Although it has broken records in of sales and has widespread appeal, Monster Hunter Wilds has been suffering some criticism for how easy it is compared to other games in the series. It seems to be a by-product of making MH Wilds the most approachable title in the series, and while the game is probably tough enough for the average person, seasoned Monster Hunter players are looking for something more. Still, it looks like Capcom understands this with the latest free updates, particularly with the challenge that High Rank Zoh Shia poses.

Adding monsters through free updates isn't new to the Monster Hunter series, and players can point to MH World as a recent example. Adding a brand-new base (via the Grand Hub) is unheard of by comparison, but with the Lagiacrus seemingly coming next, unless Capcom is pulling a fast one on fans, players have noticed something missing from Wilds compared to prior games. There is a distinct lack of Elder Dragons in this game, and this could mean that the bulk of them are being saved for the expansion planned later down the line.

Monster Hunter Wilds Has Been Avoiding Elder Dragons

Even Usual Elder Dragons Have Been Relegated

When looking through MH Wilds' roster, players will notice that there is a distinct lack of Elder Dragons, and neither the Mizutsune nor the Lagiacrus' addition is going to fix this. Wilds did introduce a new monster type, the man-made Guardians that are native to the Ruins of Wyveria, and these can range from copies of iconic monsters, like the Guardian Rathalos, to revivals of long-dead species, like the Arkveld. Despite being the flagship monster of the game, the Arkveld is still technically a Wyvern, and the only thing that makes it special is its Guardian status.

The Arkveld has two armor sets at High Rank, the Guardian Arkveld and regular Arkveld sets.

While the Gore Magala is one of the final fights of the base game, and responsible for the spread of the Frenzy Virus, it has an odd classification compared to what it would have in prior games. The Gore Magala has traditionally been thought of as an Elder Dragon since its introduction in Monster Hunter 4, but curiously it had the ??? Monster Class in every game it appeared in before MH Wilds. Now, it is a Demi Elder Dragon (a class added in Wilds) having a similar threat level to an Elder Dragon, but is able to be captured.

Although there is probably some Elder Dragon and Black Dragon DNA used in its creation, the Zoh Shia is sort of its own thing. It's a Guardian Construct like the others, despite being the size of the Jin Dahaad, and has many unique properties that set it apart from its fellow Guardians. It certainly has an Elder Dragon threat level, and shares some of the Fatalis' moves, with many theorizing that it is heralding the White Fatalis' return. Still, it isn't an Elder Dragon, despite sharing characteristics with them and Black Dragons, and this could be good for the expansion.

Elder Dragons Should Be Saved For MH Wilds' Expansion

It Will Help The Expansion Feel Like A Step-Up

If MH Wilds has been avoiding Elder Dragons like the plague to save them for the expansion, it could help alleviate some of the narrative and somewhat ecological-breaking issues that the expansions tend to face. While players get used to fighting regular Wyverns tougher than Elder Dragons in Master Rank, it is odd, especially when these Wyverns are added later on in the game and aren't traditionally meant to be that powerful. This became somewhat of an issue for Iceborne and is something that MH Wilds' future expansion has been set up to fix.

Iceborne introduced many mighty, non-Elder Dragon threats in its Guiding Lands, the most dangerous of which being the Kirin-slaying Rajang. The Guiding Lands are open to the player after defeating the Velkhana, an Elder Dragon, and while threats like the Rajang feel like a proper escalation in difficulty, the Yian Garuga feels out of place by comparison. The Yian Garuga isn't traditionally that dangerous a monster, and adding it to the Guiding Lands when players are getting ready to take on Black Dragons, like the Safi'jiiva and Kulve Taroth, did feel out of place.

The Rajang is known to break the horns off Kirin horns and eat them, resulting in their lightning powers.

MH Wilds can avoid this issue by filling its expansion's late game with Elder and Black Dragons, or similar threats, making it seem like there is a proper escalation in difficulty that corresponds with in-world threat levels. Monsters like the Nergigante, Teostra, and Kirin can make the expansion's mid-late game all about Elder Dragons, and with Wilds avoiding them thus far, it will help the expansion feel different to newcomers as well. It will help the Elder Dragons to feel special, rather than clumping their threat level with the likes of the Yian Garuga.

MH Wilds Has Many Other Options Outside Elder Dragons For Free Updates

There Are Still Many Obvious Options Capcom Can Turn To

With the free updates, it wouldn't be surprising if an Elder Dragon was added, but there are so many other options for Capcom instead. The two obvious options are the Deviljho and Bazelgeuse, two Wyverns known for their power and brutality that are popular enough to get hyped for, even if they are a little overused. I would personally love to see the Brachydios terrorizing the Oilwell Basin, or the Glavenus and its massive sword-tail, but that doesn't mean Capcom can't make something new with collaborations.

MH Wilds is yet to have any collaboration monsters. World had two after its release, one with Final Fantasy with the Behemoth and another with The Witcher 3 via the Leshen. MH Wilds could work with Final Fantasy again, specifically through the FF7 Remake project with something like Bahamut or Leviathan, being two of the monster-like summons. With The Witcher 4 being announced, it could see another collaboration, adding an Archgriffin or Kikimora. There is always the option of a truly bizarre collaboration, maybe with a Nintendo IP, given how MH Rise was a Switch exclusive for a while.

While many have complained that the true Monster Hunter experience starts at Master Rank, and this rank has been locked behind a paywall with an expansion, there's no denying that there's plenty of content as far as these expansions are concerned. Introducing Elder Dragons to Monster Hunter Wilds in its expansion could make it special and make the escalation of threats feel more natural than it would otherwise, while having the game be as hard as many want. Hopefully, the expansion adds Black Dragons too, after all the Fatalis references from the Zoh Shia, even after the whole Alatreon debacle.