Monster Hunter Wilds developer Capcom has also revealed a ton of new content for the base game's final update, coming out on 18 February.
Monster Hunter Wilds developer Capcom has revealed that a “large scale” expansion for the game is already in development, and will be revealed for the first time later in the summer. Capcom shared the news in an update featuring series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto on Tuesday (10 February), where they also revealed details on what players can expect in Monster Hunter Wilds' final base game update coming out on 18 February.
“We are currently at work on a large scale expansion similar to Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak for Monster Hunter Wilds. We plan to share more information with you this summer, so please look forward to it,” said Tsujimoto.
What can we expect from Monster Hunter Wilds' “large scale” expansion?
Since the series was first launched all the way back in 2004, all Monster Hunter titles, both mainline and portable, have received expansions that built on the content released in the base game. These expansions add new monsters–with expansions for later titles adding both returning monsters and entirely new ones–as well as their associated weapons and armor. New regions and gameplay mechanics are also added, as in the case of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne adding the Seliana, Hoarfrost Reach, and Guiding Lands regions, as well as the Clutch Claw mechanic.
Monster Hunter Wilds continues this trend as confirmed by Tsujimoto, who also said that players can expect an expansion similar in scale to Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.
While Iceborne and Sunbreak are nominally called expansions, the sheer amount of content they added to their respective base games make them feel like entirely new titles on their own.
For example, Monster Hunter World launched with 36 large monsters for players to hunt. Iceborne added 35 large monsters to bring the total up to 71 over the course of the expansion's launch and subsequent updates. The new monsters added in Iceborne were also introduced as part of a new storyline that picks up after the events of the base game.
Monster Hunter Wilds' base game roster features a total of 33 large monsters for comparison. Given the fact that the game is set in an entirely new region not seen before in the series, players can expect Capcom to add a number of entirely new monsters in the expansion, not to mention returning ones.
With Monster Hunter Wilds' upcoming expansion set to have its first reveal in the summer, players still have to wait a while before they can start the hunt anew. Until then, Monster Hunter Wilds' upcoming update on 18 February should whet their appetite for more hunts.
Monster Hunter Wilds' 18 February update features Arch-tempered Arkveld, 10-star monster hunts, and more
Monster Hunter Wilds' final major update for the base game is set to release on 18 February, with the additions of Arch-tempered Arkveld and new 10-star monster hunts headlining the upcoming content drop.
Arch-tempered Arkveld will be the game's first 10-star difficulty quest, befitting the game's flagship monster. The Arch-tempered Arkveld hunt will be available through a permanent event quest on 18 February and in a free challenge quest on 19 March. The Forbidden Lands' other apex predators–namely Rey Dau, Uth Duna, Nu Udra, and Jin Dahaad–will also be getting their own 10-star Arch-tempered versions for players to test their mettle with.
Completing the Arch-tempered hunts for Arkveld and all of the special environment quests will even unlock what could very well be Monster Hunter Wilds' ultimate test: a 10-star quest where players must hunt Arch-tempered versions of Rey Dau, Uth Duna, Nu Udra, and Arkveld one after the other in the Wounded Hollow, fittingly titled “Proof of a Hero.”
Completing 10-star quests will reward players with Timeworn Charms, which have a chance of being appraised into rare-quality talismans, and Battle-tempered Emblems, which can be used to reinforce Gogma Artian weapons.
Monster Hunter Wilds' 18 February update will also see the release of the winning designs from the Original Weapon and Pendant Designed Contest through a new event quest. Completing the “Every Hunter's Dream” event quest will reward players with the “Shatterseal” Great Sword and “Meatmergency” Pendant.
New side missions are also set to be released, with the first featuring the support hunter Nadia, while the other will be a collaboration side mission for Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection. Completing the Nadia side quest will allow players to craft their own version of Nadia's armor, while the collab mission rewards Palico equipment designed after Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection's Rudy and special Monstie-themed pendants.
Finally, Monster Hunter Wilds will be celebrating the first anniversary of its release in an Anniversary Event from 18 February to 19 March. During the event, players can collect special anniversary login bonuses, join in seasonal festivities–featuring a weekly rotation of all the previous Festivals of Accord–and participate in new event quests.
You can check the official Monster Hunter Wilds update portal for more details on the upcoming 18 February update.
