaid one to be in the game please 🥺,” said Dacen. The cry was so loud that it even got specific: “Mermaid uth duna armor for master rank please!!” asked a hunter going by the name splotch. It is evident the players thought that the sketch was the timeline they wanted to live in.

And being the Monster Hunter community, the discussion was bound to get multi-tracked quickly. The replies to the tweet quickly turned into a crazy cocktail of hype, nostalgia, technical questions, and even some good-natured roasting. One player by the name of BaylanSkoll took aim at a completely different armor set and said, “I don’t know who designed Gog’s armor set but it’s literally hideous!” This triggered a whole mini-thread on the philosophy of game design and the history of the series.

Another hunter who went by the name of “hunter” jumped into the discussion to provide historical context, replying, “That armor set is older than most of the MH world playerbase.” He then elaborated that Wilds is heavily nostalgic for the old players with many armor and weapon designs being callbacks. “Wilds is a nostalgia game for old fans,” he said. “A lot of the stuff in the game is for old fans.” This lead to a back-and-forth about whether Capcom should focus on new designs or honor the old ones, with BaylanSkoll asserting that “adding extra new design wouldn’t hurt them.”

Meanwhile, some players simply longed for the game to play. The replies were a classic mix of Monster Hunter social media: “Help!! My HR stuck at 40????” one hunter asked. “anyone know how to fix error R35910 when joining link party?” another one inquired. Someone even remarked “Where are your Happy Christmas greetings?” just because. It is a beautiful, chaotic mess that perfectly shows the character of a live-game community.

The discussion also shifted towards the wider context of the series. BaylanSkoll confessed that he mainly plays single-player games but keeps on returning to Wilds, calling it “the only online game I’m keep having fun.” Hunter responded by saying how the series has changed since it became more mainstream with Monster Hunter: World, claiming it led to “less content, microtransactions, and ignoring Japanese players.” It is a deep cut conversation that demonstrates how passionate and invested this player base is, debating everything from armor aesthetics to corporate strategy in the same breath.

And how could we miss the other good part of the announcement? The other concept for the Rey Dau Palico gear also drew some attention. “Dang I really do like the alt. Rey Dau set,” commented superdave100. Another user, Ligerte♪, expressed her desire: “Aww I really hope we get that rey dau palico armor for master rank.” So it wasn’t only mermaid mania, but that was definitely the headline-grabber.

So what does all this mean? To start with, Capcom is a genius when it comes to keeping the community’s fire burning. Showing early concepts is a great strategy—this makes the players feel that they are part of the process and it instantly generates buzz. Now there is a whole group of hunters who will be looking forward to the game’s release on PlayStation and Xbox.