Highlights

  • Monster Hunter Wilds, set to launch in 2025, will be the first installment on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with open environments and dense clusters of monsters setting it apart.
  • Fans are speculating about new weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds, hoping for something fresh to join the existing roster of 14 weapon types.
  • Ranged weapons need more attention in Monster Hunter Wilds, as the franchise has mostly focused on Bowguns and Bows, and introducing more choices would benefit both ranged and melee players.

While it's still some ways off, Monster Hunter Wilds is confirmed to be on its way. This will be the first Monster Hunter installment launching natively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, and fans are excited about the variety of changes and refinements this title will bring. In particular, the more open environments and dense clusters of wild monsters have clued trailer viewers in on this entry potentially being much different from the series' norm. Complete with a multipurpose mount and the implication of weapon switching, Monster Hunter Wilds should be worth the wait once 2025 arrives.

Speaking of weapons, fans are already theorizing about how they'll change in this entry. Mainline Monster Hunter titles have settled on a stable of 14 weapon types since Monster Hunter 4 launched in 2013, and a decade later, fans are eager to see something new join the roster. Monster Hunter Wilds may deliver just that, in addition to reworking Monster Hunter’s existing weapons. There are a lot of directions that Monster Hunter Wilds could take with introducing weapon classes, but the main thing it needs to focus on is bringing something new to the table.

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Retired Monster Hunter Weapons Could Get Another Chance In Wilds

To date, the Monster Hunter franchise has only employed 18 weapon types, with four lying outside the mainline entries. Medium Bowguns were a one-off experiment in Monster Hunter Tri, while Tonfas and Magnet Spikes were exclusive to Monster Hunter Frontier, and the Accel Axe was only in Monster Hunter Explore. Returning the Medium Bowgun to Monster Hunter Wilds’ line-up would be interesting, especially if it merged Light and Heavy Bowguns again. The superior customization it offers could serve Monster Hunter Wilds’ potentially longer open-world hunts better than its more specialized brethren.

While the Medium Bowgun brings a compelling twist to Monster Hunter's ranged gameplay, the excluded melee weapons don't justify themselves as well. The Accel Axe was designed entirely around Monster Hunter Explore’s fast-paced combat, and Magnet Spikes are essentially Switch Axes using a Clutch Claw or Wirebugs to move. Adding these to Monster Hunter Wilds, or even other Monster Hunter's like World or Rise, would require so many changes to fit MH Wilds’ meta while simultaneously standing out so much that they might as well be made into new weapons. Tonfas, comparatively, would still work in Wilds after streamlining their mechanics, and set a better example for what other new weapon classes ought to strive for.

Monster Hunter Wilds’ Debut Weapons Should Feel Brand-New

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Every weapon in Monster Hunter plays distinctly, and serves some kind of role. The Sword and Shield are fast and flexible, Insect Glaives are self-sufficient mobility experts, the Charge Blade builds toward a huge hit, and so on. Introducing Tonfas as a more complex take on fast, close-range weapons like the Dual Blades defines their unique niche, and helps both Monster Hunter Wilds and future games build movesets around their special attributes. Monster Hunter is able to design weapons around almost any concept, so whether Wilds introduces gauntlets, a whip, a greatshield, or even a weaponized mount, anything can fit as long as it fills a distinct niche.

One of Monster Hunter’s Niches Could Use More Attention In Wilds

One underserved role Monster Hunter Wilds should prioritize is the ranged weapons, as they have consisted of Bowguns and Bows for most of the franchise. That was once offset by ranged characters having their own class and equipment, but they lost that uniqueness while being overtaken by melee weapons. If Monster Hunter Wilds brings back that melee/ranged split through its weapon switching, giving ranged players more weapon choices would benefit everyone. Any weapons that Monster Hunter Wilds adds will define the next generation of Monster Hunter, so it needs to make its choices count.