Monster Hunter Wilds has the cutest companion: the Palico! These companions have been in previous Monster Hunter games as well, so long-time MH fans should be familiar. They help players defeat monsters, as well as overall just look adorable while players enjoy the game.

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Players can also customize how their Palico looks within Monster Hunter Wilds as well. This means, upon character creation, they can fully customize the appearance of their Palico to look almost however they like. On top of this, players can also put different armor onto their Palico, including different weapons or back items as well. But players can also choose for their Palico to stay behind during certain missions.

How To Put Palico In Stand-By Mode & What It Does

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In Monster Hunter Wilds, the Palico is supposed to act as a helpful cat companion, but some players just might not want it coming along because it can make the game "too easy." Lucky for players, they can disable the Palico, which leaves it fully at home in the base camp and going along without it.

Players who wish not to have their Palico follow along with them will be able to adjust their companion's settings by going to their tent. Within the tent menu, they will need to flip over to the three overall menus on the display. From there it lists three different settings:

  • Palico Deployment Status
  • Change Palico Equipment
  • View/Sell Palico Equipment

If players were to click the second option, it would allow players to change the equipment that their Palico is wearing, bringing up all the items that have been purchased for it so far. The third option allows players to sell Palico equipment which could be lower-level sets they don't want anymore.

However, players are going to want to select the first option, "Palico Deployment Status." This one will allow players to be able to leave their Palico behind at the camp while they go out on missions. This doesn't have any benefits for the player overall, other than they get to battle monsters by themselves without the help of their Palico pal, which could make things a bit more spicy in Monster Hunter Wilds.

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Monster Hunter Wilds
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Action
Adventure
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
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Released
February 28, 2025
ESRB
T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor
Developer(s)
Capcom
Publisher(s)
Capcom
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Engine
RE Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Yes, all platforms
Cross Save
No
Franchise
Monster Hunter
Number of Players
1
Steam Deck Compatibility
Unknown
PC Release Date
February 28, 2025
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
February 28, 2025
PS5 Release Date
February 28, 2025
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure
X|S Optimized
Yes
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty