Capcom says Monster Hunter Wilds’ expansion is on par with Iceborne and Sunbreak

Capcom is working on a big Monster Hunter Wilds expansion along the lines of what Iceborne was to World and Sunbreak to Rise. Series director Ryōzō Tsujimoto made the announcement in a trailer highlighting what’s to come in Wilds Title Update 4, but gave no indication about what the expansion might include — just that it’s comparable to previous paid expansions in scope.

For reference, Iceborne added a large new map to World and what amounted to a post-game campaign, two dozen new monsters, and tempered (high-difficulty) versions of existing monsters. Sunbreak also had a new (smaller) map and more quests, but even more monsters than Iceborne started with. Both expansions featured a blend of brand-new beasts and some critters that existed in earlier games, usually popular ones like Astalos from Monster Hunter Generations and Gore Magala from Monster Hunter 4. Capcom also kept both expansions updated for a long time after, with free content patches that added more monsters, higher difficulties, and fresh quests.

On the surface, the news is about as surprising as someone saying “water is wet, and monsters want to eat you.” A paid expansion launching a while after the initial game is just how Monster Hunter goes. But given Wilds‘ shaky update history, it’s still nice to have confirmation. The game launched with fewer monsters and less to do than its predecessors, and most of the Title Updates since then added less compared to similar updates for World and Rise. Title Update 3, for example, added one new monster (Omega Planetes) while Sunbreak‘s third free update introduced three.

Capcom also struggled to address persistent performance issues on PC, until a fan might’ve found the problem’s root on their own. Hence the unusual scenario where, despite Wilds selling 10 million units at launch, Rise outpaced it a few months later.

Tsujimoto said to expect more news about Monster Hunter Wilds‘ expansion this summer. Meanwhile, Capcom is celebrating Wilds‘ first anniversary with the free Title Update 4, which goes live on Feb. 18. Title Update 4 will add:

• Arch-Tempered Arkveld and two new armor sets related to it
• 10-star quests for all four previous Arch-Tempered monsters
• A 10-star “hunt-a-thon” featuring several Arch-Tempered monsters
• Weekly event quests

Capcom is running an anniversary event from Feb. 18 through March 19 that includes a free item pack for anyone who logs in and a weekly rotation of hub events, where all previous seasonal events will return.

And since Capcom’s data shows that everyone hates Rompopolo, Title Update 4 will add a new limited-time quest with a more challenging toxic bird and fresh armor on offer in a bid to make you want to fight it.