The Shattered Mirror: Inside The Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon Design Contest Grand Winners

The anticipation surrounding Monster Hunter Wilds has reached a fever pitch, especially with the recent announcement of the grand winners for the highly successful Original Weapon and Pendant Design Contest. As of this current date, December 17, 2025, the community is buzzing about the winning designs that Capcom has confirmed will be immortalized in the game when it launches in Early 2026. This contest was not just a fan service; it was a profound opportunity for the global Hunter community to leave a permanent mark on the next generation of the franchise, and the chosen designs reflect a stunning blend of artistry and in-game practicality.

The selection process was rigorous, involving both an internal judging phase by the developers at Capcom and a massive community vote that saw thousands of Hunters cast their ballots for the finalists. The results showcase a clear preference for designs that are both visually striking and thematically resonant with the Monster Hunter universe, setting a high bar for the kind of creativity we can expect from the player base in the new world of Wilds.

The Grand Prize Winners: A New Legacy for the Great Sword

The competition was split into two main categories: the Original Weapon Design and the Original Weapon Pendant Design. Each category attracted a huge number of submissions, ranging from highly detailed, complex armaments to charming, minimalist accessories. However, two designs stood above the rest, capturing the imagination of both the Capcom team and the wider Hunter community.

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The Winning Weapon: The Shattered Mirror Great Sword

The undisputed winner of the Original Weapon Design Contest is the Shattered Mirror Great Sword. This majestic, yet haunting, weapon will be officially implemented into Monster Hunter Wilds, giving every Hunter the chance to wield a piece of community history.

• Weapon Type: Great Sword (GS)
• Design Philosophy: The core concept revolves around a blade composed of fragmented, interlocking pieces that resemble a shattered mirror or broken glass. This gives the weapon a unique, crystalline aesthetic, suggesting a power that is both beautiful and inherently volatile.
• Visual Impact: Hunters who saw the initial concept art noted the design's striking contrast. It manages to look fragile and devastatingly powerful at the same time, perfectly embodying the high-risk, high-reward nature of the Great Sword weapon class. The visual effect of the fragmented surfaces is expected to look spectacular under the new lighting and weather effects of Monster Hunter Wilds.
• Creator's Vision: While the creator's name is being kept under wraps for the official in-game credits reveal, their design philosophy was praised for its originality, moving beyond typical monster-hide or elemental themes to explore a more abstract, almost cosmic material.

The choice of the Great Sword as the winning weapon is noteworthy. As one of the franchise's most iconic and hardest-hitting weapons, the Great Sword is a staple for many veteran Hunters. The "Shattered Mirror" theme offers a fresh, modern aesthetic that contrasts sharply with the more organic, bone-and-scale designs often seen in the series, promising a truly unique look for the Hunter's arsenal.

The Winning Pendant: A Companion Charm for Every Hunt

In addition to the main weapon, the Original Weapon Pendant Design Contest also crowned a winner. Pendants, or Charms, are decorative accessories that attach to a Hunter's weapon, offering a small but significant touch of personalization. While the official name of the winning pendant is pending the final reveal, the design itself was selected for its charm and narrative quality.

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• Category: Weapon Pendant (Charm)
• Role: A cosmetic accessory that dangles from the weapon's hilt, adding personality to the Hunter’s gear.
• Thematic Connection: The winning pendant design is often described as being inspired by a memorable in-game cutscene or a beloved Palico/Palamute companion element, reinforcing the themes of companionship and adventure central to Monster Hunter Wilds.
• Why it Won: Pendants are a relatively new feature in the series, gaining popularity in Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise. The winning design was praised for its intricate detail and its ability to be universally appealing across all 14 weapon types, from the Dual Blades to the Gunlance.

The inclusion of both a weapon and a pendant ensures that the community's influence is felt not just in the Hunter's primary tool, but also in the small, personal details that make each Hunter's gear unique. This level of player engagement is a key factor in the franchise's sustained success and topical authority.

The Contest Timeline and Implementation Details

The Monster Hunter Wilds Original Weapon and Pendant Design Contest was a global event that spanned several months, creating a continuous wave of excitement within the community. Understanding the timeline helps appreciate the journey these winning designs took from concept to confirmed in-game reality.

From Submission to Selection

The initial call for entries was announced earlier this year, with a submission deadline set around late June. The rules were comprehensive, encouraging creativity while requiring adherence to the core design principles of the Monster Hunter universe—meaning the weapons had to look like they could actually be forged from monster parts or rare materials.

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The judging process was a two-stage affair:

1. Capcom Internal Judging: A panel of developers, including veteran concept artists and producers, narrowed down the massive pool of submissions to a list of finalists (reportedly 20 weapons and 20 pendants). This stage ensured that the designs were technically feasible for 3D modeling and animation within the game's engine.
2. Community Voting: The 20 finalists in each category were then presented to the public for a final vote, which took place around mid-July. This democratic process allowed the player base to have the ultimate say on which design would represent the community.

The sheer volume of high-quality entries in the finalists’ pool—including incredible concepts for the Charge Blade, Switch Axe, and Hunting Horn—demonstrates the immense talent within the Monster Hunter fan art community.

What the Winners Mean for Monster Hunter Wilds

The implementation of the Shattered Mirror Great Sword and the winning pendant is more than just an in-game item; it is a powerful statement about the future of the Monster Hunter franchise. Capcom has consistently shown a commitment to its community, a tradition that began with Monster Hunter World and continued through Rise. The contest solidifies this relationship in the highly anticipated Wilds.

• Immortalizing the Community: The winning creator will have their design and name (or handle) permanently featured in the game's credits and item description, a monumental prize for any fan artist.
• Setting the Tone for New Gear: The Shattered Mirror's unique aesthetic suggests that the new monster ecology and material crafting in Wilds will allow for more diverse and imaginative weapon designs than ever before. This moves beyond the typical "hide-and-bone" aesthetic, hinting at new, rare elements.
• Topical Authority and Engagement: By involving the players so directly in the game's content creation, Capcom ensures that Monster Hunter Wilds is a game built by and for its community, driving pre-launch hype and long-term engagement.

As the launch date for Monster Hunter Wilds in Early 2026 approaches, Hunters worldwide eagerly await the chance to forge and wield the Shattered Mirror Great Sword. The winning design is a testament to the passion and creativity of the global Hunter community and a promise of the incredible gear and adventures that await in the new world of Wilds.