In the games, players hunt larger-than-life foes across expansive natural environments. Each monster poses a unique challenge, so players must plan carefully, form hunting parties with friends, and utilize everything at their disposal to survive these thrilling set-piece quests. As a reward for overcoming their quarry, hunters can harvest the remains to craft equipment and upgrade their customizable arsenal for the challenges ahead.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, players join the ranks of a special Research Commission team investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the Monster Hunter™ series, the hunter ventures into the unknown with their companions, including Guild-appointed handler Alma, their Palico partner, and a mysterious child. Monster Hunter Wilds features multi-dimensional biomes that can transform in unexpected ways. The first locale to be unveiled is the Windward Plains, a vast region encompassing harsh deserts, twisted rock formations, and swaying grasslands abound with life.

These immersive ecosystems are populated with wildlife acclimated to their surroundings, including smaller monsters like Dalthydon, an herbivorous wyvern that migrates seasonally, and Ceratonoth, who rely on males to shield the herd from raging storms with well-developed dorsal horns that serve as lightning rods. Of course, large monsters also roam the Windward Plains, including Doshaguma. While massive and territorial, these fanged beasts are curiously sometimes sighted stalking the plains in aggressive packs. Meanwhile, the formidable amphibian Chatacabra uses its surroundings and adhesive saliva to become an even stronger adversary by armoring its body with natural materials like ore.

The above Monster Hunter Wilds trailer gives a deeper look at the Hunter’s foray into the Forbidden Lands, including the colorful characters and a mysterious crescent-shaped mountain players will encounter as story moments seamlessly blend into gameplay. As the hunter delves deeper into unknown territory, local wildlife including the treacherous new Balahara Leviathan monster demonstrated how hunters must adapt and harness new techniques to coexist in the Windward Plains region’s volatile conditions. In the ferocious lightning storms that herald a change between the harsh dry season and abundant monsoon season, an even greater threat was glimpsed bolting behind the billowing sand clouds.

Monster Hunter series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto confirmed Monster Hunter Wilds will support crossplay across PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Tsujimoto also notified fans eagerly awaiting the highly anticipated title’s 2025 release that Capcom will debut its next trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live, and Monster Hunter Wilds will be playable for the first time on the Gamescom 2024 show floor.

The Wild Beauty of the Windward Plains

While traversing the sandy dunes of the Windward Plains, hunters and local wildlife alike must be cautious of falling victim to the quicksand traps of the newly revealed Balahara. The Forbidden Lands play host to multiple packs of large monsters such as the Balahara, who can be seen in the trailer tracking and overwhelming the previously announced Doshaguma. These Leviathans secrete mucus along their serpentine bodies to deftly maneuver through the earth, hurl attacks at their foes, and create pitfall traps capable of shifting the sands of battle in their favor. As these formidable monsters seek to scrape out a niche within this harsh ecosystem, territorial disputes with other large monsters can erupt at a moment’s notice. Hidden within the region’s frequent sandstorms, a mysterious apex predator lurks, waiting to shock its prey with an electric fury.

A Seamless World of Extremes

Monster Hunter Wilds seamlessly flows from story sequences to gameplay to tell the dynamic and engrossing story of the hunter leading the Forbidden Lands Research Commission as they explore vibrant ecosystems filled with monsters and extreme environments. After stepping off their ship headed for the Windward Plains, hunters begin to unravel the many mysteries contained within Forbidden Lands, such as the massive crescent-shaped mountain dominating the landscape. That journey will compel players to team up with other Hunters to discover the relationship between this world and the people who inhabit it, standing shoulder to shoulder against new and fearsome foes.

To help hunters meet the challenges that await in Monster Hunter Wilds, the beloved gameplay of the series has evolved with an arsenal of new features. Players will experience a seamless flow from story sequences to gameplay without interruption. To traverse this world’s sprawling environments, the game introduces Seikrets, a new type of mount. These nimble creatures can guide their riders to destinations and allow hunters to perform actions on the go, such as sharpening weapons, gathering materials, and wielding the slinger. Hunters can also swap to a secondary weapon with their Seikret, empowering hunting parties to adapt to the changing conditions out in the field without returning to base.

All 14 of the series’ iconic weapon types return in Monster Hunter Wilds and have now evolved to include new actions. Additionally, the game introduces brand-new systems, such as Focus Mode, giving hunters more precise control over aiming, guarding, and attacking monsters’ weak points. The new Hook Slinger also offers hunters additional abilities, including contextual actions and the power to collect items from a distance – even when mounted atop their Seikret.

Monster Hunter Wilds players who link their Monster Hunter: World save data can receive special bonus items. This includes the Felyne Leather Set (Palico Armor) and Felyne Acorn Spade (Palico Weapon) for linking Monster Hunter: World base game save data, and Felyne Duffel Set (Palico Armor) and Felyne Trekker Peckaxe (Palico Weapon) for linking save data from the title’s massive expansion Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.

Capcom also revealed special bonus items that players returning from Monster Hunter: World can obtain when Monster Hunter Wilds launches.

Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam) in 2025.