Behind Monster Hunter Wilds' New Approach to Starting Weapons and Hope Series Gear – IGN First

If you ask players what excites them about the *Monster Hunter* series, many will mention the thrill of crafting new equipment from materials gathered during their hunts. Every hunter knows the satisfaction of completing a full armor set and matching weapon after repeatedly taking down the same monster.

The concept of equipment in the Monster Hunter series has remained consistent since its inception: defeat monsters and harness their power through equipment crafted from their remains. Players use their skills to slay formidable beasts, then adopt those monsters' abilities to become even stronger.

In an interview with IGN, Monster Hunter Wilds Executive Director and Art Director Kaname Fujioka elaborated on the concept behind the series' equipment. "While our design range has expanded, we used to focus on the idea that if you're wearing Rathalos' equipment, you should look like Rathalos." The new title introduces new monsters, each with its own unique and colorful equipment. For instance, Rompopolo, designed to resemble a mad scientist, features head armor that looks like a plague doctor's mask. You can see this armor set in the hunt video below.

Among the array of distinctive monster equipment, the developers emphasize the importance of the starting equipment that your hunter begins the game with.

"I designed the starting weapons for all 14 weapon types from scratch," Fujioka stated. "This is the first time I've done this. In previous games, new hunters started with basic, primitive weapons. But in this game, as the protagonist is a chosen hunter, it wouldn't feel right for them to carry a plain weapon. I wanted to make it feel like you're a star, even with starting equipment."

Monster Hunter Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda added, "In Monster Hunter: World, weapon designs retained a certain form but were customized based on the monster materials used. However, in Wilds, each weapon has its own unique design."

These starting weapons are crafted to reflect the narrative that you are an experienced hunter, chosen to explore the Forbidden Lands. Tokuda also noted that the starting armor is meticulously designed to align with the game's story.

"The starting armor for this game is called the Hope series," he said. "The design is so cool that you could use it until the end of the game without it feeling out of place."

With its deep emerald green base color, the Hope set transforms into an outfit featuring a hooded long coat when completed. Fujioka explained that creating the set was challenging, as each piece needed to function independently while also forming a cohesive ensemble.

"We've given more attention to the Hope series than any other equipment in this game," he said. "Previous games had separate upper and lower body armor, which couldn't be combined into a single coat. Due to gameplay design, we had to make each piece its own part, but I wanted to create a flowing hooded coat. We achieved this in Wilds by dedicating significant in-game resources to it. Of course, players will discover various equipment pieces as they progress, and we encourage them to experiment with different weapons. That's why we designed the Hope series to be elegantly cool without being too conspicuous."

Starting a game with such thoughtfully designed equipment is a luxury. The 14 starting weapons and the Hope series are crafted to resemble the gear of a distinguished star hunter. We eagerly anticipate exploring their intricate details in the final game.