Monster Hunter Wilds New Update
Welcome back, Hunters! As we enter the third month since the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds, it’s the perfect time to reflect on where the game currently stands. From its powerful start with a full weapon progression system to the new updates and collaborations, there’s been a lot to unpack. Today, we’ll break down the strengths and weaknesses of the base game, explore the impact of recent updates, analyze new features and gameplay changes, and finally, look ahead at what the future may hold for Wilds.
New Features
- Since launch, Monster Hunter Wilds has introduced several new features, both big and small, that have enhanced the experience:
- Weapon Progression (Arteon Meta): Introduced from day one, allowing players to build and reinforce their weapons early on. Inspired by Safi’Jiiva’s awakening system in Iceborne, but with some unique changes—such as getting all reinforcement materials back to reroll.
- Layered Armor: Available from the start in a very accessible way by crafting the Master Rank version. This made customization easier and encouraged hunting a variety of monsters.
- Street Fighter 6 Collab: A surprisingly deep collaboration introducing Akuma-themed armor, gestures, and even a semi-new gameplay style—dubbed the “15th weapon” by fans. Players can engage in arena quests and side missions with new mechanics tied to the Akuma moveset.
- Event Quests & Seasonal Content: Events like Spring Blossom brought back legacy cosmetics, added farm opportunities for key resources, and spiced up gameplay.
- May Update (1.5): This mid-update added tempered 8-star versions of Apex monsters and Gore Magala, with increased challenge and rewards. Also included was the first round of weapon balancing updates (e.g., buffs for Hammer).
Gameplay Tips
- The gameplay systems in Wilds are robust but not without flaws. Here’s a breakdown:
- Relic Farming: A new system involving tier 3 monsters and tempered hunts for better relic drop rates. Initially too reliant on specific hunts like tempered Arkveld, but improved with the introduction of more monsters offering double rewards.
- Tempered Monsters: High risk, high reward gameplay. However, wounds and CC mechanics made them too easy to control, especially with guaranteed wounds causing free knockdowns. The May update addresses this by adding wound resistance, extra health, and damage for tempered monsters.
- Decorations & Melding: Vastly improved over World’s RNG-heavy system. More direct ways to get desired skills like Attack Boost or Critical Boost.
- Weapon Balancing: Arteon weapons dominate visually and functionally. Updates are slowly improving underperformers like Hammer, with hopeful changes coming to Hunting Horn and others.
- Layered Weapons: A major missing feature. While armor layering was generous, the lack of layered weapons has been disappointing, especially as everyone ends up looking the same due to the Arteon meta.
What’s Next?
Looking ahead, there are high expectations—and some concerns—for the upcoming Title Update 2: Lagombi (Expected Monster): While fans hope for a siege-style update like Kulve Taroth or Safi’Jiiva, there’s concern that a simple Lagombi hunt might disappoint. Arteon System Update: The community hopes for deeper progression like awakening mechanics or more flexible reroll systems. Without this, the current weapon grind may feel stale. Layered Weapons: A top request. With growing player demand, Capcom will hopefully respond in a future update. Continued Weapon Rebalancing: Players expect regular balance passes, especially for underused weapons. Seasonal & Collab Content: The success of the Akuma collab suggests future partnerships could bring more than just cosmetics—perhaps unique gameplay as well. Player Count: While some express concern over the drop in concurrent players from launch (1.2 million to ~55k), this is typical for games post-launch. Player numbers spike during major updates and show steady engagement overall.