How Long Is Monster Hunter Wilds?

Monster Hunter Wilds: How Long to Beat? IGN Staff Weighs In

Monster Hunter Wilds has finally arrived on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Capcom's latest beast-battling adventure builds upon the success of Monster Hunter World and Iceborne, but how long will it take to complete? IGN staff share their experiences, detailing main story completion times, post-game activities, and overall playtime.

Tom Marks – Executive Reviews Editor, Games

Tom completed the main story in just under 15 hours. Unlike Monster Hunter Rise, this marks the true end of the initial story arc, concluding Low Rank. He then spent another 15 hours completing High Rank quests, unlocking systems and crafting options, and exploring the Artian weapon system. An additional five hours were dedicated to optimizing his weapon and armor sets, though he acknowledges significantly more content remains.

Casey DeFreitas – Deputy Editor, Guides

Casey finished the final High Rank story mission at around 40 hours, approximately 22 hours after completing Low Rank. Her playtime includes time spent in menus for guide creation. She prioritized story progression, minimizing grinding and optional hunts during Low Rank. While she focused on the main story in High Rank, she did engage in some optional hunts with friends, a necessity for unlocking further story missions. She estimates her playtime would have reached closer to 60 hours with a more thorough approach to crafting and optimization. She has remaining side missions, endemic life to collect, and plans for further endgame activities.

Simon Cardy – Senior Editorial Producer

Simon completed the main story in just under 16 hours, finding the battles surprisingly straightforward, particularly compared to his experience with Monster Hunter World. He attributes this to the game's streamlined mechanics, making it more accessible to newcomers. The consistent pacing of story cutscenes and monster battles contributed to the shorter playtime, though he notes this might detract from the core Monster Hunter experience for some veterans, leaving much of the challenge for the post-game.

Jada Griffin – Community Lead

Jada reached the initial credits in approximately 20 hours, including time spent on side quests and exploration. She dedicated time to exploring the world, collecting endemic life, customizing menus, and finding optimal camp locations. She then completed all High Rank missions and side quests in 15 hours. Her total playtime currently stands at nearly 70 hours, encompassing post-game activities such as cooperative hunts, decoration farming, and monster crown hunting.

Ronny Barrier – Producer, Guides

Ronny saw the first credits after around 20 hours, prioritizing the main story with minimal grinding. He experimented with various weapons, which slightly increased his playtime. With a current playtime of 65 hours, he considers the initial credits a significant but not final milestone. He plans to continue hunting and exploring the game's post-game content.

These varying completion times highlight the flexibility of Monster Hunter Wilds, catering to both focused story completionists and those who prefer a more leisurely, exploratory approach.