You do not have to pick a permanent weapon or master every system before your first hunt. Try a weapon in the Training Area, learn to aim with Focus Mode, eat before heading out, and use the Seikret to recover or switch weapons when you need to. If a hunt does not provide enough materials, repeat the monster’s Optional Quest.
Choose a weapon you want to learn
Monster Hunter Wilds has 14 weapon types, but your first choice is only a starting point: you can change weapons at camp. Handler Alma can recommend one, and you can test it in the Base Camp Training Area before committing to a hunt. The in-game Info tab’s Play Guide > Weapon Controls explains each weapon’s controls and combos. PlayStation Blog lists the 14 weapon types; the PlayStation starter guide covers Alma, the Training Area, and the Play Guide.
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There is no universally best beginner weapon established by these official guides. Start with one whose attacks and defensive options make sense to you, then learn its basic moves and when it has an opening to attack. Trying another weapon is easy once you have a feel for the hunt; there is no need to compare all 14 before beginning.
Use Focus Mode to aim and spot openings
Focus Mode gives you more precise control over attack direction and makes wounds visible. Attacks can create wounds on a monster; keep attacking a wound to break it. A Focus Strike targets a highlighted wound and can deal heavy damage, stagger the monster, and provide bonus materials. Each weapon has its own Focus Strike behavior, so check its controls and line up the strike at a suitable distance. The developer tips published by Xbox Wire also describe using Focus Mode to help target breakable body parts.
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#1 Best Overall
- Wild New Adventure – Monster Hunter Wilds follows the story of a special Research Commission investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the hunter is joined in their journey by a colorful cast of characters, including a Palico partner, Guild-appointed Handler Alma, trusty smithy Gemma, and the mysterious child Nata. Together, the team ventures into an unexplored new frontier where surprises await around every corner.
- A Living World – The Forbidden Lands spans multiple biomes with dynamic identities, such as the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, where the ecosystems shift between vibrant seasons brimming with life, and unforgiving climates where monsters fight over limited resources. Changes in the landscape will impact the creatures that live there and push hunters to adapt as well.
- New Monsters and Wildlife – Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors.
- Players can also now ride atop the Seikret, an agile new mount enabling hunters to traverse difficult terrain, perform actions like sharpening weapons on the move, and switch between two weapons while out on hunts!
- Evolved Hunting Action – The series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever! Hunters can look forward to tracking down monsters with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. The action also now flows seamlessly from cutscenes to gameplay, resulting in a new level of immersion.
Use Focus Mode to see where your attacks are going and to make a deliberate strike when a wound appears. It is a tool for aiming, not a requirement to direct every attack at a wound.
Use the Seikret to recover or change weapons
The Seikret is useful beyond getting from place to place. While riding, you can sharpen your weapon or recover health and stamina, creating some distance from an active monster while you do so. It also carries a second weapon, which you can switch to while mounted.
Rank #2
- Hunt giant nature-infused bests – Survive their attacks, learn from their behaviors, and use your Karakuri and your weapons in combination to cut these creatures down to size.
- Craft your hunting grounds – You are the only one in Azuma able to wield the Karakuri technology.
- Hunt in a pack, or be a lone wolf – In WILD HEARTS you can face the Kemono alone or unite with up to two friends (or other players) to stalk and hunt your prey.
- Gear up to hunt, hunt to gear up – Create your character, then gather materials from each hunt and build an array of armor and weapons.
At first, it is perfectly reasonable to carry just one weapon and focus on learning it. Later, you can put a different weapon—or one with different properties—in the second slot to give yourself another option during a hunt. These Seikret functions are described in the PlayStation starter guide and Xbox Wire’s developer tips.
Prepare before a hunt
Eat for temporary boosts
Meals provide temporary stat boosts and passive skills based on their ingredients. Eat before heading out, and remember that the effects do not last indefinitely. The Portable BBQ Grill lets you cook away from base. The PlayStation starter guide recommends eating regularly.
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Make common items easy to reach
Customize the radial menu with items you use often, along with gestures and communication actions, so you can reach them quickly during a hunt. You can craft from a tent or from the main menu while on a hunt. If you have the required materials, individual items can also be set to auto-craft when those materials are gathered. See the starter guide’s preparation tips for these options.
Use Pop-up Camps thoughtfully
Pop-up Camps bring many base-camp functions into the field, which can save a trip back during a hunt or investigation. Each placement site has a risk rating: a monster may discover and destroy a camp, and repairs cost Guild Points. Choose a location with that trade-off in mind. The PlayStation starter guide explains camp placement and repairs.
Rank #4
- Wild New Adventure – Monster Hunter Wilds follows the story of a special Research Commission investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the hunter is joined in their journey by a colorful cast of characters, including a Palico partner, Guild-appointed Handler Alma, trusty smithy Gemma, and the mysterious child Nata. Together, the team ventures into an unexplored new frontier where surprises await around every corner.
- A Living World – The Forbidden Lands spans multiple biomes with dynamic identities, such as the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, where the ecosystems shift between vibrant seasons brimming with life, and unforgiving climates where monsters fight over limited resources. Changes in the landscape will impact the creatures that live there and push hunters to adapt as well.
- New Monsters and Wildlife – Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors.
- Evolved Hunting Action – The series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever! Hunters can look forward to tracking down monsters with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. The action also now flows seamlessly from cutscenes to gameplay, resulting in a new level of immersion.
- Crossplay Multiplayer – Alongside the option to enjoy the story of Monster Hunter Wilds solo, hunters can join up to three other players across any platform to explore the world together and take on the game’s challenges as a hunting party or receive aid from notable story characters as Support Hunter NPCs.
If you need more materials, repeat the monster’s Optional Quest
One hunt may not yield enough monster materials for the armor or weapon you want to craft or upgrade. After clearing an Assignment, check Alma’s quest board for an Optional Quest against the same monster and hunt it again for more rewards. This is a straightforward way to gather additional materials without treating a particular armor set, damage build, or grind route as mandatory.
Platforms and online multiplayer
Capcom lists Monster Hunter Wilds for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a release date of February 28, 2025. Its announced expansion, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, is planned for 2027; it is not a prerequisite for starting the base game. See Capcom’s June 8, 2026 announcement for those dates and platforms.
The game supports online multiplayer. On PlayStation 5, online multiplayer in the full version requires PlayStation Plus and broadband internet, according to the PlayStation launch overview. That requirement is specific to PS5; check the current terms for your platform rather than assuming the same rule applies on Xbox or PC.
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