As is tradition, Capcom is working on a “large-scale” expansion for its latest flagship Monster Hunter title, Monster Hunter Wilds. Announced by series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto in a video celebrating the first anniversary, he noted that it’s similar to Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.
“We plan to share more information with you this summer, so please look forward to it.” Which sounds like a trailer at the Summer Game Fest showcase in June, if not at the next big Monster Hunter Spotlight.
An expansion announcement is always a given for the series, especially one year after the base game’s launch. However, the news is coming at a rather tough time for Monster Hunter Wilds. After launching with severe performance issues, especially on PC, it would face significant criticism for its lackluster endgame, excessively streamlined mechanics, and lower difficulty compared to previous titles. It still went on to sell over 11 million copies, but the sales momentum is lackluster, lagging behind Monster Hunter Rise.
Subsequent updates have improved and added to the experience, adding higher-rated quests, Arch-Tempered Monsters, and new threats like Gogmazios. The endgame has also been expanded significantly with random Talismans and Gogma Artian weapons alongside the usual new weapons and armor sets. There have also been significant improvements to optimization via the last update.
The expansion will likely bring Master Rank, even tougher monsters and a new region, though it remains to be seen how Capcom will improve on the core gameplay.
