Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds launched on February 28, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Since then it has grown through free Title Updates, including fan-favourite monsters like Mizutsune and Lagiacrus, the Grand Hub and a Final Fantasy XIV collaboration. In September 2026, Nintendo confirmed a Switch 2 version launching December 4, 2026, and Capcom’s massive Ascendance expansion is due in 2027. Whether you’re a returning hunter or starting now, this guide explains the systems that set Wilds apart: Focus Mode and wounds, the Seikret and its second weapon, and the changing weather of the Forbidden Lands.
Quick Overview: What Makes Wilds Different
- Focus Mode: Aim your attacks with the camera, see wounds on monsters, and trigger powerful Focus Strikes on them.
- Seikret: A bird-like mount that carries you across the map and holds a second weapon you can swap to mid-hunt.
- Changing environments: Each region cycles through Fallow, Inclemency and Plenty, which change monsters, hazards and resources.
- Crossplay: Hunt together across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Switch 2 joins the cross-platform multiplayer from December 4, 2026.
- Solo-friendly: NPC Support Hunters can join your hunts if you’d rather not play with others.
Focus Mode Explained: Wounds and Focus Strikes
Focus Mode is the biggest combat change in Wilds. Hold L2 on PlayStation or LT on Xbox to enter it. It changes how you fight in three ways:
- Camera-directed attacks: Your attacks follow the camera, so you can adjust where a big swing lands while you’re winding it up. This makes heavy weapons like the Great Sword much easier to aim.
- Wounds: Hitting the same part of a monster repeatedly opens a wound. Wounds take extra damage and glow red while you’re in Focus Mode, so they’re easy to spot.
- Focus Strikes: While aiming at a wound, press R1 on PlayStation, RB on Xbox or Shift on PC to perform a Focus Strike. It deals heavy damage, destroys the wound and briefly staggers the monster, opening a window for your biggest attacks.
Unlike Iceborne’s Clutch Claw, Focus Mode doesn’t force you into a tenderising routine before you can deal proper damage. It costs no stamina or resources, so you can use it whenever you like.
The Seikret: Mobility and a Second Weapon
The Seikret is your mount in Wilds, taking over from Rise’s Palamute. It can carry you to a monster automatically, so you can use the travel time to sharpen your weapon, drink potions, gather and craft. It can also glide across gaps.
Its biggest feature is carrying a second weapon. You bring two weapons on every hunt and can swap between them while riding, which opens up useful combinations:
- Cutting and blunt: Cut off a tail with a Long Sword or Great Sword, then switch to a Hammer or Hunting Horn to knock the monster out with head hits.
- Melee and ranged: Fight up close with Dual Blades, then switch to a bowgun when the monster takes to the air.
- Status and damage: Open with a Sleep or Paralysis weapon, then swap to your hardest-hitting weapon to punish the opening.
The Forbidden Lands: Fallow, Inclemency and Plenty
Each region of the Forbidden Lands cycles through three states. Fallow is a harsh, lean period. Inclemency is an extreme weather event that brings dangerous monsters out. Plenty is a period of abundance, good for gathering materials.
| Region | Inclemency | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Windward Plains | Sandtide | A huge sandstorm full of thunder. The region’s apex predator, the Flying Wyvern Rey Dau, rules the storm. |
| Scarlet Forest | Downpour | A monsoon that floods the forest and reduces visibility, giving aquatic monsters the upper hand. The Temnoceran Lala Barina nests here. |
| Oilwell Basin | Firespring | Intense fires rage across the region. Prepare with fire protection. |
When an Inclemency ends and Plenty arrives, gathering spots become more generous and small creatures return, which makes it the best time to stock up on materials.
Fighting Rey Dau: Practical Tips
Rey Dau, the apex of the Windward Plains, is a lightning-charged Flying Wyvern known for devastating long-range beam attacks during the Sandtide. A few tips help:
- Bring Thunder resistance. Meals and armour with Thunder resistance reduce its lightning damage and make thunderblight less punishing.
- Watch its charge-up. Its biggest beam attacks have clear wind-ups. Use Focus Mode to keep it in view and reposition early.
- Target wounds. Build wounds on its head and wings, then Focus Strike them to stagger it and open damage windows.
- Use your Seikret. When it takes to the air, mount up to reposition, heal or swap to a ranged weapon.
Platforms and Performance
- PC: Wilds is demanding on PC. Install it on an SSD, and consider DLSS or FSR upscaling and frame generation if your hardware supports them. Heavy storms and busy areas are the most demanding. For portable PC play, see our best handheld gaming PC guide.
- PS5 and Xbox Series X|S: Graphics modes let you favour resolution or frame rate. PS5 Pro owners can see what the extra hardware offers in our PS5 Pro vs PS5 comparison.
- Nintendo Switch 2: Launches December 4, 2026, with all Title Update content, local wireless play and full cross-platform online multiplayer. The Ascendance expansion is also coming to Switch 2 in 2027. See our September Nintendo Direct recap.
Price, Editions and What’s Next
Capcom has cut the base price since launch. As of September 2026, Steam lists these US prices:
- Monster Hunter Wilds (base game): $39.99. It was on sale for $29.99 at the time of writing. All free Title Updates are included.
- Monster Hunter Wilds Gold Edition: $79.99. The base game plus the Cosmetic DLC Collection: the Deluxe Pack, Cosmetic DLC Packs 1–4, seasonal event packs and bonus extras.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, the game’s first big paid expansion, was announced in June 2026 and is due in 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and will also come to Switch 2 in 2027. Capcom hasn’t announced its price or exact release date yet.
Looking for more big action games? Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition launches October 1, and Insomniac’s Marvel’s Wolverine arrives September 15. Browse our Games and Console sections for more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Monster Hunter Wilds have crossplay?
Yes. PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC players can hunt together, and the Switch 2 version, launching December 4, 2026, also supports full cross-platform multiplayer.
How much does Monster Hunter Wilds cost now?
Steam lists the base game at $39.99 (it was on sale for $29.99 at the time of writing) and the Gold Edition, which adds the Cosmetic DLC Collection, at $79.99. Prices vary by platform and sale.
Can you play Monster Hunter Wilds solo?
Yes. You can hunt alone, or fire an SOS Flare to bring in up to three NPC Support Hunters who fight alongside you.
How does the weapon swap work?
You pick two weapons before a hunt. Your Seikret carries the second one, and you can swap between them while riding.
Does Focus Mode cost anything to use?
No. Hold L2 or LT to use it any time. It doesn’t cost stamina or any other resource.
When is Monster Hunter Wilds coming to Switch 2?
December 4, 2026, with all Title Update content included. The Ascendance expansion is also coming to Switch 2 in 2027.
Updated September 11, 2026: updated for the game’s 2025 launch, Title Updates, the Switch 2 version and the Ascendance expansion, and corrected several monster and mechanic details.
