Monster Hunter Wilds finally offered a sneak peek at all the new content in the first title update, with a few exciting teasers for what’s coming. While the update doesn’t look like it will fix every problem Wilds faces with its performance issues and social menu struggles, there were still plenty of welcome surprises. From showcasing a new gathering hub, fan-favorite monster returns, new gameplay mechanics, and more, Wilds is already on the path to achieving its full potential merely a month after release.

Although Monster Hunter Wilds offers some significant challenges with end-game monsters like Tempered Arkveld and Gore Magala, respectively, it’s hard to combat the complaints that Wilds is too easy when compared to previous entries. Part of this difficulty results in the story being entirely contained in the low-rank mode, with high-rank opting to cover what would normally be a much more challenging end-game. While the upcoming update won’t entirely fix Monster Hunter Wild’s difficulty problems immediately, it’s already off to a great start by building the perfect foundation for future updates.

Arch-Tempered Monsters Will Drastically Raise The Stakes

Taking Existing Monsters To Even Deadlier Heights

The most obvious answer to ramping up the difficulty in Monster Hunter Wilds is bringing back terrifying Elder Dragons and Apex monsters or running challenging new crossover encounters, but these additions take a long time to develop. In the meantime, Capcom has opted to introduce even more challenging Arch-tempered monsters, starting with the electrifying menace of the Windward Plains, Rey Dau. While the lethality of Arch-Tempered monsters primarily comes from their much higher damage output and health pools requiring much stronger gear to take down, they can occasionally have a few new attacks or modified versions of existing ones.

A great challenge for courageous hunters up for the task.

While Arch-Tempered monsters aren’t exactly new to the series, first appearing in Monster Hunter World, they still offer a great challenge for courageous hunters up for the task. While the Arch-Tempered status is mostly reserved for mighty Elder Dragons, the apex monsters of Wilds seem more than strong enough to make up for their absence.

Given that Rey Dau was the first monster to receive an Arch-tempered form, it’s safe to assume the other regional Apex monsters and Arkveld will likely follow suit in future updates. While new monsters with a high-ranked Zoh Shia, empowered Mizutsune, and the return of the fan-favorite Lagiacrus will offer considerable challenges upon release, introducing Arch-tempered monsters is already a fantastic way to add more replayability and worthwhile gear in between major updates.

Wilds Had A Good Reason For Toning Down Its Initial Difficulty

Getting Players Hooked Before A Spike In Difficulty

Despite the complaints that Monster Hunter Wilds is too easy, there’s a good reason for the difficulty adjusting. Although Monster Hunter World was the franchise’s first taste of wider mainstream popularity, it didn’t have the most accessibility features for beginners, outside its more familiar triple-A art style.

It makes sense that the latest entry would want better appeal for its larger-than-ever player base.

While World went on to be a smashing success for the series and acted as a direct inspiration for the most recent Wilds, it makes sense that the latest entry would want better appeal for its larger-than-ever player base. Adding more tutorials and guided segments combined with a slower ramp in difficulty makes new players less likely to get blocked by sudden challenges early on. This greater focus on accessibility and finally introducing a worthwhile story are likely key elements that played into Wilds becoming the fastest-selling Capcom title in history.

Even though it was a strange choice to move the main story of Wilds into low-rank, it helped Wilds have a much better chance of hooking new players into the series before getting burned out. Thankfully, the biggest missed opportunity of this change to face off against Zoh Shia once more is being fixed with the first official title update, but the option of not being there in the first place was more than a little disappointing. Regardless of Wilds‘ initial state, the new title update is a fantastic look at the quality content fans can expect moving forward.

Future Content Is Bound To Offer Interesting New Challenges

More Than Simply Harder Versions Of Familiar Monsters

Although it will be at least a year before the master-rank DLC expansion releases for Wilds, bringing with it a whole new level of difficulty alongside a drastically larger selection of monsters in Wilds, there’s still plenty of content on the way in the meantime. Aside from the upgraded Arch-Tempered monsters, Wilds could easily expand on its existing mechanics with fast-attacking frenzied monsters or Alpha variations of monsters like Rathalos that hunt in deadly packs.

New challenges don’t just have to be in the form of terrifying Elder Dragons or powered-up versions of existing monsters.

New challenges don’t have to be in the form of terrifying Elder Dragons or powered-up versions of existing monsters, as they can also come from unique event quests or game modes. The re-introduction of Arena quests and the brand-new bowling mini-game are fantastic ways to spend time between hunts, for example, offering plenty of rewards for hunters willing to complete them. While there’s no official information on exactly when the next title update will be released this summer, it’s likely to provide plenty of exciting ways to experience the beloved Monster Hunter Wilds combat once more.