Monster Hunter Wilds’ Layered Weapons Can Atone for One of the Game’s Biggest Sins

With the confirmation that Monster Hunter Wilds’ Title Update 2 will introduce the long-requested layered weapons feature, fans are eagerly anticipating being able to customize the look of their weapons to match their outfits. Given how much trouble Artian weapons have caused for players trying to coordinate their hunter’s look in Monster Hunter Wilds, these garish weapons will likely be the first targets of the new system, giving players the chance to finally hunt in style without sacrificing their builds.

In the months since its release, the ability to transmog weapons has been one of, if not the most requested features for the game, prompting Capcom to finally take action. Title Update 2 for Monster Hunter Wilds is set to release in Summer 2025, with balance adjustments, quality-of-life additions, game stability improvements, new 8-star hunts, and, of course, layered weapons.

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Monster Hunter Wilds’ Artian Weapon Dilemma

The Best Weapons in Monsters Hunter Wilds are Also the Most Divisive

Hunter fashion has always played an important role in the Monster Hunter community, and the lack of customization options for weapons has always been a sticking point for style-conscious players. Among the most notorious offenders are Artian weapons, end-game weapons that, more often than not, are the best-in-slot choices for builds. Monster-based weapons can sometimes prove to be decent alternatives, but considering the end-game loop revolves around farming for Artian Parts to use in the RNG-based crafting system, they’re likely going to remain mainstays of meta builds for a long time.

Looks-wise, only a select few outfit combinations go well with Artian Weapons; the matte chrome and green finish that most of them come with isn’t doing them any favors. It’s no surprise that most players want the stats but not the look. Considering how much outstanding variety Monster Hunter Wilds has in terms of outfits, color combinations, and layered armor, weapon customization is the biggest thing holding the fashion scene back in Wilds.

Layered Weapons Solve More Than Just Artian Weapons

Often, there is a choice to be made: do players stick with the ugly Artian weapons for their effectiveness or do they sacrifice the hunt for the sake of fashion? With layered weapons on the horizon, this conundrum will soon be solved. And this issue isn’t limited to Artian weapons alone. Since players cannot customize the looks of their chosen weapons, whichever monster-based weapon comes with a set color scheme and style. Even if that weapon’s look isn’t as much of an eyesore as an Artian weapon, players are still pigeonholed into choosing a matching outfit, one that they might not necessarily prefer.

Why Layered Weapons Came so Late to Monster Hunter Wilds

Historically, layered weapons and armor have always been a feature that Monster Hunter titles have teased players with, preferring to release it with a major DLC update instead of packaging it with the base game. In the case of Monster Hunter World, layered weapons were only introduced to the game a year and a half post-release in the Iceborne DLC. Similarly, layered weapons were only added to Monster Hunter Rise in the Sunbreak Title Update, roughly the same time frame as World.

The attitude of withholding content for future DLC updates has become unfortunately common in the gaming industry, and it’s on full display here. Luckily, the community pressure for layered weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds was especially intense this time around, and, as a result, fans are getting this requested feature earlier than previously anticipated. Hopefully, future Monster Hunter games take this lesson to heart, but that might be too optimistic.