The wait is over. Monster Hunter Wilds just received its most substantial update yet, bringing the legendary Gogmazios back after a decade-long absence while addressing critical performance concerns. If you've been holding off on diving deeper into endgame content or struggling with PC optimization issues, this update fundamentally changes the experience.
Title Update 4 drops December 16, 2025, packed with new monsters, expanded weapon systems, armor enhancement mechanics, and over 100 performance improvements across all platforms. You'll finally get your hands on Gogma Artian Weapons, push your armor beyond previous limits through Transcendence, and experience smoother gameplay whether you're hunting solo or joining the Festival of Accord: Lumenhymn celebration.
What's New in Title Update 4?
This update represents Capcom's commitment to evolving the endgame experience while fixing fundamental technical issues. You're getting fresh content to hunt alongside significant quality-of-life improvements that make every aspect of the game more responsive.
The Return of Gogmazios
Gogmazios makes its triumphant return as the centerpiece monster of this update. This colossal Elder Dragon hasn't appeared in a mainline Monster Hunter title since 2014's Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, making this comeback a major event for veteran hunters.
Hunter Rank Requirements and Mechanics:
- You'll need HR 100 or higher to access Gogmazios hunts
- Complete the extra mission "An Ancient Resting Place" first
- Dragon element weapons deal the most damage
- Fire element attacks soften its body, exposing weaknesses
- Special 8-player hunts available (4 Hunters + 4 Support Hunters)
Tip
Stock up on Fire element weapons before attempting your first Gogmazios hunt. Softening its massive frame makes landing critical hits significantly easier during the later phases of combat.
Monster Hunter Wilds Gogmazios
The fight demands coordination beyond typical hunts. You'll work with up to seven other players in unprecedented 8-hunter battles, requiring strategic positioning and element rotation to maximize damage output.
Arch-Tempered Jin Dahaad Arrives
Arch-Tempered Jin Dahaad represents the ultimate challenge for hunters seeking to test their skills. This enhanced version becomes available through permanent quests starting December 24, 2025, with limited-time free challenge quests launching January 7, 2026.
The Arch-Tempered variant hits harder, moves faster, and punishes positioning mistakes more severely than the standard version. You'll earn exclusive Dahaad Armor Gamma Set materials for overcoming this threat.
Gogma Artian Weapons
Artian Weapons receive their biggest upgrade yet with Gogma variants. These enhanced weapons fundamentally change how you approach build optimization by introducing randomized skill bonuses that can dramatically shift your playstyle.
Upgrading to Gogma Artian Weapons
The upgrade process requires specific materials and planning:
You'll craft at the Smithy using Gogmazios materials obtained from successful hunts. The randomized skill system means each weapon potentially offers unique combinations, encouraging experimentation with different builds.
Monster Hunter Wilds Gogma Artian upgrade
Amending and Rerolling Bonuses
Fully reinforced Gogma Artian Weapons unlock the amendment system. You can reset bonuses completely or carry over existing categories while rerolling for better combinations. This flexibility lets you chase optimal skill pairings without starting from scratch.
The reroll system consumes materials but provides agency over your weapon's final form. You're not stuck with unfavorable rolls, though chasing perfect combinations requires dedication.
Important
Save multiple copies of base Artian Weapons before upgrading. Different Gogma variants with varied skill combinations expand your tactical options across hunt types.
Armor Transcendence
Transcendence introduces a new armor enhancement system exclusively for hunters at HR 100 or above. This mechanic raises the ceiling on armor capabilities, making Rarity 5 and 6 pieces competitive in endgame content.
Transcendence Benefits:
- Increases Armor Sphere upgrade limits
- Enhances decoration slot levels on Rarity 5-6 armor
- Maintains all existing skills and bonuses
- Requires specific materials from high-rank hunts
The decoration slot improvements particularly impact build diversity. Previously overlooked armor pieces gain viability when their slots accommodate higher-tier decorations, opening new skill combinations.
Monster Hunter Wilds Transcendence
Smelting Point Adjustments
Monster material smelting now yields significantly more Smelting Points, accelerating your acquisition of Oricalcite and Armor Spheres. This change reduces the grind required to maintain multiple armor sets at maximum enhancement levels.
Limited Bounties also reward more Armor Spheres, while new permanent Event Quests provide consistent farming opportunities. You'll spend less time gathering upgrade materials and more time hunting.
Weapon Balance Changes
Title Update 4 implements comprehensive weapon balance adjustments aimed at bringing underperforming options up to competitive standards. Nearly every weapon type receives damage increases, improved combo flow, or enhanced mechanics.
Great Sword Enhancements
Great Sword users gain substantial raw damage increases across Charged Slash, Strong Charged Slash, and True Charged Slash. The Perfect Guard system also chains more smoothly into follow-up actions, reducing recovery time after successful blocks.
Switch Axe Overhaul
Switch Axe receives extensive improvements:
- Sword: Counter Rising Slash chains into sidesteps
- Enhanced knockback resistance during counters
- Evasion available while charging Unbridled Slash
- Focus Assault: Morph Combination damage increased
- Multiple raw damage buffs across sword attacks
Light Bowgun Buffs
Light Bowgun undergoes significant changes to Rapid Fire mechanics:
- Focus Blast: Eagle Strike Rapid Fire Gauge recovery greatly increased
- Wyvernblast cooldown dramatically reduced
- Normal Ammo damage buffed across all shot types
- Dragon Ammo fires faster with improved monster tracking
Heavy Bowgun Ignition Improvements
Heavy Bowgun Ignition Mode receives comprehensive buffs:
- Wyverncounter Ignition restores gauge on successful offsets
- Wyvernblast Ignition consumes less gauge, deals more damage
- Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl restores gauge on weak point hits
- Ignition Mode ST damage multiplier increased
Warning
These balance changes shift optimal weapon tier rankings. Revisit your main weapon's moveset to discover new combo routes and damage opportunities introduced by these adjustments.
Skill System Refinements
Multiple skills receive adjustments improving their effectiveness or expanding their applications:
Guard Up now reduces damage taken during guarding regardless of attack type:
- Level 1: 10% reduction (20% additional when conditions met)
- Level 2: 20% reduction (30% additional when conditions met)
- Level 3: 30% reduction (50% additional when conditions met)
Charge Up extends to Hammer charged attacks, Ballistics boosts Level 3 critical range raw damage, and Elemental Absorption activates more frequently with reduced cooldowns.
Set Bonus Skills like Binding Counter, Flawless Armor, and Scorcher all receive duration increases or effect strength improvements, making them more impactful in endgame builds.
Festival of Accord: Lumenhymn Celebration
The winter Festival of Accord runs December 19, 2025, through January 14, 2026, transforming the Grand Hub into a seasonal wonderland. You'll find temporary cosmetic changes, special meals, and limited-time Support Hunter availability.
Festival Features:
- Handler outfit variations
- Seikret decorations
- Updated Diva song list
- Grand Hub seasonal decorations
- Special Canteen menu items
- Modified Barrel Bowling setups
Fabius and Nadia join as temporary Support Hunters during the festival, offering unique combat assistance unavailable outside this event window. Similar to how co-op games have dominated Steam earnings, these cooperative elements enhance the multiplayer experience.
Monster Hunter Wilds Lumenhymn festival
New Support Hunters
Three new Support Hunters expand your tactical options:
Griffin brings heavy-hitting melee support, while Nightmist and Nadia provide ranged assistance with status ammunition and tactical positioning. Each Support Hunter's AI has been improved to maintain aggression more consistently and return to combat faster after player inactivity.
Preparing for Future Updates
February feels like a breather before the next wave of content rolls in. It’s a solid window to stock up on materials, mess around with different Gogma Artian weapon builds, and really learn the Gogmazios fight instead of just scraping by. The changes to weapons and armor noticeably shake up the endgame, and having more than one Transcended armor set ready, with different resistances and skill setups, is going to matter once harder hunts start stacking up.
Title Update 4 is easily one of the strongest updates Monster Hunter Wilds has had so far. It doesn’t just add things to do, it makes the game feel better to play. Hunts run smoother, progression feels clearer, and there’s a real sense of adventure, whether you’re coming back after time away or still grinding every day.