Monster Hunter Wilds First Gameplay Trailer Gets Truly Wild

Sony's State of Play presentation included a new look at the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds, the next major release in Capcom's creature-looting RPG series. While the game is still set for release in 2025, the new trailer gave us a better idea of what to expect from this Monster Hunter, and how it sets itself apart from the last two, Monster Hunter World and Rise.

The gameplay-focused trailer gave a glimpse at some of the new monsters, along with the new bird mounts. The monsters shown includes a large furry monster that looks like a cross between a lion and a dog--a Doshaguma--and an armored toad-like monster called a Chatacabra. There was also a tease of some more-involved environmental traps, like a sandstorm causing multiple monsters to get sucked down into a sand dune. The trailer also revealed that there will be bonus Palico outfits and weapons if you have save data for either Monster Hunter World or Monster Hunter Rise. A few classic Monster Hunter features were shown as well, like firing an SOS flare to bring in multiplayer help.

All of the gameplay trailer took place in a single locale, the Windward Plains, which is made up of deserts, grasslands, and rocky formations. Capcom confirmed in a PlayStation Blog that this is just one of several locales that will be present in Monster Hunter Wilds. It was also confirmed that your mount can carry a secondary weapon, giving a quick and easy way to swap weapons during a hunt.

Monster Hunter Wilds first debuted during The Game Awards 2023, with a trailer that showcased your new rideable mount, a bird-like creature that can briefly glide in addition to its running and agile jumping abilities. Rideable mounts called Palamutes were introduced in Monster Hunter Rise, but Wilds shows that Capcom is going in a new direction this time. The environment for Wilds also appeared modeled after a savannah, due to its wide flat vistas and plant life.

Monster Hunter had been a relatively obscure series in the West until Monster Hunter World, which broke Capcom's sales records and made it one of the company's biggest franchises. Monster Hunter Rise debuted on the Nintendo Switch but was later ported to PC and other consoles, and has done similarly solid numbers.