No—armor in Monster Hunter Wilds is not gender-locked. Capcom confirmed at Gamescom 2024 that all characters can wear any gear. The two familiar visual versions of armor remain, and you can choose between them for individual pieces.
What changed in Monster Hunter Wilds?
Earlier Monster Hunter games separated armor appearances according to a character’s gender or body type. In Wilds, that restriction is removed: characters can equip gear regardless of which version of its design they want to wear. Capcom’s Gamescom developer livestream was reported as confirming, “All characters can wear any gear.” PC Gamer reported the announcement on August 21, 2024.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Monster Hunter Wilds Steelbook | $32.89 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Wild Hearts - PlayStation 5 | $20.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Maximum Entertainment 34 Sports Games - World Edition (PS5) | $26.70 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Monster Hunter Wilds - Lenticular Sleeve Edition /PS5 | $35.86 | Buy on Amazon |
This changes access to armor designs; it does not mean the alternate designs have been combined or removed. GameSpot reported that a player can select the desired version for each individual armor piece. During the Gamescom livestream, Capcom demonstrated a character wearing pieces based on both versions from the same set.
Can you choose either armor version for each piece?
Yes. The reported feature allows piece-by-piece selection, so you can mix the two visual styles rather than choosing one version for an entire set. That gives you more freedom to build a look using designs that earlier entries restricted to one character category.
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- 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.
What the announcement does—and does not—establish
The confirmation is specifically about armor access and choosing its visual versions. It does not establish changes to body options, character-edit vouchers, or armor statistics in Wilds. Earlier series conventions included different armor appearances even when pieces had the same stats; that history should not be treated as evidence of a change to the game’s stats or character editor.
The announcement came during Gamescom on August 21, 2024, so this is an established feature announcement, not a new change. Capcom later listed Monster Hunter Wilds for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a February 28, 2025 release date, in its September 25, 2024 release announcement.
Quick Recap
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.
Rank #3
- Enter the stadium and take part of one of the biggest competitions across 34 sports: from swimming, soccer, extreme bike, weightlifting, trampoline and much more!
- Defend your own country and visit the World: United States, Australia, Japan, France…
- Train yourself alone or compete with your friends!
- An enhanced version of “30 Sport Games in 1”, with revamped design, new games and more customisation!
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.
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