Monster Hunter Wilds is already one of the best games of the year, but Capcom and the development team have never left Hunters hanging for very long without anything new to do. Just like Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise, it looks as though Wilds is going to be well supported after launch, and the first example of that is Title Update 1, which will arrive on April 3rd (PDT) and April 4th (BST) with a host of new things to get your sword into.
On April 4th, Hunters can look forward to the game’s first new creature, with the arrival of Mizutsune, the Japanese-inspired dragon-like creature, whose special bubble attacks can fill the battlefield with colour and chaos. It’s a welcome return, and as one of the most beautiful monsters in the series storied roster, expect it to look even more spectacular in Monster Hunter Wilds updated graphics. There will of course be new armour and weapons to be crafted from Mizutsune’s
April 30th will see the arrival of Arch-tempered Rey Dau, a meaner, tougher version of the creature. You have to wonder after all the talk about the game being easier, whether this fight is going to be truly brutal, with the team cranking the difficulty up. I can only hope that’s the case. Heck, I might even fail a mission! There’ll be new armour in the shape of the Rey Dau Gamma and Felyne Rey Dau Gamma armour sets.
Zoh Shia, the game’s biggest boss, will now be available to hunt at Hunter Rank 50, Zoh Shia will also appear during the Wyverns Awakening in Wyveria, and there’ll once more be new armour and weapons to craft from the many many items you’ll be able to farm from them.
Finally, we got a look at the new location The Grand Hub. This is the all-new Gathering Hub, and alongside your hunting-prep, you can get back into arm wrestling and meal times together, both of which make a very welcome return. It’s going to be available once you reach Hunter Rank 16, so if you’ve been there since launch there’ll be no waiting at all! While you’re messing around there’s also a new barrel bowling game, where you can earn in-game rewards to deck your hunter out with.
There’ll be new Arena Quests too, as you now race to achieve the fastest hunt times against hunters from around the world. There’s now a ranking screen where you can see the fastest times posted by the world’s best. There’ll be special pendants and rewards to earn, the rarity of which will increase depending on your ranking. These quests can be undertaken by up to four hunters, or you can bring support hunters with you, so it’s not a solo affair either.
Further improvements include Alma gaining the ability to change her outfit, and even the ability to change her glasses, while classic gestures from the older games will also return, and we got a look at the contents of the first batch of Cosmetic DLC, entitled Pack 1.
The first seasonal event is also coming, with the Celebration of Spring punctuated by the Festival of Accord: Blossomdance, which is due to start on April 23rd, running until the 7th of May with special decorations and equipment available to earn. If you ever took part in the similar events for the previous games, you’ll be able to earn exclusive armour sets that are often amongst the outrageous in the series. We’ll have to see if that continues.
More updates will be on their way, and they’re already touting a Capcom collaboration for the end of May as part of Update Ver.1.011, as well as even more features for us lucky Hunters!
Finally, they announced that the second Title Update will also launch in the summer, presumably bringing even more monsters and quests. The biggest mic drop for the end of today’s feed came in the closing moments with a teaser of Lagiacrus, the lead monster from Monster Hunter Tri (and my favourite monster of all time) who looks to be joining the game in Title Update 2. Happy Hunting indeed!
