How Long Is Monster Hunter Wilds?

Monster Hunter Wilds: How Long to Beat? IGN Staff Share Playtimes

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 conquer? 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. This represents the actual story conclusion, unlike Monster Hunter Rise's initial credits, which only mark the halfway point. However, finishing the Low Rank campaign only unlocks High Rank, with numerous side quests and increased difficulty. He spent an additional 15 hours completing most of these quests and reaching the true endgame, unlocking all systems and crafting options available at launch, including the Artian weapon system. He estimates another five hours to optimize his preferred weapon and armor sets, acknowledging much more remains to be explored.

Casey DeFreitas - Deputy Editor, Guides

Casey finished the final High Rank story mission around 40 hours, approximately 22 hours after completing Low Rank. Time spent creating guides impacted the accuracy of this figure. During Low Rank, Casey focused on progressing the story, crafting minimally, and avoiding hunt repetition. A similar approach was taken in High Rank, but she also tackled optional monsters and collaborated with friends, a necessity for unlocking story missions. She only upgraded her weapon once, deliberately prioritizing reaching the final mission. She estimates a playtime closer to 60 hours had she fully optimized her equipment. She still has endemic life to collect, fishing, side missions, and plans to farm for talismans and experiment with Artian weapons.

Simon Cardy - Senior Editorial Producer

Simon finished the main story in just under 16 hours, finding the battles surprisingly easygoing. He attributes this to the game's streamlined design, making it accessible to newcomers. The consistent story cutscene/monster battle pacing, while appreciated for its swift progression, left him wondering if it sacrificed some core Monster Hunter elements until the post-game.

Jada Griffin - Community Lead

Jada reached the initial credits in approximately 20 hours, including optional quests and world exploration. She spent time exploring, hunting endemic life, customizing menus, and finding optimal camp locations. Completing all High Rank missions and side quests took her another 15 hours. She's logged nearly 70 hours overall, enjoying post-game activities like cooperative hunts, decoration farming, and monster crown hunting.

Ronny Barrier - Producer, Guides

Ronny saw the first credits after about 20 hours, prioritizing the main story with minimal grinding. He experimented with various weapons, which extended his playtime. Currently at 65 hours, he doesn't consider the initial credits the true ending, emphasizing the extensive post-game content. He plans to continue hunting, exploring, and crafting.

These varied playtimes highlight the flexibility of Monster Hunter Wilds, offering a compelling experience for both focused story completionists and those who prefer a more leisurely, exploratory approach. The substantial post-game content ensures significant replayability.