Monster Hunter Wilds: New Weapon Start and Hope Series Gear Revealed – IGN First

If you ask players what excites them about the *Monster Hunter* series, crafting new equipment from materials gathered during hunts is often at the top of the list. The joy of assembling a complete armor set and a matching weapon after repeatedly hunting the same monster is a thrill that many hunters cherish.

The core concept of equipment in the *Monster Hunter* series has remained consistent since the earliest games: defeat the monsters, and harness their power through equipment crafted from their remains. Players rely on their own prowess to slay formidable beasts, then adopt those monsters' abilities through their crafted gear, becoming even stronger.

In an interview with IGN, Kaname Fujioka, the Executive Director and Art Director of *Monster Hunter Wilds*, shared insights into the equipment design philosophy. "While our design range has expanded significantly, we used to focus on the idea that if you're wearing Rathalos' equipment, you'd resemble Rathalos," he explained. This new installment introduces new monsters, each offering unique and colorful equipment. For instance, the monster Rompopolo, designed to resemble a mad scientist, features head armor styled like a plague doctor's mask. You can view this armor set in the hunt video below.

Among these distinctive sets of monster equipment, the developers encourage players to pay special attention to the starting equipment that hunters begin the game with. Fujioka elaborated, "I designed the starting weapons for all 14 weapon types from scratch. This is the first time I've done this, as far as I can remember. Traditionally, new hunters would start with basic and simple weapons, but as the protagonist in this game is a chosen hunter, it wouldn't be fitting for them to carry a plain weapon. I wanted the starting gear to reflect that you're already a star."

Yuya Tokuda, Director of *Monster Hunter Wilds*, added, "In *Monster Hunter: World*, weapon designs maintained a consistent form but were customized based on the monster materials used. However, in *Wilds*, each weapon boasts a unique design." These starting weapons are crafted to reflect the narrative of being an experienced hunter chosen to explore the Forbidden Lands. Tokuda also noted that the starting armor set, the Hope series, is meticulously designed to align with the game's story.

The Hope armor set, with its deep emerald green base color, transforms into a hooded long coat when fully assembled. Fujioka detailed the complexity of its design, saying, "We've put more effort into the Hope series than any other equipment in this game. In previous games, upper-body and lower-body armor were separate, and we couldn't create a cohesive look like a coat. But for *Wilds*, we invested significant in-game resources to achieve a single flowing hooded coat. While players will encounter many different pieces of equipment throughout the game, and we encourage them to experiment with various weapons, the Hope series was designed to blend elegance with understated coolness."

Starting a game with equipment that has been meticulously crafted by the developers is a luxury. The 14 starting weapons and the Hope series are designed to look like gear befitting a star hunter. We're eager to explore the intricate details of these items in the final game.