Monster Hunter Wilds: New Patch Brings High-Rank Content and Crucial Performance Fixes

Monster Hunter Wilds: New Patch Brings High-Rank Content and Crucial Performance Fixes

Capcom is gearing up to release a significant update for Monster Hunter Wilds, addressing both content and long-standing technical concerns. Yuya Tokuda, the director of Wilds, shared insights into the upcoming patch 1.021, set to roll out on August 13th, along with promises for continued performance improvements, particularly for the PC version.

Upcoming Content in Patch 1.021

Patch 1.021 introduces a host of new challenges and build options for hunters:

• New High-Difficulty Quests: Players can look forward to fresh challenges with the addition of new, tougher quests.
• Rank 9 Monsters: For hunters who have reached Hunter Rank 100 or higher, new Rank 9 monsters will start appearing. Capcom also plans to introduce more creatures of this rank by late September.
• Gleaming Stone and Appraised Talismans: A new item, the Gleaming Stone, will be awarded for completing missions involving Rank 9 monsters. Upon quest completion, this stone transforms into an Appraised Talisman, offering random skills. These talismans cannot be upgraded but can randomly acquire not only armor skills but also weapon skills and decoration slots, adding new layers to character customization.
• Quality of Life Improvements: The duration of food effects will be extended, and the upgrade limit for armor pieces of rarity 5 and higher will be increased. This change aims to give players a bit more defense before facing the newly introduced formidable monsters.
• Expanded Weapon Balance Changes: Initially, the developers planned to rebalance five weapon types. However, this has been expanded to 11 weapon types, including fan favorites like Dual Blades, Lance, and Hunting Horn, promising a more diverse meta.

Addressing Performance and Stability

One of the most anticipated aspects of the update is Capcom's commitment to performance. Director Tokuda acknowledged player feedback, especially concerning the PC version.

• Immediate Crash Fix: Patch 1.021 will fix a critical bug across all platforms that caused the game to crash. This occurred when a player's gesture (like the "Water Pistol" gesture) interacted with another player during a specific type of communication error.
• Long-Term PC Optimization: Tokuda explained the complexity of reducing CPU load without negatively impacting performance, but assured players that this issue is a priority. Significant CPU and GPU optimization is planned for the game's fourth major update, expected in winter. "We will continue to work on improving the game's stability so that more players can comfortably play on PC. Thank you for your understanding," Tokuda stated.

What This Means for Hunters

These updates signal Capcom's dedication to evolving Monster Hunter Wilds. The new high-rank content will provide seasoned players with fresh challenges and more ways to customize their builds through the unique Appraised Talismans. Crucially, the focus on performance, particularly for the PC version, aims to alleviate the technical issues that have led to mixed reviews on Steam. While immediate fixes are coming, PC players will need to wait a bit longer for the more substantial CPU and GPU optimizations. Still, these planned improvements suggest a more stable and enjoyable hunting experience for everyone in the months to come.