Monster Hunter Wilds will get a ‘large scale expansion’ in the style of Iceborne and Sunbreak, as it winds down major content updates to the base game

Monster Hunter Wilds producer Ryozo Tsujimoto has confirmed a major expansion is coming, mirroring in scope the Iceborne and Sunbreak expansions for Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise. He announced as much during a first anniversary video outlining additions in the forthcoming 1.041 update, which will serve as the last major content update to the standalone game.

“We are currently at work on a large-scale expansion similar to Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, and Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak, for Monster Hunter Wilds,” Tsujimoto said. “We plan to share more information with you this summer.”

The anniversary event will run from February 18 until March 19 and definitely feels like a sending off. Every seasonal event will return on rotation, and a new 10 star quest difficulty will see the return of four previous Arch-tempered monsters, in addition to the new Arch-tempered Arkveld for its own permanent event quest. Finishing the 10 star quests will award Timeworn Charms, which confer a higher chance of yielding rare talismans.

Also returning are every previous Festival of Accord on a weekly rotation, so if you missed out on any seasonal gear, you’ll get a second chance to acquire it. There’s a tie-in quest with the imminent Monster Hunter Stories 3, as well.

Capcom also promised to keep optimizing the famously shaky performer. With the roll out of 1.041 further CPU and GPU optimization will roll out. LOD quality levels will be selectable, and the studio is also “re-examining memory-related processes to identify further potential improvements.” Capcom has been issuing performance updates for the last couple of months, and it looks like they’re actually making a difference.

For everything combining in 1.041, check out the Wilds website, or check out the video below: