Wild Hearts, the latest game from EA Originals and Koei Tecmo, is looking like a promising alternative to Monster Hunter for current-gen consoles and PC. Apart from slaying larger-than-life monsters, customizing weapons and armor will play a big role in the game.

Players looking forward to the game are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming title, especially given EA’s reputation for adding microtransactions that could potentially spell disaster. Luckily, Wild Hearts will be free of such concerns, as the game has no plans for microtransactions.

Speaking to the media at a recent hands-on preview event, EA Originals executive producer Lewis Harvey answered a bunch of questions and addressed the concerns about microtransactions. When asked about the topic of giving players a choice to purchase weapons and skills, Harvey shared that they have “no plans for microtransactions for Wild Hearts launch.”

Additionally, Harvey said that “if we were to do anything in the future it would be purely cosmetic.”

Customization plays a big role in Wild Hearts, and just like any similar hunting game, will be a central focus for a lot of players. Harvey confirmed that there will be eight unique weapon types to choose from, but a more interesting tidbit is that there will be over 200 variations of these weapons, giving players plenty to craft and collect.

To look the part, players will also be able to customize their armor visually for some fashion hunter goodness. “In terms of customization, you can customize your weapons and armor beyond just what they look like when you craft their base state,” says Harvey. “You can move your armor to look more like a Kemono or a more human interpretation of that armor.”

“We also feature a transmog system where you can change the appearance of your armor while maintaining the stats that you want for that particular build.”

Wild Hearts is scheduled to be released on February 17, 2023 for the PS5, Xbox Series, and PC for $69.99.