Monster Hunter Wilds reshaped the rhythm of the hunt when it launched, and in 2026 its most rewarding optional challenge is still the Great Hunt. Instead of accepting every assignment from a Handler menu, hunters can begin a quest simply by encountering a monster in the field. That freedom is excellent for quick materials, but it can also make ordinary hunts feel predictable. What happens when one target is no longer enough? The answer is a Great Hunt, a quest type that demands two monsters in a single outing and pays accordingly.
🐉 What Are Great Hunts?
A standard hunt in Monster Hunter Wilds almost always focuses on a single monster. A Great Hunt is the game's term for a hunt that involves two monsters. The pair does not need to roam the map together; hunters simply need to defeat both monsters before the quest ends. The challenge is not always about fighting side by side. Sometimes the second monster is a separate obstacle, a roaming threat, or a target that must be tracked after the first falls.
These quests typically come with a slightly harsher time limit, but the number of times hunters can faint remains the same. That trade-off makes preparation important. The rewards, however, are dramatically increased. Great Hunts offer bonus materials and relics for crafting Artian weapons. When possible, hunters should always take a Great Hunt over a regular hunt for the extra rewards.
🗺️ How To Unlock Great Hunts
Great Hunts cannot be unlocked until a hunter has completed the Low Rank story and started into High Rank. At that point, the system becomes linked to side quests in each region. A side quest must be completed in each region for the system to unlock there, rather than unlocking in all regions at once. Each quest is different, but every one involves hunting two monsters at the same time.
| Region | Required Side Quest |
|---|---|
| Windward Plains | Continuing Conflict |
| Scarlet Forest | Fur Damagings Are Dislikeworthy |
| Oilwell Basin | Troublemakers |
| Iceshard Cliffs | Echoing From The Cliffs |
| Ruins Of Wyveria | The Struggle To Survive |
Once these quests have been completed, Great Hunts unlock in each region. They can be seen in the environment overview tab of the map, and they are also sent as notifications when they appear. Typically, only a single Great Hunt will appear in a region at a time, though multiple can occur.
⚔️ Why Great Hunts Matter
Are Great Hunts simply harder hunts, or are they the best use of a hunter's time? The answer is both. The increased rewards make them a prime source of materials for Artian weapon crafting and other endgame goals. Because the faint limit is not reduced, a careful hunter can still succeed without risking more carts than usual. The main pressure comes from the clock and from managing two large threats in one quest.
Players who ignore Great Hunts may find themselves swimming in common materials but short on the relics and bonus drops that make high-level crafting smoother. Those who seek them out gain a repeatable source of valuable rewards, plus a more dynamic fight than the average single-monster hunt.
🧰 Practical Tips For Great Hunts
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Prepare a multi-monster loadout. A weapon with good reach and a reliable defensive option helps when the second monster interrupts.
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Use the environment. Wilds gives hunters plenty of hazards, ledges, and endemic life. These tools can shorten a fight or create openings.
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Focus one target when possible. Splitting damage across two monsters can waste the time limit.
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Bring traps and status items. Controlling one monster while dealing with the other can prevent unnecessary faints.
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Watch the map notifications. Great Hunts appear dynamically, so checking the environment overview tab regularly helps hunters avoid missing them.
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Do not ignore the clock. The time limit is slightly harsher, so sharpening, healing, and chasing must be efficient.
📅 A 2026 Perspective
Since the system arrived, Great Hunts have become a familiar part of the High Rank routine. In 2026, the unlock path remains straightforward: finish Low Rank, enter High Rank, clear the regional side quests, and then watch for Great Hunt notifications. The hunts themselves still reward preparation. They are not a separate mode or a story chapter. They are an optional layer that gives experienced hunters more danger and more treasure.
🏆 Final Thoughts
Monster Hunter Wilds already lets hunters start a quest without menus, but Great Hunts give that freedom a sharper edge. They ask for two victories in one outing, a tighter schedule, and a willingness to adapt. For players who want better rewards and a more memorable fight, they are worth unlocking in every region. After all, why settle for one monster when the hunt can offer two?
Information is adapted from Game Developer (Gamasutra), a long-running industry resource that often examines how quest structures and reward loops shape player behavior. In Monster Hunter Wilds terms, Great Hunts stand out because they turn open-field encounters into a deliberate two-target objective, tightening time pressure while preserving the usual faint allowance—an intentional pacing lever that nudges hunters toward efficient routing, smart disruption control (traps/status), and higher-value endgame progression through bonus materials and relic-focused crafting.