Everything Coming In Monster Hunter Wilds' Title Update 1
Monster Hunter Wilds is showing absolutely no indication of slowing down. While the first title update's April release date was hinted at before Wilds' launch, more information has filled in the missing details on what, exactly, the update entails. Fortunately, Title Update 1 looks exceedingly promising, with a host of absent franchise mainstays finally appearing in Wilds.
Title Update 1 brings a far-reaching swath of updates which seems to introduce something for every type of hunter. Beyond the status quo of monster additions, a new gathering hub, returning quest types, and a returning monster variant are all making their way into Monster Hunter Wilds, with the bulk of the content releasing on April 4.
The New Gathering Hub Has Everything It Needs
Palico Chefs, Arm-Wrestling, & More
One of the most exciting features in Title Update 1 – announced via the Monster Hunter YouTube channel – is the introduction of Monster Hunter Wilds' own gathering hub: the Grand Hub. Gathering hubs in Monster Hunter are a series tradition that was previously necessitated because of the stark contrast between single-player and online play. Previously, the village of a Monster Hunter game was almost always single-player only. Even if a lobby was shared, the only way for hunters to interact outside a hunt was through the gathering hub, an instanced attachment to the single-player village.
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Monster Hunter Wilds has already made significant improvements to its story telling, with the hunter being a great fit for the change in direction.
While Monster Hunter Wilds, with its more seamless and multiplayer-friendly base camps, did not necessarily need a gathering hub, it's one of those traditions that deserved to return. The gathering hub was always designed with multiplayer in mind, which means that many of its features are primarily centered around lighthearted ways to interact with fellow hunters. For instance, new hunters will finally be able to experience a tried and true Monster Hunter tradition: palico chefs and group meals, which will be available within the new Grand Hub.
A few new mini-games will also be present in the hub, including the button-spamming arm-wrestling, and the all-new Barrel Bowling mini-game, which boasts tangible gameplay rewards. Visually, the Grand Hub has strong ties to Suja, the picturesque mini-zone in Wilds, but it will also see those visuals change with seasonal festival updates. The first of these, the Festival of Accord: Blossomdance, begins on April 23 and will feature a lovely cherry blossom aesthetic along with other themed cosmetic rewards.
Zoh Shia Makes A Grand Re-Entrance Along With Mizutsune
The Long Awaited Armor & Weapons Appear
Mizutsune, a fan-favorite leviathan who sports deadly bubble attacks and laser beams, was one of the first features shown off for the title update in its initial announcement. Mizutsune originated as a pseudo-flagship in Monster Hunter Generations, being a member of the games' Fated Four classification. The monster is known for its slippery, dance-like movements, bubble-based debuffs, and screen-covering laser beams that must be avoided. More recently, Rise heavily featured the Mizutsune, and it quickly became one of my favorite hunts in the franchise due to its distinct moveset.
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Perhaps even more exciting for end-game hunters, however, is the inclusion of Zoh Shia, Wilds' final boss, into high rank. Zoh Shia completely disappeared from Monster Hunter Wilds' after its defeat at the end of Low Rank. Disappointingly, this meant that there was no armor or weapons for Wilds' final boss. Re-hunting Zoh Shia gets tricky, too, once the significantly stronger High Rank gear is crafted. While hunters can always equip lower-level gear to re-fight Zoh Shia, an essential element of Monster Hunter is looting and crafting, which until Title Update 1, was impossible for Zoh Shia.
Based on Capcom's history of title updates, Zoh Shia and Mizutsune will likely have excellent quest rewards that will greatly benefit from Wilds' useful investigation saving.
Truthfully, Zoh Shia should probably have had a High Rank version at Wilds' launch, but in the grand scheme of things, waiting a month for the fight is a relatively short delay. The new weapons and armor look excellent, and, despite only hunting it a couple of times, I see the monster as extremely memorable, especially with Zoh Shia's possible inspiration from World's best cross-over with Final Fantasy, which helps to create that final boss level of spectacle.
Arch-Tempered Rey Dau Arrives Late April
An Expected Return
Another excellent addition to Wilds is the arch-tempered Rey Dau, which will be added as an event quest on April 29. Arch-tempered monsters are, as the name implies, a further buffed version of tempered monsters that also bring some unique caveats. Introduced in Monster Hunter World, arch-tempered monsters are always exclusive to event quests, meaning they have limited availability. They are almost always well worth doing in their limited timeframes, though, as they drop materials that can be used to craft new, unique armor sets.
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Rewards aside, Rey Dau is already an excellent hunt in Wilds, so an arch-tempered version, which will hopefully include the typical additions of buffed health, damage, enrage timers, and additional moves, will no doubt be a memorable fight. Hopefully, Rey Dau is the first of many to receive an arch-tempered event quest, as, until the inevitable expansion, arch-tempered monsters will likely be the most challenging hunts in Wilds.
Thankfully, more seikret customization is coming to Wilds, but with the unfortunate caveat of being paid DLC. However, a few additional free cosmetics will also become available to players with the update.
While Capcom wasn't able to include every requested feature, I'd say that Title Update 1 is an excellent showing. While a few features, such as the Grand Hub and High Rank Zoh Shia, do feel like cut content from Wilds' release, it's good to see that they were implemented into the game quickly, and with what appears to be stellar quality. Overall, there's much to look forward to in Monster Hunter Wilds, with Title Update 1, hopefully, being the first of many fantastic updates to the already superb package.
Source: YouTube/Monster Hunter
OpenCritic ReviewsMonster Hunter Wilds is the highly anticipated follow-up to Capcom's multi-million seller, Monster Hunter World. Announced at The Game Awards 2023, Monster Hunter Wilds will put players into a sprawling world where they'll hunt monsters to create new weapons and armor while protecting their home base and uncovering the secrets of unexplored lands with friends or alone.
- Franchise
- Monster Hunter
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
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