We learned a lot of new information about Monster Hunter Wilds at Tokyo Game Show 2024 during the Capcom Online Program and extended Scarlet Forest gameplay stream, including the reveal of the foul Congala and fowl Yian Kut-ku. Both monsters are returning to the series after a long absence. Here’s a quick breakdown of everything we’ve learned with comments from the developers.
The Fanged Beast Congalala, a Farting Pink Ape
Technically, we could’ve made an educated guess that Congalala would be returning to the series thanks to the distinctly pink armor the hunter was wearing in the official Dual Blades showcase. But it was finally officially confirmed during the Scarlet Forest gameplay stream, where the developers said fans have wanted Congalala to return for quite some time. Congalala is a Fanged Beast first introduced in Monster Hunter Freedom 2 for PSP (at least in the US).
Congalala resembles a gorilla, except it has striking pink fur and a tail that’s often holding a mushroom. Its main, disgusting way of attacking is through visible farts that throw brown debris into the air and belches that change depending on the food it most recently ate. In Wilds, before a certain move, Congalala will produce a special item called “Truffle de Conga” which can be stolen and used in your own cooking.
Congalala can also cover you in a “stench” so powerful you’re unable to consume anything, including health potions. Make sure to bring Deodorant out on hunts in the Scarlet Forest which is where you’ll encounter Congalala, at least for the first time. Luckily, recovering from such a stench is simple with Monster Hunter Wilds’ new Optimal Status Recovery option in the radial menu. With this, you’ll have quick access to whatever item is needed at the moment, so you won’t have to dig through the item pouch while it’s too stinky to think.
In an interview with IGN, Monster Hunter Wilds director Yuya Tokuda says this new feature is meant to be a quality of life improvement, but you may not find yourself using it as often as you think because the Palico will be “on it” trying to heal you. The same can be said about the Optimal Health Recovery option, which will not only use guild-issued healing items like Rations before dipping into your hard-earned stores of Potions but will use the item that will get you closest to full recovery without overdoing it.
The Bird Wyvern Yian Kut-Ku, the Original “Tutorial Monster”
Yian Kut-Ku is the very first flying monster Hunters faced in the original Monster Hunter for PS2, and has the honor of being the first returning monster to be revealed after Rathalos.
Like Congalala, Yian Kut-Ku is also pink, and resembles a goofy-looking, scaly bird monster. While Yian Kut-Ku moves around a lot and is fairly quick, it usually trips and falls when it charges. Kut-Ku’s other main attack is fireballs, making it an early resource for Flame Sacs.
Monster Hunter Wilds executive director and art director Kaname Fujioka says Yian Kut-Ku was given the honored spot of first properly revealed returning monster afer Rathalos not just because they love Yian Kut-Ku, but because he thinks it’s “a sort-of well-known, popular, and beloved monster among the fan base.” Fujioka adds, “This choice of the next reveal was something that I think showed that we love Monster Hunter just as much as you guys do, and we’re always thinking about what would be fun to bring back.”
As for why Yian Kut-Ku is being brought back for Wilds specifically, Fujioka says it would be great to see how Yian Kut-Ku appears in the pack system, where the same large monsters can appear in a group for the first time.
Customizable Seikrets
During the Scarlet Forest gameplay, we also saw the hunter riding a differently colored Seikret. The Seikret is the mount in Monster Hunter Wilds, and it was confirmed during this stream that we can customize its colors. Not much else is known about the depth of this customizability just yet!
Alongside the two monster reveals, the Scarlet Forest gameplay stream also showed a portion of a hunt with Uth Una, the Leviathan revealed during the most recent PlayStation State of Play. There were also details on how fishing in Monster Hunter Wilds will be a little more involved when reeling in a big fish.
Lastly, though unrelated to Monster Hunter Wilds specifically, there were more announcements for Monster Hunter’s 20th Anniversary, including a special Rathalos Fender Telecaster guitar. Capcom also revealed that Monster Hunter is getting special collaborations with both Transformers and Digimon. For Transformers, a Rathalos Prime Transformer figure; and for Digimon, two special V-Pets featuring monsters from Monster Hunter as well as special fusion monsters. RathalosGremon is a fusion of Greymon and Rathalos, and ZinoGarurumon a fusion of Garurumon and Zinogre. As of now, we’re unsure if these will be officially available outside of Japan.
Monster Hunter Wilds will be released on February 18, 2025 simultaneously for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The State of Play trailer revealed even more about Monster Hunter Wilds, including its flagship monster and more.
For more on Monster Hunter Wilds, don’t miss our hands-on preview and the recently revealed recommended PC specs.
Casey DeFreitas is a deputy editor of guides at IGN and has been hunting monsters since the original. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD
