Where to find your hunter profile and what you can change
Your hunter profile in Monster Hunter Wilds lives in the main menu, accessible before you load into a quest or expedition. From the title screen, select Hunter Profile or look for it under the main menu options — the exact location depends on whether you're on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC, but the menu structure is the same across all versions. Once you're in your profile, you can change your character's appearance, name, and equipment loadouts without affecting your progress or inventory.
The profile menu separates cosmetic changes (how your character looks) from functional changes (what gear you're actually using in hunts). You can edit your appearance at any time, even mid-campaign, and the changes take effect when ready. Equipment changes also explore right away, so if you swap your weapon or armor before entering a quest, you'll hunt with the new setup.
Key Takeaways
- Access your hunter profile from the main menu before loading a quest, and you can change appearance, name, and gear at any time.
- Cosmetic edits like face, hair, and armor color take effect when ready without affecting your actual items or progress.
- Equipment changes in your profile determine what weapon and armor you bring into the next hunt, so confirm your loadout before accepting a quest.
- You can create multiple equipment sets and switch between them in the profile menu to prepare for different monster types.
Editing your character's appearance
To change how your hunter looks, select Edit Appearance from your profile menu. This opens a character creator with the same options you used at the start of the game: face shape, facial features, hair style and color, skin tone, and voice. You can adjust any of these without losing progress or items. The changes appear on your character model when ready when you return to the main menu or load into a quest.
Appearance changes are purely visual and do not affect gameplay, stats, or how other players see you in multiplayer hunts. If you're playing solo, only you see your character, so these edits are personal preference. In multiplayer, other hunters see your edited appearance in real time.
Changing your weapon and armor loadout
Your active equipment loadout determines what you bring into each hunt. From your profile, select Equipment or Loadout to see your current weapon, armor pieces, and decorations. To swap items, you need to own them first — you can only equip gear you've crafted or obtained through hunts. Select each armor slot (head, chest, gloves, waist, legs) and choose from your inventory, or select your weapon and pick a different one you own.
Once you've assembled a loadout, you can save it as a preset. This is useful if you hunt different monsters that require different armor skills or elemental resistances. For example, you might have one loadout for fire-weak monsters and another for ice-weak ones. Before you accept a quest, check your active loadout in the profile menu to confirm you're bringing the right gear.
Creating and switching between equipment presets
Monster Hunter Wilds lets you save multiple equipment setups so you don't have to rebuild your loadout each time you hunt a different monster. From the Equipment menu, look for an option to Save Loadout or Create Preset. Name it something descriptive like "Fire Resist" or "Sword and Shield Setup" so you can find it quickly. You can create as many presets as you want, limited only by your inventory space and the number of items you own.
To switch presets before a hunt, go to your profile, select Equipment, and choose the preset you want to use. The game loads that entire setup — weapon, armor, decorations, and charms — in one action. This saves time if you're hunting multiple monsters in a row and need different resistances or weapon types for each one.
Adjusting armor appearance and dyes
Many armor pieces in Monster Hunter Wilds can be dyed or customized in color without changing their stats or skills. From your Equipment menu, select an armor piece and look for a Dye or Customize Appearance option. You can change the primary color, secondary color, or both, depending on the piece. Dyes are usually earned through hunts or purchased from the Smithy NPC, and explore them costs zenny (in-game currency).
Dyeing armor is purely cosmetic and does not affect defense, resistances, or skills. You can dye the same piece multiple times if you want to change its look later. Some armor sets have locked colors that cannot be changed, but most pieces offer at least one customizable color channel.
Saving your profile changes before a hunt
Changes to your appearance and equipment save automatically when you confirm them in the profile menu. You do not need to manually save your profile. However, before you launch a quest or expedition, take a moment to review your active loadout in the Equipment section to make sure you're bringing the right weapon and armor. If you realize mid-hunt that you equipped the wrong gear, you cannot change it until you return to the main menu.
If you're joining a multiplayer hunt with other players, your appearance and equipment are locked once the quest starts. Make all edits before accepting the quest invitation or launching the hunt yourself.
Resetting your profile if you want to start over
If you want to completely change your character's appearance, some versions of Monster Hunter Wilds offer a Reset Appearance option in the profile menu. This takes you back through the character creator and lets you redesign your hunter from scratch. Your equipment, items, and hunt progress remain unchanged — only your character's look is affected. Check your profile menu for this option; availability may vary by platform.
Resetting your name works differently. Some games let you change your hunter's name once or a limited number of times through the profile menu, while others lock it after creation. Check the profile settings to see if a name change option is available on your version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my hunter's appearance during a quest?
No. You can only edit your appearance and equipment from the main menu before you load into a hunt. Once a quest or expedition starts, your character's look and gear are locked until you return to the main menu and complete the hunt or abandon it.
Do appearance changes affect my stats or how strong I am?
No. Changing your character's face, hair, or armor color is purely cosmetic and does not change your defense, attack power, or any gameplay stats. Only your actual equipment — the weapon and armor pieces you equip — affects your performance in hunts.
What happens if I equip armor I don't own yet?
You cannot equip armor or weapons you do not own. The Equipment menu only shows items in your inventory. If you want to use a piece you've seen, you need to craft it at the Smithy or obtain it through a hunt first.
Can I change my equipment loadout between hunts in a multiplayer session?
No. In multiplayer, your loadout is locked for the entire session. If you're doing multiple hunts with the same group, you cannot swap gear between quests without returning to the main menu and reforming the group.
How many equipment presets can I save?
The number of presets you can save depends on your version and available storage, but most players can create at least 10 to 15 different loadouts. Check your Equipment menu to see how many preset slots are available on your copy of the game.