Highlights

  • Monster Hunter Wilds brings exciting changes like weather conditions and the Seikret mount.
  • The new mechanics in Wilds may retire features from previous games like Palamutes and Wirebugs, shifting gameplay dynamics significantly.

In 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds will kickstart Monster Hunter’s sixth generation, bringing with it a slew of changes that should give fans plenty more to enjoy. The fifth generation has been running since Monster Hunter World launched in 2018, and while it still has plenty of players, its community was already gearing up to hear about the next Monster Hunter halfway through 2023. Monster Hunter Wilds was an exciting prospect before it was even announced, and that excitement should only grow as more information about the game is released.

So far, Capcom has introduced a number of new features present in Monster Hunter Wilds, including multiple weather conditions and a mount known as the Seikret. Hunting in Wilds looks similar to World’s, though complications due to the weather and dynamic herds of large monsters should keep the action fresh. Monster Hunter Wilds’ gameplay trailer also implied that some major mechanics from World and Rise have been replaced, which should have a noticeable impact considering how integral choice features were to shaping how fans felt about them.

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Monster Hunter Wilds' New Feature Breaks a Major Franchise Tradition

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Monster Hunter Wilds Could Be Trading Away Some Thrills

Among the reveals in Monster Hunter Wilds’ first gameplay trailer were a couple of new mechanics that may have bumped old ones out. The now-named Seikret was accompanied by a Palico, but it looks like Monster Hunter Rise's Palamutes have been retired with their old movement options subsumed by the new avian mount. More pressingly, Rise’s Wirebugs may have suffered the same fate, robbing players of their free aerial movement. This isn't a great surprise given Wilds’ return to a more grounded Monster Hunter, but it's still sad to see Rise’s dashing and limited flight go away.

The Mighty Clutch Claw May Be Gone In Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds may have it out for grappling hooks in general, as despite keeping Monster Hunter World's Slinger, the Clutch Claw added in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is nowhere in sight. It hasn't been debunked yet, but its primary gameplay purpose of dealing powerful aimed strikes that create temporary weak points or stun monsters also seems to have been absorbed.

Players wanting those results will have to use Monster Hunter Wilds’ Focus Mode instead, which paints set weak points with red Scoutflies while allowing alternate attacks. Focus Mode looks promising but could add some unnecessary complications to what was once a simple “big hit” mechanic.

Monster Hunter Wilds Might Be Righting The Fifth Generation's Biggest Wrongs

The potential loss of Monster Hunter’s grappling hooks is unfortunate, but it might be for the best. The Clutch Claw was accessible and satisfying, and mastering the Wirebug gave a whole new layer of depth to Monster Hunter Rise, but they’re also some of their games’ most controversial mechanics. Wirebugs are the strongest evasive tool in any Monster Hunter game, and their movement was so extreme that it took until Sunbreak for monsters to consistently keep up with good players.

Enabling every Monster Hunter weapon type to easily intrude on the Insect Glaive’s aerial turf didn’t help matters. Returning to Monster Hunter’s baseline was necessary, especially since Wilds’ Seikret retains the Palaumute’s mounted healing and sharpening.

Why Removing Monster Hunter World’s Clutch Claw Is A Good Thing

For all the changes Wirebugs made to Monster Hunter’s combat, however, they were nothing compared to the Clutch Claw. Effective use of Clutch Claws not only trivialized the base World campaign after their arrival but also forced Iceborne’s later challenges to accommodate their extra damage and stuns.

Players were expected to regularly re-apply the Claw’s weak point debuff, or kite monsters to quickly stagger them. Certain weapons, particularly MH World's Hammer, even encouraged Clutch Claw spamming to great effect. With Focus Mode acting as a more subdued fusion of Silkbind Attacks and Clutch Claw’s effects, Monster Hunter Wilds should be fun without its balance suffering.