Monster Hunter Wilds FAQ#

Monster Hunter Wilds launched worldwide on February 28, 2025. This page compiles 30+ frequently asked questions based on official announcements and launch materials; for deeper system details, see the dedicated pages on version updates, the endgame, and trophies.

Gameplay and Systems#

What are the three ecosystem states#

The hunting grounds in this game cycle between three states — Plenty, Fallow, and Inclemency — with monster distribution and pack behavior changing from one state to the next, so check the current state before setting out. See the area ecology page for details.

How many hunting grounds are there#

The base game has 5 regular hunting grounds plus 3 special arenas and story locations; there are also three kinds of peaceful areas — camps, villages, and the Grand Hub — that handle supply, quest, and social functions. The Grand Hub opened with TU1 in April 2025.

Who is the apex predator of each region#

Per the official store page lineup: the Windward Plains apex is Rey Dau, the Scarlet Forest has Uth Duna, the Oilwell Basin is ruled by Nu Udra — known to the people of Azuz as “the black flame” — and the Iceshard Cliffs belong to Jin Dahaad. Zoh Shia in the Ruins of Wyveria is a Guardian and does not count as a regional apex.

How many weapons are in the game#

There are 14 weapon types in all, usable in both the prologue demo and the full game; the expansion’s Boost Bracer further amplifies each weapon type’s traits. Detailed playstyles are covered on the weapons page.

What is the Support Hunter system#

When you head out solo, Support Hunters can fill the empty slots, and the roster keeps growing with updates: TU2 added Mina (Sword and Shield) and Fabius (Lance), TU4 added Nadia (Heavy Bowgun), and from TU2 onward Erik can replace Alma in the field. Team-up rules are covered on the multiplayer page.

Monsters and Hunting#

How many monsters are in the game#

Launch includes 29 large monsters and 20 small monsters, of which 20 large and 17 small are brand new. The four major Title Updates went on to add 5 large monsters: Plesioth (TU1), Lagiacrus and Seregios (TU2), Omega Planetes (TU3), and Gogmazios (TU4). Per-monster breakdowns live on the monster encyclopedia page.

Does launch include any Elder Dragons#

No — Wilds is the first mainline entry to ship without an Elder Dragon at launch. The base game’s only Elder Dragon is Gogmazios, added by TU4 in December 2025 alongside the new special locale “Forgotten Machineworks.”

What is the difference between Tempered and Frenzied monsters#

Tempered monsters carry over from Monster Hunter: World — they bear huge old scars that can be attacked to turn into wounds, and they drop Hunter Symbols and Artian materials. Frenzied monsters carry over from Monster Hunter 4 — infected by Gore Magala’s Frenzy virus, they are faster and stronger but have lower health, can pass the virus to hunters, and only appear in the Iceshard Cliffs.

What is the release order of the Arch-tempered monsters#

There are 5 Arch-tempered monsters in total (commonly nicknamed AT by players): Rey Dau (April 2025), Nu Udra (with TU2), Nu Udra (with TU3), Jin Dahaad (with TU4), and Arkveld (February 2026, closing out the base game), each accompanied by a Gamma (γ) armor set.

Which hunts have Hunter Rank requirements#

The Hunter Rank cap is HR100. High-gate content: the extra quests for Lagiacrus and Seregios require HR31 or above, their Tempered variants require HR41 or above, and TU3’s Nerscylla Clone is likewise unlocked at HR41; Omega Planetes runs as a permanent 9-star quest and the anniversary event quests are 10-star, all requiring HR100 or above.

Gear and Endgame#

What are Artian Weapons#

Artian Weapons are forged from the Artian materials produced by Tempered hunts and support custom reinforcement and set bonuses; TU4’s “Gogma Artian weapon reinforcement” lets you add further upgrades and set bonuses to existing Artian Weapons. Build ideas are on the recommended builds page.

What are 9-star difficulty and Appraised Talismans#

Ver.1.021 in August 2025 introduced 9-star endgame difficulty: every 8-star Tempered monster gained a 9-star variant with across-the-board increases to health, damage, and aggression, in a rotation that includes Gore Magala, Doshaguma, Rathalos, and more. 9-star quests are tied to the Appraised Talismans system: talismans come with random skills and decoration slots, and can provide both weapon and armor skills.

What is the Armor Transcending system#

Armor Transcending, added in TU4, gives fully upgraded armor a path to keep strengthening, and together with Artian weapon reinforcement it forms the late-game gear progression of the base game.

What weapon balance changes have been made#

Ver.1.021 buffed most weapons except Hammer, Gunlance, and Bow; when the expansion launches, the base game will also receive added and adjusted weapon moves — not including the Boost Action portions tied to the Boost Bracer.

What is there to do after clearing the story#

The endgame runs along four tracks: pushing Hunter Rank to HR100, farming Tempered materials and endgame builds, Arch-tempered challenges and Gamma armor, and crown and trophy collecting — layered on top of event rotations, 9-star hunts, and the paid expansion arriving in 2027. The full route is on the endgame systems page.

Trophies and Collecting#

How many achievements are there#

The PlayStation version has 50 in total: 1 platinum, 2 gold, 11 silver, and 36 bronze, 13 of them hidden. The platinum is named “Eastward Wings” and requires unlocking every other trophy. Per-trophy requirements are on the achievements page.

Are there any missable achievements#

No. The game has no missable achievements and no difficulty-related trophies; every trophy is tied to a single character’s hunter profile and must be completed on that same character.

How long does a full trophy run take#

At the pace of one story playthrough plus post-game farming, expect 75 to 100 hours overall, with the crown-collecting track being the hardest part.

What do the crown requirements cover#

The trophy-required crowns total 52, covering the silver and gold crowns of 26 launch large monsters; two related achievements also track mini crowns from 10 or more monsters and gold crown mastery.

Is there a DLC trophy pack#

Not as of July 2026. The expansion is planned for 2027; whether new trophies get added then depends on official announcements.

What are some representative achievement conditions#

Complete 50 quests and 30 different side quests, capture 50 monsters, hunt 100 large monsters, slay 50 Tempered monsters, reach HR100, complete 100 multiplayer quests, activate every mine cart station, and so on.

Versions and Expansion#

How many updates has the base game received#

As of August 2026, the base game has gone through four major Title Updates (TU1 through TU4) and four minor version updates (1.011, 1.021, 1.041, 1.042), with limited-time events such as the Festival of Accord returning multiple times along the way. Key milestones:

What is the expansion and when does it come out#

Its full name is Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, officially positioned as a paid, massive-scale expansion, releasing in 2027. It was first revealed at Summer Game Fest on June 5, 2026; the September 3, 2026 State of Play revealed more details, and the August 5 launch alongside the prologue demo served as yet another confirmation.

What has been announced for the expansion#

The new region is the Skybound Eyrie, sitting above the clouds over Wyveria; the new base is the Madoi Stronghold. The story takes place several years after the base game’s ending: the elder dragon Lao-Shan Lung has appeared in the Forbidden Lands, Nata is now a full member of the investigation team, traveling with his Seikret partner Bangard. New monsters include the Bird Wyvern Araketa and the elder dragon Gundoraja, and Kushala Daora and Lao-Shan Lung are confirmed to return.

What are Master Rank and the Boost Bracer#

Master Rank is the new quest tier added by the expansion. The Boost Bracer is deployed via the ballista and temporarily enhances hunter abilities: use the Boost Action to create openings, then press the attack while the temporary buff lasts, amplifying the strengths of each of the 14 weapon types.

What do you need to play the expansion#

You need to own the base game, reach HR40, and clear the 7-star Key Quest “Awakening From a Dream” (Chapter 6-1). Platforms are PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and Steam, with cross-platform and single-player support and 1 to 4 players online.

What does the prologue demo include#

Free from August 5, 2026, it covers character creation and the story up through “To the Forest” (Chapter 1-3), with all 14 weapon types playable; it needs 26GB or more of storage, and offers no online features or Photo Mode. Demo saves can transfer to the full game, provided the account has no existing full-game save.

Can my base game save carry into the expansion#

Capcom has not yet announced save carry-over details for the expansion, so wait for the official word; prologue demo saves, on the other hand, can transfer to the base game under the conditions above.

Reception and Word of Mouth#

How are the sales#

It topped 8 million units within its first three days — the fastest in Capcom history, where Monster Hunter: World had managed 5 million in the same window — and cumulative sales broke 10 million by the end of March 2025. The series as a whole has now sold over 127 million units (as of March 31, 2026), with Monster Hunter: World past 30 million as Capcom’s best-selling single title ever.

How did the media score it#

Metacritic averages stand at 90 for the PS5 version, 90 for Xbox Series X|S, and 88 for PC. Representative scores: IGN 8/10, GameSpot 8/10, Destructoid 9.5/10, PC Gamer 85/100, PCGamesN 9/10.

What was the Steam review drama about#

The PC version really did sit at “Mostly Negative” for a stretch after launch due to performance issues — that part is genuine history. Subsequent patches kept polishing, and both TU4 and the February 2026 Ver.1.041 shipped dedicated PC performance improvements, with reviews recovering accordingly.

How did the betas and concurrent player counts go#

The first open beta on October 26, 2024 peaked above 460,000 concurrent players on Steam; a second test ran on February 7, 2025. After release, the day-two peak reached 1.38 million, the highest ever for a Capcom title and fifth-highest in Steam history at the time.

Platforms and Multiplayer#

Which platforms is the game on#

Launch platforms are PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam), with a simultaneous worldwide release across all three on February 28, 2025 — a first for the series. A Switch 2 version is in development, covering both the base game and the expansion (per Capcom’s June 8, 2026 IR announcement), with no release date announced.

What are the multiplayer rules#

Cross-platform team-ups are supported with up to 4 players in co-op; console online play requires PS Plus or an Xbox online membership, while PC does not. The story and the vast majority of content can be completed solo, and if you get stuck you can fire an SOS flare or fall back on Support Hunters.

How big is the development team#

It was developed and published in-house by Capcom on the RE Engine, with a team of 2,650 and production led by Haruhiro Tsujimoto.

Revision note (2026-10-03): Every item on this page has been verified one by one against official update announcements and launch materials; figures and speculation that could not be confirmed have been removed.