One of the biggest new additions in Monster Hunter Wilds compared to past games is its evolving world. Not only does each zone have its own day night cycle, the environment in each of them will themselves constantly change.
The biomes you’re going to visit in Wilds will all cycle through two seasons, and in this guide, we’re going to explain how the whole thing works as well as all of its gameplay implications.
Monster Hunter Wilds Seasons Explained
In Monster Hunter Wilds’ various locations, you’ll witness the environments change dramatically as you play. Sometimes that happens as a result of events in the game’s story, and other times it will happen on its own as the world naturally goes through its cycles.
There are two seasons in the game, Fallow, and Plenty. Season of Fallow is characterised by how harsh the environment is, with scarce resources and increased instances of monsters preying on each other. Smaller monsters will largely be more aggressive in Fallow, and will tend to move in packs.
Plenty follows on from that, and it’s a period of warmth, richness and bright colours. Smaller monsters will be more relaxed, and can be more easily separated from the pack. You’ll also notice that it’s easier to find various plants and Endemic Life in Plenty, which you can use to boost your own HP, stamina or heal some of the ailments you might pick up as you take on the larger monsters.
Between the seasons comes a period of Inclemency, which is when each locale’s apex predator will appear, and they often contribute to that switch. Some of the weather conditions you’ll see in Inclemency include Frostwinds, Sandtide, and Downpour.
You’ll be able to see the time of day and season currently active in each locale from the world map. It’ll also show whether or not it’s currently witnessing an Inclemency, which is the perfect time to hunt for the zone’s apex predator.
Some monsters will only appear in Fallow, while others will appear in Plenty. If you know that a monster inhabits a certain locale but can’t seem to come across it, you’re going to have to wait until the season changes. This is even more true for apex predators, which are much rarer as a result.
We have not yet figured out a way to force seasonal changes in High Rank, and considering they follow a similar pattern to the time of day, we don’t believe there is one. We’ll update this guide if we learn more.
Generally speaking, the best way to fight a monster is during season of Plenty, because it’s going to set you up for the best chances of success. Of course, you may not always have that choice if your target doesn’t spawn in Plenty, but it’s worth keeping that in mind if you have the option.