Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds is nearing its one-year anniversary. The game continues to thrive thanks to its meaningful Title Updates and renewed endgame grind. Naturally, players who were around since launch are already racking up HR (High Rank) points, with some reaching the maximum cap of HR 999.
New Monster Hunter players would wonder what the significance of this level is and how it equates to skill in the game.
What Does Hunter Rank Do in Monster Hunter Wilds?
In the simplest sense, Hunter Ranks are basically player levels that increase over time. New Monster Hunter players always start at Low Ranks, with limited freedom to customize their build and craft Gogma Artian Weapons, Wilds’ endgame system.
The first Hunter Ranks are soft-capped at 8, which is commonly called “Low Rank.” Players who haven’t beaten the Elder Dragon Zoh Shia and rolled through the game’s credits can’t go beyond HR 8. This doesn’t mean HR levels stop growing whenever you hunt monsters, this is just Capcom’s pseudo-softwall to deter people from Leeroy Jenkins-ing its harder encounters.
Once the final story boss is defeated, the game slowly opens up, opening High Rank and increasing your Hunter Cap along the way. This is where most players begin to craft their temporary builds and socket their armors with decorations.
The Importance of Hunter Ranks in Monster Hunter Wilds
Having a higher Hunter Rank doesn’t mean a hunter is really good at the game. In fact, it’s merely a sign that they’ve played long enough and hunted monsters since the game’s launch.
The only time when Hunter Ranks are essential is for hunting down certain monsters. Recently added Tempered Monsters like Lagiacrus and Seregios have HR requirements, whereas the Elder Dragon, Gogmazios, can only be hunted once you reach HR 100. Apart from that, Hunter ranks serve no purpose other than bragging rights.
Players who reached the level cap of HR 999 can’t be considered Monster Hunter professionals. Nobody is. Even in Monster Hunter World and Iceborne, they can still get carted by a single swipe of Fatalis’ tail or melt in seconds by Alatreon’s Escaton Judgment attack. However, there is a clear advantage when reaching HR 999, as players are already aware of a monster’s movesets and their builds are mostly optimized to near perfection. This makes them great teammates in random S.O.S. hunts, especially when you’re with a good Hunting Horn main, buffing you with Attack and Defense boosts as well as providing decent heals.
What is Master Rank in Monster Hunter?
If there are Low Ranks and High Ranks, there’s also Master Rank or G-Rank, Monster Hunter’s expansion-type levels. These are mostly exclusive during each of Monster Hunter’s meaty DLCs like Iceborne, Sunbreak, and the imminent Wilds expansion. This is the part of every Monster Hunter game where monsters hit harder and have tankier health. Players still stuck in Low Rank or High Rank gear are immediately carted in one fell swoop.
Like High Rank, they’re still not actual benchmarks for proficiency. They’re just numbers meant to indicate how long they’ve played the game. To add to that, Master Rank is also capped at certain levels if a player hasn’t finished the main expansion story.
With Monster Hunter Wilds’ expansion coming soon, High Rank numbers won’t mean much anymore as Master Rank takes center stage. It’s another ladder to climb, but it’s not something hunters should always strive for. What always matters in a Monster Hunter game is how you craft your builds and how much fun you’ve had playing solo or with friends.
So the next time you see someone with HR 999, just keep in mind that they’re not the best of the best. It’s just a number that has existed in Monster Hunter since time immemorial.
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