Monster Hunter Wilds' weapon pool has largely benefited from the game's new mechanics like Focus mode, but one in particular has been a significant downgrade so far, that being the beloved bonk machine – the Hammer.
While it's never been quite as powerful as the likes of the Great Sword, the Hammer's powerhouse status has been significantly reduced in Wilds, leading to fan outcry. I personally ditched it entirely after maining it in Monster Hunter Rise because it just didn't hit the same way. But Capcom has responded, and the Hammer should be coming back to its former glory in the near future.
As part of update 1.011, Capcom is giving the Hammer an overall damage buff, making the likes of sliding more responsive when charging the Hammer. Plus, the Upswing attack has gotten a lot of love as not only does it have a larger hitbox, but you're now able to evade while readying the attack for when you've misjudged an offset attack.
However, with the Hammer being so bad at launch, Capcom isn't done with simply one patch, as in a letter from the game's director, Yuya Tokuda, it confirmed that the weapon will be getting even more love in Title Update 2. "the Hammer is planned to receive various improvements in Title Update 2 in addition to the adjustments made in this update, including the addition of offset effects for certain attacks and the addition of a follow-up attack upon a successful offset."
The new patch also includes the likes of new eight-star tempered monster battles and the game's first crossover collaboration, which is with Street Fighter 6. The collab brings an Akuma armor set and a layered armor set, which comes equipped with special attacks like a combo, Drive Impact, and Gou Hadoken.
