Monster Hunter Wilds Beginner's Guide

New to Monster Hunter Wilds? How hunts work, how to pick your first weapon, the Seikret and Focus Mode, and the habits that make every hunt easier.

Updated 3 November 2026Checked for patch Ver. 1.0424 sources
Image: Monster Hunter / YouTube

Monster Hunter Wilds is Capcom's open-world action RPG on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version arriving on December 4, 2026. You hunt huge monsters, craft gear from their parts and take on even bigger ones. There are no classes or levels – your weapon and your gear are your build.

The best way to start is the free Prologue Demo: it covers the opening of the story, includes all 14 weapons, and your save carries over to the full game.

Step 1: Understand the hunting loop

HuntTrack down a large monster, fight it, and slay or capture it.
Gather materialsCarve the monster and collect rewards. Each monster drops its own materials.
Craft gearTurn materials into new weapons and armor at the smithy.
Take on bigger monstersBetter gear lets you hunt tougher monsters – and the loop starts again.

Step 2: Pick your first weapon

There are 14 weapon types. Any of them can beat any monster, so pick what looks fun. These four are good places to start – see all of them on our weapons page.

Sword & ShieldFast, safe and lets you use items mid-fight – the classic starter.
Long SwordFlowing combos and counters.
HammerBig hits and stuns on the head.
BowMobile ranged damage.

Step 3: Learn what's new in Wilds

Your SeikretYour mount carries you to the monster, lets you heal or sharpen on the move and holds a second weapon.
Focus Mode and woundsHits create wounds on the monster. Aim at them in Focus Mode and land a Focus Strike for big damage.
Support HuntersFire an SOS Flare to call in NPC Support Hunters – or real players – when a hunt gets tough.
Changing weatherEach locale shifts between calm Plenty, harsh Inclemency and Fallow periods, which change which monsters appear.

Step 4: Habits that help every hunt

Eat before you huntA meal boosts your health and stamina for the hunt. Never skip it.
Sharpen your weaponA dull blade bounces off the monster. Sharpen whenever you get a moment.
Bring potionsStock up on potions and craft more in the field.
Don't rush the storyUpgrade your armor along the way – it matters more than you think.

Know your prey: browse every monster, see what the Title Updates added, or read about the Switch 2 demo.

Our Monster Hunter Wilds articles on this

Reference page written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games change with every patch – the patch this page was last checked for is shown at the top.