Quest Types#
Monster Hunter Wilds refines the series’ traditional quest system: beyond the main story, Optional Quests carry the content of free updates, Side Missions flesh out the world and bases, Event Quests rotate as version-driven operational content, and Investigations are the everyday backbone of material farming. Understanding each quest type’s function, gates, and reward forms completely changes the efficiency of your leveling route and material planning. This page sorts out the roles and uses of the eight quest categories per official update announcements; Arch-tempered difficulty details and the version timeline are covered in Endgame Systems and Version Updates.
Quest Type Overview#
| Type | Role | Unlock | Repeatable | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Missions | Advance the main story chapters | Appear automatically with chapter story progress | Not repeatable | Story progression; unlocks new regions, facilities, and systems |
| Optional Quests | Gateway to free-update content | Accepted from the Quest Board after meeting HR gates and prerequisite quests | Repeatable | New monsters join the regular ecosystem; unlocks dedicated materials and equipment lines |
| Side Missions | Support content that fleshes out the world and base functions | Accepted from base NPCs | Mostly one-time | Materials, money, and functional and appearance unlocks |
| Event Quests | Limited-time operational content | Accepted from the Quest Board or Grand Hub during the event window | Repeatable while live | Limited materials, layered appearances, and Arch-tempered Gamma (γ) armor |
| Arena Quests | Skill challenges with fixed equipment | Added with the Grand Hub in the April 2025 update | Repeatable challenges | Material rewards and time-attack records |
| Challenge Quests | Time attacks under specified equipment conditions | Added in the April 2025 update; rotate on a schedule | Repeatable during the window | Materials and time-attack records |
| Free Challenge Quests | Time attacks with equipment restrictions lifted | Accepted from the Quest Board | Repeatable during the window | Materials and time-attack records; bring your own builds and group up |
| Investigations | The main material-farming workhorse | Register monster intel during a hunt, then customize and accept | Repeatable | Noticeably higher material output from gold reward slots, plus emblem tokens |
Optional Quests: The Gateway to Free Updates#
The base game’s Optional Quests are the main vehicle for free title-update content: Ver.1.01 brought Mizutsune, Ver.1.02 brought Seregios, Ver.1.03 brought the Final Fantasy XIV collab monster Omega Planetes, and Ver.1.04 brought Gogmazios, the base game’s only Elder Dragon — the launch roster contained no Elder Dragons at all, and Gogmazios is the first one brought into the base game. Every piece of added content has clear HR gates and prerequisite quests; the four documented gates are in the table below.
| Gate | Content | Version |
|---|---|---|
| HR21 | Mizutsune optional quest and the Zoh Shia High Rank challenge | Ver.1.01 (2025-04) |
| HR31 | Seregios optional quest | Ver.1.02 (2025-06) |
| HR41 | Omega Planetes optional quest and the Nerscylla clone | Ver.1.03 (2025-09) |
| HR100 | Omega Planetes’s 9★ permanent quest and the Gogmazios challenge chain; the Arch-tempered Arkveld finale also requires HR100 | From Ver.1.03 through Ver.1.04 |
On prerequisites: the Mizutsune optional quest requires advancing the main story to “A World Turned Upside Down” and completing the side mission “Forest Doshaguma”; the Seregios optional quest requires clearing that same main mission first. Gogmazios’s full unlock chain is: Hunter Rank at the HR100 cap, clear the main mission “A First Cry”, then defeat Gogmazios in an Optional Quest — after which it can be hunted repeatedly in 9★ event quests. If you have not reached a gate yet, the fastest way to raise your rank is tempered-individual Investigations — materials, emblem tokens, and rank all at once; it never loses. For move-by-move breakdowns of the added monsters, see Boss Guides.
Event Quests: Arch-Tempered and Festivals#
Event Quests carry limited-time operational content along two parallel tracks. The first is Arch-tempered (the community shorthand for it is best left as “AT”) — the strongest monster forms in the base game, rolled out in version order as event quests, five in total: Rey Dau (April 2025), Nu Udra (June 2025), Uth Duna (September 2025), Jin Dahaad (December 2025), capped by Arkveld (HR100, February 2026). Each release comes with a Gamma (γ) armor set — five sets across the whole run — and they are the backbone of the armor endgame. The second is festivals such as the Festival of Accord and the Flamefete, which bring limited appearances and buff menus.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Arch-tempered delivery | All released as event quests on version rotation, five in total |
| Paired rewards | Each Arch-tempered comes with a Gamma (γ) armor set; five sets across the whole run |
| Rotation cadence | Rotates in step with festivals such as the Festival of Accord |
| If you miss one | Most events return in later festivals; the anniversary quests are now permanently open |
| Priority | Situation |
|---|---|
| Current Arch-tempered | Top priority — limited window, and missing the Gamma armor means waiting for a rerun |
| Decoration buffs and layering events | Second priority — weigh against your build gaps |
| Festival-limited appearances | As interest dictates |
| Regular farming events | Along the way |
Event quests generally pay out more densely than regular content, but “clearing everything” is unnecessary: pick two or three high-value events that match your current build gaps. Make sure to catch the buff windows during festivals (festival menus, limited seasoning) — that is a zero-cost gain. For the difficulty positioning of Arch-tempered monsters and the skill orientation of the Gamma series, see Endgame Systems and Armor Guide.
Arena and Challenge Quests#
The first title update in April 2025 placed the Grand Hub in the stronghold of Suja (unlocked at High Rank HR16), opening Arena Quests and Challenge Quests alongside it. Arena Quests use specified equipment and conditions, testing skill and damage-loop efficiency; the Survey Team record board logs time-attack records for all players; the Arena page in your Hunter Profile tracks your record curve — the best tool for auditing your damage loop.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Fixed equipment | Arena Quests use specified equipment and conditions; gear differences are flattened — execution is what gets tested |
| Leaderboard | The Survey Team record board logs time-attack records, open to all players |
| Challenge Quests | Time attacks under specified equipment conditions; rotate on a schedule |
| Free Challenge Quests | Equipment restrictions lifted; bring your own builds and group up |
The difference between Challenge and Free Challenge Quests is the equipment restriction: the former flattens conditions to pure skill, while the latter opens up builds, suiting groups and multi-weapon players chasing records. Both are low-cost proving grounds for build strength — if you cannot clear an Investigation of the same difficulty, first recalibrate your execution in the Arena with fixed equipment, and whether the problem lies in play or in build becomes obvious.
Investigations: The Farming Workhorse#
Investigations are the main farming path after High Rank: collect monster intel during a hunt to register an investigation; the target monster, stars, and conditions are all customizable, and registered investigations can be saved as presets and repeated. The reward slots at settlement are the key variable — investigations with gold reward slots pay out noticeably more, and banking a batch of high-quality investigations before heading out is the watershed of post-High-Rank material efficiency.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Customization | Targets, conditions, and acceptance arrangements can be adjusted at registration and saved as presets |
| Reward slots | Investigations with gold reward slots settle noticeably higher |
| Frenzied entry | After slaying a Frenzied monster you can save it as an investigation, each accepting up to 3 times |
| Offline support | Investigations support offline play after Ver.1.042 |
Frenzied individuals appear only in the Iceshard Cliffs — after slaying one, remember to save it as an investigation — each accepts up to 3 times, and this is the stable entry point for collecting Frenzy Shards and Frenzy Crystals. For farming routes and rarity mappings, see Materials and Rarity.
Accepting Quests and the Flow#
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| 1 | Accept from Alma and confirm the target and restrictions |
| 2 | Choose to depart from camp or join directly in the field |
| 3 | Return to your camp tent mid-quest to restock or change equipment at any time |
| 4 | Three faints or time expired means quest failure |
Finishing your meal and supplies at base before departing is standard procedure: canteen buffs, item pouch organization, and decoration tweaks are all done before departure. The Quest Board handles Main Missions, Free Challenge, Investigations, and every other quest type; base facility layouts are in Regions and Maps.
Quest Efficiency Tips#
| Tip | Payoff |
|---|---|
| Join in the field instead of gathering up | Joining directly in the field saves the transitions |
| Fill SOS slots | Call for help solo at any time; cross-platform players can join and fill the party |
| Stack investigation targets | Take multiple target monsters per trip to amortize time costs |
| End via capture | Capturable targets can be finished early with a trap |
Multiplayer rules and Palico standby limits are detailed in Multiplayer: with fewer than three members, everyone may bring a Palico; at three or more, Palicoes stand by — deciding whether to bring followers before grouping up saves mid-quest rework.
FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Missed an event quest | Most events return in later festivals; Arch-tempered monsters re-open on version rotation |
| Do Optional Quests have gates | Yes — the documented gates are four tiers: HR21, HR31, HR41, and HR100 |
| Is the leaderboard global | Yes — the Survey Team record board’s time-attack rankings are open to all players |
| Can I join mid-quest | Yes — respond to an SOS flare to join a quest in progress |
Matching Quests to Seasons#
| Quest type | Recommended season |
|---|---|
| Apex hunts | Inclemencies (spontaneous encounters) or any season |
| Gathering side missions | Plenty |
| Multi-monster hunts | Fallow (monsters concentrate) |
| Capture quests | Any — prioritize by individual spawns |
Seasons still rotate within a quest, and long quests may span two or three of them — confirming the current season before departure and planning a two-phase quest (“gathering early, hunting late”) is the mark of advanced time management. The ecological differences between seasons and the inclemency mechanics are in Regions and Maps.
Revision note (2026-10-04): The quest type overview on this page was rewritten per official announcements and on-site verification, clarifying the roles, unlock conditions, repeatability, and reward types of the eight categories; the Optional Quest section was completed with content from the four free title updates (Mizutsune, Seregios, Omega Planetes, Gogmazios) and lists the four documented HR gates at HR21/HR31/HR41/HR100; the community nickname for Arch-tempered was unified under the official Arch-tempered name with a parenthetical note; gate rows without official basis and unsupported mechanics were removed; the Investigation section gained custom conditions, gold reward slots, and Frenzied-individual saving rules.