To farm items in Monster Hunter Wilds, unlock Material Retrieval, assign an available settlement gatherer the item you need, then collect the accumulated stock from Nata at Base Camp. You can also gather nearby resources with the Slinger or repeat Optional Quests for monster materials. Resting in a tent advances time and can help retrieval progress, but no reliable fixed yield per rest is established.
How Material Retrieval works
Material Retrieval is a passive gathering system tied to settlements. After unlocking a gatherer, choose one of the items available from that resident. They accumulate it while you continue playing; you do not need to visit each settlement to collect it. Instead, speak to Nata at Base Camp to retrieve settlement materials.
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Use a specific item assignment when you have a known crafting shortage. If you want a varied stock and do not need one particular material, the PC Gamer guide reports that choosing “Any” gives the gatherer a mixed selection. Not every item is available from every gatherer, and the reviewed guides do not establish guaranteed quantities or exact collection rates.
How to unlock Material Retrieval
Material Retrieval is a High Rank feature. The following early unlock chain is reported by PC Gamer’s guide to farming materials; check the current mission requirements in-game, since quest prerequisites can change with progression or updates.
#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.
- Speak to Zatoh in Kunafa, then hunt Gypceros in the Windward Plains to unlock Murtabak.
- Speak to Aida in the Everforge, then hunt Rompopolo in the Oilwell Basin to unlock Sabar.
- Continue through Hunter Rank and story progression, and complete settlement missions to unlock additional gatherers.
How to assign and collect items
- Visit an unlocked gatherer in their settlement and talk to them.
- Select a specific available item to target a shortage, or choose “Any” for a varied selection.
- Continue playing while the gatherer accumulates stock.
- Return to Base Camp and speak to Nata to collect the settlement materials.
How to speed up settlement gathering
Advance time by resting
Resting in a tent changes the time of day and can increase the amount gathered. The available guide does not provide a universal yield per rest, so treat resting as a way to advance progress rather than a guaranteed batch size.
Complete a settlement trouble quest
Check the region’s environment overview for the notice “A settlement is having monster trouble!” When it appears, create the prompted quest and slay its target. The affected gatherer receives a temporary Gathering Boost, indicated by a blue arrow, and gathers at a higher rate for the boost’s duration. The boost can also raise a region trader’s limit for one randomly selected item, so it is not a way to guarantee more of a particular trade item.
When to gather or hunt instead
| Method | Best for | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Material Retrieval | Background accumulation of an available settlement item | Assign a gatherer, keep playing, and collect from Nata at Base Camp. |
| Field gathering | Nearby environmental resources you can collect while travelling | While riding, use the Slinger to view resources in range, select one, and let it pick it up automatically. Controls may differ by platform. |
| Repeat Optional Quest | Materials and rewards from a particular monster | After clearing an Assignment, check Alma’s quest board for a repeat Optional Quest against that monster. |
Material Retrieval is useful when you want supplies accumulating in the background. Field gathering is more direct for nearby resource nodes, while repeat hunts are the relevant option for monster-specific rewards. A settlement gatherer can only provide items offered in that resident’s selection.
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Turn gathered materials into useful supplies
Materials feed crafting. The crafting menu is available in a tent or from the main menu during a hunt. To use resources stored in your inventory, you need to be in a tent. You can also toggle recipes to auto-craft when their ingredient combination is gathered, which helps turn a steady supply into the items you use without repeatedly crafting them by hand.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 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
- 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.
Sources
- Sean Martin, PC Gamer: “How to farm materials in Monster Hunter Wilds” (March 4, 2025).
- PlayStation: “Monster Hunter Wilds: Endgame guide”.
- PlayStation: “Monster Hunter Wilds – Starter’s Guide”.
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