The development team behind Monster Hunter Wilds, led by game director Yuya Tokuda, is striving to create a more rewarding endgame than previous installments. This means longer, more strategic endgame fights that discourage reliance on overpowered builds and promote a balanced gameplay loop throughout the entire experience.

Scheduled for release on February 28th, Monster Hunter Wilds, the sixth mainline entry in the series, takes players on an expedition to the Forbidden Lands in search of a missing party.  The series, originating in 2004, boasts nearly two dozen spin-offs and a dedicated fanbase.

Tokuda has demonstrated a keen interest in player behavior, even secretly joining matches during the game's beta earlier this month.  In a recent interview with RPGSite, he explained his vision for the endgame.  Players shouldn't be able to "breeze through" these challenging encounters relying solely on a specific build. He aims to create a distinctive feel for endgame fights, setting them apart from regular hunts. While certain weapons and equipment will offer advantages in specific scenarios, the overall endgame experience is designed to keep players engaged and coming back for more.

While Tokuda intends to prevent single builds from dominating all endgame content, he acknowledges the strategic value of specialized builds for certain encounters. Referencing past boss fights like Monster Hunter World's Lunastra, a challenging monster introduced in the 4.0 update that favors players with wind resistance, he emphasized player freedom in approaching most fights.  However, this philosophy doesn't necessarily apply to every optional boss or endgame encounter, suggesting that players will need to adapt and modify their loadouts for optimal performance.

The positive reception of the two open betas, boasting peak player counts exceeding a quarter of a million and 463,000 respectively, points towards a successful launch.  Tokuda expressed his hope that the combination of seamless gameplay and immersive world-building will continue to contribute to the game's long-term success.