Monster Hunter WIlds: How to Get Back to Low Rank

High Rank marks the start of the endgame in Monster Hunter Wilds, and while that might sound intimidating, it's not as bad as series newcomers might think. In this phase of the game, the training wheels are popped off and players are introduced to the true glory of hunting monsters.

Naturally, it'll take a while before players can reach High Rank, and thankfully, the game is lenient enough to let new MH Wilds players fight Low Rank monsters even after reaching that point. Here's what you need to know about when High Rank starts and the things you can expect from it.

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By Muhit Rahman

Updated April 8, 2025 by Marc Santos: While the first big Title Update for Monster Hunter Wilds did not touch anything related to the base game's progression, it added plenty of content for players to be excited for. We've updated this guide to include additional information, such as the things that players should look forward to when starting High Rank as well as a short section on how to get low-rank items after reaching High Rank.

When Does High Rank Start in Monster Hunter Wilds?

MH Wilds Yian Kut-ku First Encounter — Monster Hunter Wilds Yian Kutku First Encounter

High Rank missions begin by the time you reach the end of the third chapter of the main storyline. After the credits roll, a new investigation into the Forbidden Lands will begin, and you'll be sent to respond to a Yian Kut-Ku sighting in the Scarlet Forest. This quest marks the beginning of High Rank in MH Wilds, and once you capture the Kut-Ku for that particular mission, you'll be able to craft High Rank armor sets.

High Rank monsters are notably tougher than their Low Rank counterparts. It's best to think of Low Rank missions as an extension of the game's tutorial that's meant to ease players into the overall hunting experience. High Rank is where things escalate — here, you're expected to apply everything you've learned from previous hunts in order to get better rewards.

The rise in difficulty between the two rank categories isn't as stark as one might think, so there's no need to feel intimidated. However, expect monsters to have more health, deal more damage, and fight more aggressively. If you're having trouble, try upgrading your armor in MH Wilds.

What's the DIfference Between Low and High Rank?

Apart from monster difficulty, content, and rewards, not much else changes. Basically, once you reach High Rank, you unlock the rest of the game, and that includes the continuation of the MH Wilds story as well as new features like Palico Skills and the Layered Armor system. On a related note, High Rank will also feature Tempered Monsters roaming the world or as main hunt targets in quests.

There are plenty of things to look forward to in High Rank, including:

New weapons (up to Tier 8 in rarity)
More difficult monsters
The Grand Hub
New quests and additional story beats
New mantles
Seasonal events

High Rank marks the beginning of the MH Wilds endgame, and as the game receives more updates, players can expect more things to look forward to once they beat the low-rank portion of the main campaign.

How to Return to Low Rank in Monster Hunter Wilds

MH Wilds Low Rank Quests — Monster Hunter Wilds Low Rank Quests

Thankfully, reaching High Rank isn't a one-way promotion. If you aren't confident in your hunting skills, you can always practice in Low Rank some more by visiting Alma or the Quest Board in your camp tent. Select the Post/Join Quest option, then go to Optional Quests. Low Rank quests are the ones with blue stars.

You can fight Low Rank variants of the majority of monsters you fought during the campaign, but only via these Optional quests. You can't fight Low Rank monsters roaming around the open maps once you finish the main story.

How to Get Low Rank Materials in High Rank

If you find yourself in need of low-rank version of materials, then all you need to do is replay a low-rank mission and hunt what you need from there. Doing so will load you into a low-rank version of the world — for example, you'll be able to get Herbivore Shells from Ceratonoths instead of Herbivore Carapace.

The same general idea applies to pretty much everything you can find during those missions. If there's a low-rank version of something, then you can only get them from low-rank versions of their main sources.

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