Monster Hunter Wilds to Receive Major Iceborne-Style Expansion

Capcom is gearing up for a major expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds, reminiscent of what Iceborne was for World and Sunbreak for Rise. Series director Ryōzō Tsujimoto shared the news in a trailer that teased upcoming features in Wilds Title Update 4, though specifics about the expansion remain under wraps. He did mention that it will be similar in scale to previous paid expansions.

To give you an idea, Iceborne introduced a vast new map to World, along with a post-game campaign, a slew of new monsters, and tougher versions of existing foes. Sunbreak also brought a new, albeit smaller, map and a plethora of quests, featuring even more monsters than Iceborne had at launch. Both expansions included a mix of fresh creatures and fan-favorites from earlier titles, like Astalos from Monster Hunter Generations and Gore Magala from Monster Hunter 4. Capcom continued to support both expansions with free content updates that introduced additional monsters, higher difficulty levels, and new quests.

While the announcement might seem as predictable as saying “water is wet and monsters are out to get you,” the timing of a paid expansion post-launch is a staple of the Monster Hunter series. However, given Wilds’ rocky update history, it’s reassuring to have this confirmation. The game debuted with fewer monsters and less content compared to its predecessors, and many of the Title Updates since then have offered less than what was seen in similar updates for World and Rise. For instance, Title Update 3 introduced just one new monster (Omega Planetes), while Sunbreak’s third free update added three.

Capcom has also faced ongoing performance issues on PC, which a fan may have pinpointed. This has led to the odd situation where, despite Wilds selling 10 million copies at launch, Rise managed to surpass it a few months later.

Tsujimoto mentioned that more details about the Monster Hunter Wilds expansion will be revealed this summer. In the meantime, Capcom is celebrating Wilds’ first anniversary with the free Title Update 4, set to go live on February 18. This update will include:

An anniversary event running from February 18 to March 19, featuring a free item pack for players who log in and a weekly rotation of hub events that will bring back all previous seasonal events.

Additionally, in response to player feedback about Rompopolo, Title Update 4 will introduce a new limited-time quest featuring a more challenging toxic bird and new armor to entice players to take it on.