| Monster Hunter Wilds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gameplay & Story | Release Date | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest action co-op game that vows to feature "the pinnacle of excellence in hunting action gameplay." Read on to learn how it might play, what it might be about, and everything else we know so far.
Monster Hunter Wilds News
⚫︎ Monster Hunter Wilds Redefines the Series with Open World Gameplay
⚫︎ Monster Hunter Wilds Director Aims To Create Realistic Worlds and Ecosystems
⚫︎ Monster Hunter Wilds Trailer Shown at Sony State of Play 2024
⚫︎ Capcom Online Program TGS 2024 | Everything Announced
⚫︎ Monster Hunter Wilds Brings Back Congalala to the Fray!
Everything We Know About Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds Story Plot
Not much is known about the plot of Monster Hunter Wilds. But, if past games are any indication, it will largely involve hunters banding together to hunt fearsome creatures that may be a danger to nearby settlements or harming ecosystems. They could also be hunted for sport or better gear.
Monster Hunter Wilds Gameplay
Monster Hunter Wilds promises to be the “pinnacle of excellence in hunting action gameplay,” which is a very bold statement to proclaim. We can only infer from the brief glimpses of gameplay shown in the official reveal trailer, but it seems like Monster Hunter Wilds will be refining old mechanics along with new ones.
One such mechanic would be dynamic weather, as hinted in the trailer where sandstorms and lightning strikes occur throughout, eventually clearing out. In previous installments in the franchise, the weather was always specified before starting quests and remained static and unchanging across the whole hunt. Showcasing different weather conditions one after the other could be a large indicator that a dynamic weather system will most likely be implemented for Monster Hunter Wilds.
Not much is confirmed as of yet, as information on the title is very scarce. Click the button below for a more intensive look and more theories about the Monster Hunter Wilds reveal trailer.
Update May 31, 2024 - New Information Revealed!
To The Forbidden Lands
Players will join the ranks of a new special Research Commission team to investigate the Forbidden Lands. As the Hunter tasked with leading this crew into the unknown, you'll be accompanied by a few companions in journey: Alma, the Guild-appointed Handler, Gemma, the smithy who'll take care of your weapon and armor needs, your trusty Palico partner, and Nata, a mysterious child whose story is yet to be explained. What awaits you on this uncharted and unexplored territory called the Forbidden Lands?
First Locale Revealed - Windward Plains
The game will feature multi-dimensional biomes that dynamically change unexpectedly with time, with the first locale revealed to be the Windward Plains, a vast region encompassing harsh deserts, twisted rock formations, and swaying grasslands. With the focus on immersive ecosystems, these locales will be populated with wildlife that are already acclimated to the unexpected changes. Such monsters are the Dalthydon, which are herbivorous wyverns that migrate with the changing seasons, and Ceratonoth, who rely on males to shield their herd from storms that rage in the area.
Large Monsters Revealed - Doshaguma and Chatacabra
Two new large monsters were also showcased in the first trailer for the game as well, these are the Doshaguma and Chatacabra. The Doshaguma are massive and territorial, and even have the capacity to hunt in packs when they need to. On the other hand, the Chatacabra are formidable amphibians that use their sticky saliva to trap their prey and even have the ability to armor themselves with the surrounding natural materials.
New Mount Features and Weapon-Swapping - A Well-Kept Seikret
Hunters will now have an exclusive mount called the Seikret, which will help you traverse the treacherous Forbidden Lands. While having a mount in MH isn't particularly new, this time it's a dedicated mount that you'll have access most of the time. During combat, you'll be able to call your Seikret to pick you up and even get you out of harm's way. Moreover, the mount isn't just for mobility, as the game even added actual mounted combat and weapon swapping in the thick of it. Currently, there isn't enough information yet regarding the Seikret's offensive capabilities or if it will help you in combat similar to your Palico, but we'll be sure to update this article as soon as possible when that info's available.
New Combat Mechanics - Focus Mode, Wounding, and Dynamic Battles
Monster Hunter Wilds will feature new combat gimmicks that could be similar to already existing mechanics that were in the previous games. Scoutflies were only present in MH World, but in Wilds, using Focus Modes turns them into indicators of weak points and wounds that a monster has already incurred. Speaking of, the tenderize or wound mechanic from the Clutch Claw in Iceborne also makes a return, but as to how you apply these is still a mystery at the moment. Lastly, they also showcased Dynamic Battles, where you can time your attack and guard to have special interactions occur during combat.
Returning Tools and Weapons - All 14 Weapons and the Slinger
Monster Hunter Wilds will see the return of all fourteen weapons in the series, with the Great Sword and Heavy Bowgun already being shown what's new in their respective movesets. From MH World, the slinger makes a return with the added functionality of having a hook to grab items from afar - even when mounted on your Seikret.
Crossplay Support
As revealed in Summer Game Fest 2024, Monster Hunter Wilds will have crossplay support between all platforms!
Update June 8, 2024 - 2nd Trailer
New Monsters Revealed - Balahara and Rey Dau
While the second trailer focused on the story, there were a couple of monsters that were revealed as well. The Balahara are desert-dwelling serpents capable of creating quicksand traps to catch their prey. Alongside the Balahara, a new wyvern monster was revealed able to harness lightning and channel it into a beam using its horns, sort of like a lightning railgun. It's revealed that this railgun-wielding monster is the Wildspire Waste's Apex Predator, Rey Dau. An Apex Predator monster only appears in specific weather conditions, wherein the Rey Dau only appears during a Sandtide.
Update August 6, 2024 - Overview on Basic Mechanics, Focus Mode
Basic Mechanics Overview
The latest showcase about MH Wilds' basic mechanics revealed that the game will function similar to previous MH titles with how movement works. The big difference, however, is having a non-combat mount ready at all times with the Seikret. It was revealed that the Seikret will also have an auto-pilot function similar to the Tailraider mount function in MH World.
Focus Mode Overview
In the overview, it shows the Hunter using Focus Mode to aim their attacks while targeting specific glowing parts of the monster's body. This may be one of the mechanics that really affects the game's combat. In older Monster Hunter games, there hasn't really been a way to manually aim melee weapons other than moving the camera, moving your character, or your weapon having an attack that moves you as well.
With Focus Mode, it allows you to have an aimed attack while using a melee weapon, and additionally, the Wound mechanic also functions similar to MH World's Clagger or Tenderize mechanic but will be more engaging as you don't have to disconnect from attacking the monster.
Weapon Overview Trailers
Great Sword
Great Sword was showcased in the latest weapon overview, showcasing its classic hit and run playstyle and new attacks that the weapon has. True Charged Slash (TCS) makes a return, along with its heavy hitting combos. Focus Mode was shown to wound the monster as well as the dynamic blocking that was shown in the previous Gameplay Trailer.
Heavy Bowgun
Heavy Bowgun is shown to have a few differences apart from its MH World and MH Rise counterparts. Surprisingly, the weapon now has the rapid fire that normally only the Light Bowgun uses in this iteration. The weapon has resource called the "Ignition Meter" which is similar to Wyvernheart in MH World where it turns the weapon into a gattling gun. The main difference is that this time the meter can be refilled faster by attacking the monster instead of it being refilling over time.
Moreover, the weapon's Focus mode looks to use special ammunition as seen in the overview, where the hunter shot Sticky ammo to hit the monster's weak point. It's still unclear whether the Focus Mode requires a special ammo to be used, but it seems to be the case based on the footage. Lastly, the Auto-Guard for the weapon comes back, which is also accompanied by the ability to manually guard attacks.
Insect Glaive
Insect Glaive has seen a ton of QoL improvements as seen in the short video. For starters, aiming the Kinsect now shows the extract that you're getting from the monster's body part, which makes it easier to identify which parts give the specific extract that you need. The weapon's Focus feature shows the hunter in tandem with the Kinsect, where the hunter collects an extract immediately as opposed to launching the Kinsect. It's also interesting to note that the video showed that the Kinsect could store up to two extracts at once, but it's still unclear if this is a specific upgrade to the Kinsect or by default.
Additionally, the weapon has also received a lot of new attacks in this iteration. One attack in particular is inherited from Dragon's Dogma 2's Mystic Spearhand with the forward rapid spinning slashes. The weapon's Focus Mode attack and new Mounted finisher also look slick and well animated, as the hunter really uses the whole weapon this time around as opposed to just using the bladed part.
Gunlance
Seen as the more offensive brother of the Lance, the Gunlance is a long-range weapon that utilizes explosive shells and shifty movement to rain fire on enemy monsters. It can even use the shells that it has to reposition and combo into its more devastating attacks. The Wyrmstake Blast is one of the weapon's finishing moves which impales the monster with an exploding stake which has a different effect depending on the weapon's shelling type.
The Wyvern Fire makes a return as the weapon's massive charged attack. The weapon's Focus Strike is similar to the Lance's Running Charge ability, which definitely adds to the weapon's mobility. Last but not least, it seems the weapon will have more defensive abilities like a Perfect Guard and Guard Points, which will definitely help with the weapon's already aggressive design.
Hunting Horn
Known as the musical weapons that gives the team buffs, the Hunting Horn has received a number of changes. One big change is the ability to attack while Performing, wherein landing hits may even lead to more notes for faster song changes and activations. Echo Bubbles are a variant of MH Rise's Silkbind move where it places a beneficial area for allies to get buffs in. Moreover, each note played while the Bubbles are out lead to them echoing and dealing damage to monsters that are in that area.
In the footage, it seems that they've added more to the weapon's offensive capabilities by speeding up certain attacks and having the weapon's buffing capabilities as a result and not as the weapon's primary use. It's Focus Strike is the Earthshaker Silkbind move in MH Rise, where it looks like it's an upgraded version of itself as it deals more hits. Lastly, it seems that the MHGU Sonic Smash attack makes a return as one of the weapon's strong attacks, where it even shows that the attack has considerably long range.
Long Sword
The Long Sword is one of the more popular weapon types in the franchise, and with good reason. It retains most of its evade-and-strike design, where it primarily focuses on precise timing and correct utilization of resources. In terms of new additions, the weapon has received new versions of its Spirit Slash attacks that allow the hunter to reposition themselves while doing the Spirit Combo and even stronger versions with a full Spirit Gauge. Additionally, the weapon has an extra finisher that can be used after getting filling up the Spirit Gauge to the maximum and after the Spirit Roundslash attack.
Charge Blade
One of the more balanced weapons in terms of defense and offense, the Charge Blade doubles down on its use of proper Guard Point timings and adds more devastating attacks that utilizes its Charge Phials. At first glance, it seems that the weapon has more attacks that combo from its Elemental Discharge combos, where it has an even bigger focus on the weapon's Axe Mode. Its Focus Strike uses the weapon's Axe Mode as a spinning saw which is a new animation from its past iterations. Lastly, the Perfect Block makes a return, and even has a new follow-up after a successful Perfect Block.
Hammer
The Hammer is the premier blunt weapon aimed to inflict stun on the opponent by hitting monsters on the head repeatedly. The focus on the weapon's new moves looks to add to its mobility, by being able to sidestep during a combo and keeping the Keeping Sway Silkbind move from MH Rise. The biggest addition that the weapon has is definitely the Spinning Meteor attack making a return from MHGU, and this time it seems like you can charge it to deal even more damage.
Light Bowgun
The lighter and more mobile version of the bowgun, the Light Bowgun looks a lot faster than its previous counterparts at first glance. The weapon has a new resource system that allows it to Rapid Fire that regenerates over time and fills up faster when hitting monsters. While it seems that the weapon only has one Wyvernblast Mine available instead of three, the weapon has received the ability to shoot while sliding, which bolsters its mobility. Lastly, its Focus Strike is a chargeable shot to inflict damage to wounds with precision.
Sword & Shield
Seen as the most versatile weapon of all fourteen weapons, the Sword and Shield has a few notable changes based on the footage. It has even more attacks that ups the weapon's already mobile moveset by being able to influence the direction of where you attack while on the move. Its Focus Strike is a quick strike to injure the monster, then launch the hunter into the air where you can do different follow-ups. Last but not least, the weapon will have a Perfect Block that can chain into the latter part of its combo, where you can continue your offense afterwards.
Switch Axe
Similar to the Charge Blade where its able to transform into two different modes, the Switch Axe can use either the Axe Mode for long-reaching attacks and build up for its more devastating and quick attacks. While the footage doesn't show the weapon's finisher, Zero Sum Discharge, it capitalizes on huge opening by dealing a ton of damage as it takes a considerable amount of time to finish the whole sequence. The weapon also has a parry that continues into its long winding combos, and new combo finishers that look way faster than its previous counterpart in MH Rise. Lastly, its Focus Strike is long combo that ends with a Discharge animation, which could potentially be one of its main damage dealing combos.
Bow
The more agressive and close-ranged of the ranged weapons, the Bow is a weapon focused on high mobility and charging its attacks to deal even more damage. It now has a new move, Tracer, that allows its arrows that explode after dealing enough damage to home on the monster when it's tagged by the initial Tracer arrow. It also seems like the weapon inherited the Adept MHGU version of the weapon, as it was seen that the hunter was perfect dodging while charging the weapon.
Lance
While not the most flashy weapon of the bunch, the Lance offers the most defensive playstyle while having a deceptively mobile moveset. Being able to string together multiple sidesteps while poking is one of the weapon's main assets. Its new moves seem to revolve around its counter-centric attacks, which is a welcome addition to encourage hunters to be even more aggressive while playing a lot safer than other weapons. It also has a new chargeable attack that could function as a counter as well, which is a strong thrusting attack after a short amount of time.
Dual Blades
The flashiest and quickest of all the weapons, the Dual Blades focuses on the design of death by a thousand cuts.
The already-mobile weapon gets changes with one of its biggest changes being able to cancel of the Demon Dance attack, as it was always a high-commital combo that locks you out of being able to move until the whole attack is finished. Another change is that the weapon Shrouded Vault from MH Rise or Adept Dodge from MHGU is now part of its moveset, allowing the hunter to string attacks and having access to perfect dodges when needed. Lastly, its Focus Strike seems to be an upgraded version of Demon Vault in MH Rise, where you could launch yourself high in the air to access some of the weapons' more devastating attacks.
Update August 21, 2024 - 3rd Trailer
Second Locale Revealed - Scarlet Forest
The second locale has been revealed to the Scarlet Forest. The region has towering trees and abundant water, which even changes to a peculiar red-tinge at certain times. At times, it might even have a torrential rainstorm that floods the area during an Inclemency. It's important to note that this area is directly connected to the Windward Plains and there will be no loading screen when changing areas.
New Monsters Revealed: Lala Barina
A new monster was revealed to be an arachnid-like monster that inhabits the Scarlet Forest. It has a thorax that can be opened at will that takes on an appearance of a blooming rose. It uses its long limbs and hidden claws to strike its prey. It can even open its stinger and spread a red pollen-like substance around the combat area.
Support Hunters
Similar to MH Rise, Monster Hunter Wilds will feature a Support Hunter system where NPCs can join in on your hunt. It was also revealed that these Support Hunters can also be enlisted in an offline session, so that you could have companions without being online.
Update September 26, 2024 - 4th Trailer
New Monsters Revealed: Quematrice, Uth Duna
A bunch of new monsters have just been revealed. The Quematrice is a brute wyvern that spreads flammable substances and uses its tail to ignite them. It’s often seen battling smaller monsters for carrion. Additionally, the Uth Duna is the Scarlet Forest’s apex predator. It’s a Leviathan that only appears during its torrential rains. Using its own moisture and bodily fluids, it can create a protective veil around itself and moves at great speeds despite its massive frame.
New Flagship Monster: Arkveld or White Wraith
Lastly, The Arkveld or the White Wraith,
is the game’s flagship monster
and will be a focal point of the game’s narrative. It has chain-like appendages that it can use like a whip and was thought to already be extinct. More information is yet to be revealed for this monster, so stay tuned!
Return of Some Classic Monsters: Yian Kut-Ku and Congalala
It was also shown during Tokyo Game Show 2024, that there are two fan-favorite returning monsters coming to Monster Hunter Wilds. Both the Yian Kut-Ku and Congalala were shown to be part of the game, where the former was actually included in the game's fourth trailer. This marks its first appearance in the modern releases of the franchise. This Bird Wyvern has built itself a reputation for being the beginner monster
and will most likely fill a similar role to be the monster to teach the game’s basics and mechanics.
To those who are unfamiliar, the Congalala is a returning Fanged Beast that's known for its striking pink fur, large stature, attacks that use the mushrooms that it stockpiles, and its foul odor attack. Its last appearance was back in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch, and hasn't been in any release since.
Monster Hunter Wilds Trailers
Fifth Trailer | The Black Flame
Fourth Trailer | Release Date Reveal (Extended Kut)
The fourth trailer reveals more of the game's new monsters like the Quematrice, Uth Duna, and the White Wraith,
Arkveld. Moreover, the trailer reveals the game's actual release date which comes out early in 2025. Lastly, the Yian Kut-Ku makes a surprising return as revealed in the trailer's Extended Kut.
Third Trailer | Lala Barina & Scarlet Forest Reveal
The third trailer reveals the fearsome Lala Barina in their natural habitat of the Scarlet Forest, where the gigantic arachnid traps players in their spiderwebs and brandishers their rose during battle.
Second Trailer | The Hunter's Journey
The second official trailer showcases a few story cutscenes of the game, as well as new monsters to go up against. Most importantly, it also shows that the Hunter will have a voice, meaning that the player's avatar will no longer be a silent protagonist.
First Trailer
The first official trailer for the game was revealed during PlayStation's State of Play held last May 2024. It shows new footage of new monsters and more for the upcoming game.
Official Reveal Trailer
The official reveal trailer was shown as the main event in the Game Awards. It shows off new monsters to hunt and areas to traverse, while also teasing more mobility with mounts. It ends with the reveal of the game’s name and logo.
Series Producer Interview Trailer
The Series Producer interview was uploaded just after the reveal of Monster Hunter Wilds. Ryozo Tsujimoto states that he’s proud that they have announced a new Monster Hunter game and is excited to share information he can’t say just yet.
Monster Hunter Wilds Product Information
 | |
| Title | MONSTER HUNTER WILDS |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 28, 2025 |
| Developer | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Action, Co-Op |
| Number of Players | Single-System (1), Online Multiplayer |
| Rating | T |
| Official Website | Monster Hunter Wilds Official Website |
