The first major Wild Hearts update brings with it a blazing new Kemono and a corresponding talisman that grants players another addition to their roster of skills. The new patch for the monster hunting RPG game also includes some handy improvements to crafting and modification, along with a wide range of bug fixes and some balance changes including buffs for a number of Wild Hearts weapons.
The new addition to the roster of Wild Hearts monsters is the terrifying Hellfire Laharback. This giant, flaming, ape-like beast looks like it might be a relative of the Lavaback family, and it’s currently terrifying the Natsukodachi Isle. If you’re able to take down this mighty beast, a new Infernal Blow talisman can be yours that increases the chance of setting your foes ablaze, as well as boosting the power of attacks against monsters that are on fire.
There’s numerous weapon buffs included in the patch as well, with the Bladed Wagasa, the Maul, the Bow, the Nodachi, the Claw Blade, and the Karakuri Katana among those that see the most tangible improvements. The Karakuri Staff, however, has been dialled back a bit due to its iframes being too plentiful. In addition to this, you’ll now be able to look at your character’s full list of skills for all parts during armour creation, weapon creation, and armour modification, making it much easier to keep track of the build you’re putting together.
Key bug fixes and tweaks include a fix for an issue that was preventing rewards from correctly being granted after certain fights against giant Kemono, and the removal of Karakuri that can contain food during a battle in Minato to ensure they aren’t accidentally destroyed. There’s also a whole wealth of individual bug fixes, so if you’ve been running into trouble be sure to check the full patch notes to see if it’s been addressed.
The team also notes in an accompanying blog post that it’s “dedicated to Wild Hearts and we’ll be consistently working on making the gameplay experience better throughout this year.” It notes that the second Wild Hearts content update is due on March 23, when Grimstalker will arrive in Azuma along with new armour and weapons to be made after the fight. The team adds that “even more Kemono are on their way to Azuma in April.”
Wild Hearts content update 1 patch notes
Here are the patch notes for Wild Hearts content update 1:
New Kemono – Hellfire Laharback
- A new breed of volatile Kemono – a Hellfire Laharback – has appeared on the Natsukodachi Isle. You must quell the torrid inferno before it reduces everything to ash, and restore tranquility to the island.
- For accomplishing this new feat, hunters will receive the title Fire Fiend Appeaser.
- Upon your first successful hunt, Hellfire Laharback may drop a talisman with a new skill – Infernal Blow. Infernal Blow will increase the chances of setting prey ablaze and boosts the power of attacks against ablaze Kemono.
New Quest – Deeply Volatile Kemono – Ruins
- After you complete all the main story quests, Suzuran’s husband Yoshichi will have a new request for you. After accepting the quest, you will find the hunt on the Main Map under the new section Side Stories.
- Side Stories will allow you to access any additional quests that are added via content updates.
General Improvements
- When playing online as a guest, the goal icon in the upper left corner will now be yellow if your story progression rate matches that of the host.
- Players now can look at their full list of skills for all parts during armor creation, weapon creation, and armor modification.
- Adjusted the controls of attacks using the Celestial Anchor karakuri.
- Added a confirmation window at the start of online co-op that asks whether the player wants to join the session or not if the host is further along in the story than the guest.
- Players will now be sent to the Hunter’s Tent used last within the hunting area after selecting “Return to camp” at the end of the hunt.
- When the skill Chain Trap: Extension was unlocked, the duration of the capture from the Chain Trap was longer than intended, and has been adjusted to be as intended.
Weapon Changes
Karakuri Staff
- Fixed an issue that made it impossible to dodge immediately after the Full-Body Slam or Full-Body Cleave when using the karakuri staff.
- Fixed an issue in which an action using the karakuri staff Juggernaut Blade would not be interrupted even if a karakuri was created during the attack.
- Fixed an issue in which the Full-Force Blow and Spirited Ward skills would not be activated when using the Full-Body Air Cleave action of the karakuri staff.
- Fixed an issue where certain attack actions performed with the karakuri staff would have unintended invincibility frames.
- Fixed an issue where the dodge invincibility frames when using the karakuri staff were longer than intended.
- Fixed an issue in which the mutation level of the karakuri staff could be accumulated above the maximum indicated.
Claw Blade
- Enhanced the power of Wingblade Crescent Slash of the claw blade.
- Enhanced the power of the enhanced Wingblade Spin Slash of the claw blade.
Hand Cannon
- Enhanced the power of Fortified Shot of the hand cannon.
Bladed Wagasa
- Enhanced the power of the spindance when the bladed wagasa’s spindance gauge is not at its maximum.
- Made it easier to adjust the angle when an attack is derived from a successful parry with a bladed wagasa.
- Made it easier to land an attack following a successful aerial parry with a wagasa.
Maul
- Enhanced the power of the Extended: Jumping Smash and Fully Extended: Jumping Pummel of the maul.
- Enhanced the power of the Extended: Power Smash and Fully Extended: Power Smash of the maul.
- Enhanced the power of the Flame Smash of the maul.
- Fixed an issue that shortened the dodge invincibility frames when using the maul.
Bow
- Enhanced the resonant power attacks of the Full Draw: Otoya and Piercing: Otoya of the Bow.
- Fixed an issue that caused the area of resonance to be excessively wide when the bow’s otoya arrows hit a kemono.
- Fixed an issue that caused the bow’s otoya arrows to resonate even when they hit the surrounding terrain.
- Fixed an issue that caused the bow’s haya arrows to exceed the maximum number of arrows that could pierce a kemono.
- Fixed an issue in which the bow’s Arc Shot: Haya would stick in kemono even when shot from out of range.
- Reduced the power of resonance caused by the bow’s Resonant: Otoya.
Nodachi
- Enhanced the power of the Iai attack performed at valor gauge level one with the nodachi.
- Reduced the amount of decrease in stamina when maintaining the Full Moon Iai Stance of the nodachi.
- Increased the amount of the valor gauge build-up when performing On-the-Move Attack, Celestial Stab, and Double Spin Slash while in the Iai stance with the nodachi.
- Fixed an issue where the valor gauge would disappear if a karakuri was made while in the Iai stance with the nodachi.
- Adjusted the timing and length of the invincibility frames of the nodachi’s On-the-Move Attack.
- Fixed an issue where the nodachi’s valor gauge would not reset while using the Celestial Anchor basic karakuri.
Karakuri Katana
- Extended the range of the karakuri katana’s Iai Sunder Slash.
- Added a transition from the karakuri katana’s Iai Sunder Slash to Single-Handed Lunge.
- Enhanced the power and extended the range of the karakuri katana’s Iai Slash Burst.
Miscellaneous Adjustments
- Adjusted the usable range of the torch karakuri.
- Access to the Celestial Tsukumo Camp will now be disabled when the amount of karakuri thread possessed exceeds the limit.
- Enhanced the power of the basic karakuri ejection of the Launcher dragon karakuri.
- Shortened the time it takes for the glider basic karakuri to become available after jumping from a roller.
- Added distance-based adjustments to the damage dealt when a kemono is hit with a flying vine.
- Adjustments have been made to make Amaterasu more susceptible to knockdown.
- Adjusted the head of the spineglider kemono to make it easier to hit.
- Added the indication of the poison effect to the Mortality Water skill.
- Increased the number of inherited skills for multiple weapons.
- Adjusted so that the training kemono can no longer be activated when fighting Amaterasu in Minato.
- Players now cannot select to retreat from the hunt when there is one or more players assisting during online co-op.
- Players can no longer open the menu when they are near death.
- The content of the tutorials for claw blade, maul, bow, and nodachi has been partially revised. You can check this from the Tutorials tab in the menu.
- Extensive bug fixes – you can check the full list on the Wild Hearts site.
If you were waiting for more updates before jumping in, check the Wild Hearts system requirements to see how your gaming PC stacks up. We’ve also checked in on Wild Hearts Steam Deck compatibility. We’ve also picked out some of the best games like Monster Hunter World on PC if you crave even more hunting action.