If you’re counting down the days until you can dive into the next mainline Monster Hunter entry, you’ve probably wondered how much time you’ll need to set aside to finish the core narrative. How long is Monster Hunter Wilds story is one of the most common questions popping up in fan forums and social media threads right now, and for good reason: many of us have busy schedules, and it helps to know if you can beat the story over a long weekend or if you’ll need to carve out a few weeks of playtime. We’ve pulled together official Capcom details, closed playtest feedback from thousands of players, and community estimates to give you the most accurate playtime breakdown possible for every type of player.
How Long Is Monster Hunter Wilds Story for Main Quest Only?
For players who only want to focus on the core narrative and skip all optional content, the average playtime falls between 25 and 30 hours for a first playthrough. That number assumes you watch all cutscenes, don’t spend extra time grinding for gear beyond what’s strictly required to progress, and only take on mandatory hunts to move the story forward. If you skip all cutscenes and rush through mandatory quests, you can finish the main story in as little as 22 hours, but most players won’t want to rush past the cinematic sequences that introduce the new world, cast of characters, and the central conflict surrounding the mysterious elder dragon driving the plot. Capcom has confirmed that Wilds’ base main story is roughly 20% longer than Monster Hunter World’s core narrative, which lines up with the playtest data we’ve seen from early access players. Keep in mind that this number doesn’t include any of the post-game story content that unlocks after you beat the final main story boss, which adds another 3 to 5 hours of narrative content on top of the base main quest line.
Playtime for Story + Key Side Content
Most Monster Hunter players don’t stick strictly to the main quest line, and for good reason: the side content in Wilds adds a ton of context to the world and gives you access to much better gear that makes later story fights far easier. If you plan to do the main story plus all key side content as you progress, expect to spend between 50 and 70 hours on your first playthrough. The character side stories for the new research team members are some of the most popular optional content in playtests, as they dive into the backstories of your allies and unlock unique rewards like exclusive armor dyes and weapon skins. You’ll also probably want to stop to hunt optional monsters as you unlock them, as each new monster you take down gives you access to new armor and weapon recipes that can make tough main story bosses feel trivial. If you’re playing with a group of friends, you can expect this playtime to go up by 10 to 15 hours, as you’ll almost certainly stop to mess around with the new traversal mechanics or take on extra hunts just for fun between main story beats. You don’t have to do all side content before finishing the main story, but most players report that doing side quests as you go makes the entire experience feel far more immersive.
How Long Does 100% Completion of Monster Hunter Wilds Take?
If you’re a completionist who wants to unlock every piece of content the game has to offer at launch, you’re looking at a minimum of 150 hours of playtime, with many players reporting 180 to 200 hours to check every box. Capcom has confirmed 80+ unique monsters at launch, so you’ll spend dozens of hours just hunting each monster enough times to get all their rare drops for crafting every weapon and armor set. 100% completion also requires finishing every side quest, unlocking all research levels for every monster, collecting all hidden lore entries and environmental collectibles, and unlocking every in-game achievement or trophy. For reference, here’s what counts toward full 100% completion in Monster Hunter Wilds:
- All main story and side story quests completed, including alternate low and high rank quest paths
- Every monster hunted at least once, with max research levels unlocked for each species
- All weapon and armor recipes unlocked and crafted at least one time
- All lore entries, hidden camp locations, and regional collectibles discovered across every biome
- All in-game achievements or trophies unlocked, including endgame challenge hunt rewards
Keep in mind that Capcom has already announced multiple free post-launch content updates that will add new monsters, story chapters, and side content, so 100% completion time will keep increasing as more content drops over the next few years. If you’re someone who likes to keep up with all post-launch content, you can easily sink 500+ hours into Wilds over its lifespan.
Factors That Change Your Monster Hunter Wilds Story Playtime
All the playtime estimates we’ve shared are averages, and your actual playtime can vary a lot depending on a few key factors. First, your experience with the Monster Hunter series plays a huge role: veteran players who know how to exploit monster weaknesses, use items efficiently, and avoid carting during hunts will finish quests 20 to 30% faster than new players. New players can expect to add 5 to 10 extra hours to their main story playtime as they learn the game’s core mechanics, get comfortable with their weapon of choice, and figure out how to navigate the large open world biomes. Another big factor is whether you play solo or in a group: coordinated groups of experienced players can finish hunts far faster than solo players, but groups of new players who are still learning will often take longer to finish each quest as they coordinate mechanics and revive each other. Whether you choose to grind for gear early on also impacts playtime: if you stop every few story quests to grind for better armor and weapons, you’ll add a few hours to your total playtime, but you’ll also have a much easier time with later story bosses so you won’t have to retry quests as often. You don’t have to rush the story to get to endgame content, either: the story is paced to let you take breaks to explore or test new builds whenever you want, so there’s no pressure to finish it as fast as possible.
At the end of the day, how long is Monster Hunter Wilds story depends entirely on your playstyle and what you want to get out of the game. Casual players who only want to experience the core narrative can finish it in under 30 hours, while players who want to take their time and experience all the side content can easily get 70+ hours out of their first playthrough. Completionists have hundreds of hours of content to work through even at launch, with more content coming every few months after release. No matter how you plan to play, don’t feel like you have to keep up with other players’ playthrough speeds: the best part of any Monster Hunter game is taking your time, experimenting with different builds, and having fun with friends, so play at whatever pace feels right for you.