Capcom just can't catch a break with the PC port of Monster Hunter Wilds. We're nearly a year into the life cycle of the game, and yet, the community is still digging through the code to find out why a $1,500 GPU is struggling to maintain 60 frames per second in the Oilwell Basin.
It’s been a weird week for anyone following the MH Wilds patch notes.
Honestly, the most recent update, Version 1.040.03.00, which dropped just after the New Year, felt like a standard "cleaning up the mess" patch. It fixed some annoying Support Hunter AI issues—specifically making Fabius less of a liability during the Gogmazios fight—but it didn't really touch the elephant in the room: the technical performance. That's all about to change on January 27.
The January 27 Patch and the Bizarre DLC Discovery
Yesterday, a Reddit user named de_Tylmarande dropped a bombshell that basically broke the Monster Hunter subreddit. They discovered that Monster Hunter Wilds performs significantly better if you own all the DLC.
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Wait, what? Yeah. It sounds like a "pay-to-win" conspiracy, but it's actually just a really messy piece of code. Basically, the game is constantly running a background check to see which cosmetic DLCs you own. If you don't own them, the game keeps checking. And checking. And checking. This creates a massive CPU bottleneck that tanks the framerate.
In the user’s testing, an account with all the DLC reached 80+ FPS in hubs, while a base-game-only account on the same PC struggled to hit 25 FPS.
Capcom hasn't officially admitted to this specific "DLC bug," but they miraculously announced a Steam-exclusive patch (Ver.1.040.03.01) for January 27, 2026. This patch is explicitly targeting "processing load" and "VRAM usage." If you've been seeing those blurry textures even on High settings, this is the update you've been waiting for.
Everything in the Recent 1.040.03.00 Update
While we wait for the performance fix, we’ve been playing with the early January update. It wasn't huge on content, but it was massive for the Gogmazios hunt. If you've tried to solo "The Tar-Stained Siege," you know the pain.
Support Hunter Improvements
- Fabius is actually useful now. Before this patch, Fabius would sometimes run to the furthest corner of the map when Gogmazios started his supernova. Now, his guard position is closer to the center.
- Objective Markers: Capcom added a "Guild Icon" marker so you can actually find where the Support Hunters are huddling during big attacks. No more frantic spinning of the camera.
- Shock Absorber for Everyone: All Support Hunters now have the Shock Absorber skill. This means you won't accidentally knock them out of their guard animation when you're trying to hide behind them.
Bug Fixes You Might Have Missed
- Barrel Bowling: Points are now correctly awarded if a target is hit by an explosion rather than a direct hit.
- Keyboard Controls: The fishing UI used to show a "stick rotation" icon for keyboard players. That’s been swapped to the correct key binds.
- Nu Udra Kinsect Glitch: Fixed an issue where Kinsects would just... stop working... when performing a Focus Strike on Nu Udra.
Looking Back at Title Update 4: The Weapon Balance
If you’re just returning for the 2026 season, you might have missed the massive weapon rebalancing from Title Update 4 (Ver.1.040.00). This was the patch that finally made Guard Up worth a slot again.
The developers finally realized that chip damage was getting out of hand. Now, Guard Up doesn't just let you block unblockables; it gives a flat damage reduction. At Level 3, it reduces damage taken by 30%, with an extra 50% reduction when certain conditions are met. Lancers, rejoice.
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The Insect Glaive also got a much-needed love letter. You can now chain into a Descending Slash much more fluidly, and the raw damage for the Sidestep Slash was bumped up significantly. It feels way less "clunky" than it did at launch.
What's Next? The Road to February
The MH Wilds patch notes cycle isn't slowing down. Capcom has already confirmed that after the January 27 performance patch, we are getting Version 1.041 in February.
This is the big one.
Arch-Tempered Arkveld is the headliner for February. We’re also expecting "Gamma" armor sets to make a return, which usually means a complete shift in the meta for endgame builds. If the January 27 patch actually fixes the CPU bottleneck, the February update will be the first time many PC players can actually experience the game's "Inclemency" weather events without their PC sounding like a jet engine.
Actionable Insights for Hunters
- Hold off on the "DLC Mod": While there is a mod circulating that tricks the game into thinking you own the DLC to fix the FPS, Capcom has warned that using it could lead to save file corruption or bans from online play. Wait for the official January 27 fix.
- Update your BIOS: The December and January updates have been very hard on certain AMD Ryzen CPUs. Many users on Reddit have reported that a BIOS update specifically solved the "stuttering during weather changes" issue.
- Check your VRAM: If you're on a card with 8GB of VRAM or less, turn down "Foliage Density" in the new CPU/GPU settings tab added in the latest update. It’s the single biggest resource hog in the Scarlet Forest.
Don't delete the game just yet. The first year was rough, but the January 27 patch looks like it might finally be the "Redemption Update" the PC community has been screaming for since last February.
Keep your eyes on the Steam download queue at 6 PM PST on the 27th. That's when we'll know for sure if the DLC bug was the true culprit.
Go sharpen your blades and stock up on Ancient Potions; Arch-Tempered Arkveld isn't going to hunt itself.