Monster Hunter Wilds releases update 1.021 with new quests and promises

Update 1.021 of Monster Hunter Wilds, available starting this Wednesday, marks an important step for Capcom in its effort to retain veteran players and respond to criticism regarding poor PC optimization.

The patch introduces high-level quests, balance adjustments, and improvements in equipment management, as well as an official commitment to address performance issues.

Nine stars and tempered monsters: the new challenge

The core of this update is the nine-star quests, exclusive to hunters of rank 100 or higher. In these, players will face "tempered" versions of iconic creatures such as King Dau, Uth Duna, Nu Udra, Jin Dahaad, Gore Magala, Arkveld, Mizutsune, Lagiacrus, and Seregios.

Rewards include talismans with random skills, which encourages repetition and experimentation.

Additionally, the option to mark weapons, armor, and talismans as favorites was added, preventing accidental losses and improving inventory organization.

Weapon balance and key system adjustments

Capcom implemented one of the most extensive balance revisions in the series, benefiting both melee and ranged weapon users.

Among the most notable changes are:

• Increased damage, elemental scaling, and mobility for the lance and insect glaive.
• Adjustments to great sword combos and longsword reaction times.
• Improvements to the power of the light bowgun and heavy bowgun.

Regarding skills, effects and duration of advantages such as Bubbly Dance, War Cry, and Burst Boost were modified, which expands strategic possibilities. Errors in underwater combat, support companion controls, and item use during vertical movement were also corrected.

Pending optimization for PC

Despite the excitement for the new content, the PC community continues to point out the lack of notable performance improvements. According to Yuya Tokuda, the game's director, CPU and GPU optimization will arrive in the fourth major patch scheduled for winter.

Meanwhile, users report frame drops, errors, and unexpected crashes.

A step forward, but with challenges to solve

The focus on high-level content excites the most experienced hunters, although the lack of variety in the included species and technical issues on PC raise doubts.

Capcom assures that it will continue listening to the community to adjust both content and performance in upcoming updates.