Capcom's latest blockbuster, "Monster Hunter Wilds" (モンスターハンターワイルズ), has been an absolute smash hit since its launch! Not only did it reportedly shatter records on Steam with an unprecedented 40 million concurrent players – the highest in the platform's history – but it's also making waves in the real world's culinary scene. An unexpected dining scene from the game has ignited a full-blown "cheese naan" craze!
According to a report by Automaton, players, fresh from their "Monster Hunter Wilds" adventures, have been flocking to Nepalese and Indian restaurants, eager to get a taste of cheese naan similar to the in-game delicacy. The phenomenon is particularly wild in Japan. Tokyo's renowned Nepalese restaurant, Salam Namaste, shared on social media that they once received a whopping 99 cheese naan orders in the middle of the night! This insane demand nearly depleted their entire cheese stock, forcing them to scramble for emergency resupply.
The origin of this delicious trend? A beautifully crafted, heartwarming dining cutscene within the game. As players explore Kunafa, the Wind-Sound Village, villagers warmly welcome the hunters, serving up a special dish that looks remarkably like cheese naan. The animation makes the food incredibly tempting: freshly baked bread, slightly golden, with melted cheese oozing out as it's cut. The characters' satisfied expressions as they savor the meal are so vivid, players can practically feel the warmth and aroma through their screens!
Kaname Fujioka, Executive Director and Art Director for "Monster Hunter Wilds," revealed in an interview with IGN that the team poured immense effort into designing this particular dining scene. They considered that Kunafa Village residents aren't primarily a hunting tribe, thus inferring their diet would largely consist of livestock and grains. Cheese naan, they concluded, was the perfect fit.
"We wanted this dish to embody a simple yet delicious quality, making players feel the villagers' warm hospitality," Fujioka explained. "Perfectly recreating the crispy crust and the satisfying cheese pull of cheese naan in CG animation wasn't easy. The team spent a long time fine-tuning it, ultimately achieving a truly mouth-watering visual."