The launch of Monster Hunter Rise is one that many fans have been waiting for with bated breath. So many people are taking March 26th off from work that a Japanese company has decided to treat it as a holiday.

Monster Hunter Rise's release is highly anticipated for many reasons. The new mechanics that are featured in the game advance the series to new proportions not seen before. These range from the wirebug, allowing for much more traversal around the huge maps, to a new companion in the form of the Palamutes, to Wyvern Riding, which allows hunters to control monsters like a puppet master. Monster Hunter World became Capcom's best selling game of all time, and with how successful the Monster Hunter Rise demo turned out to be, there's a chance that Monster Hunter Rise could reach similar levels in sales figures and popularity.

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Many employees from Japanese VR company Mark-On Ltd are taking the day off on Monster Hunter Rise's launch. Seeing this, CEO Masaki Hiyama (via Game Rant) sent out an email to his employees declaring that everyone would receive the day off on March 26th. Masaki said he expected that employees wouldn't be able to concentrate on their work thanks to the game. The gesture has been received very positively on social media.

Monster Hunter World was very successful in the west, but the Monster Hunter franchise has always had its biggest fans in Japan. Merchandise such as figurines and plushies based on the monsters are sold in certain shops in Japan; meanwhile, US-based stores rarely carry such products. Monster Hunter Rise also resembles the Japanese exclusive Monster Hunter Portable 3rd for the PSP, displaying similar Japanese inspiration in its locales and monsters. Though it never had a western release, that game was also very successful in sales.

With all of that said, it's no wonder that many employees have opted to take the day off to experience Monster Hunter Rise for the first time. The move isn't unlike Nintendo delaying Animal Crossing: New Horizons to Spring 2020 in order to help employees maintain a stable work-life balance. In an industry that heavily relies on crunch for success, Animal Crossing: New Horizons' delay was met with praise, and this move is no different. Whether in the video game industry or outside of it, crunch is a problem that can affect employees in any line of work, which is why decisions like these are appreciated. Those employees and more fans worldwide will likely be counting the days until Monster Hunter Rise's launch on March 26th.

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Source: JackMasaki (via Game Rant)