Monster Hunter Wilds Runs Much Better on PC When All DLC Is Installed, Player Reports
A surprising discovery by a Monster Hunter Wilds player has sparked fresh discussion about performance issues on the PC version of Capcom’s latest action RPG. According to a detailed post on Reddit, the game seems to run significantly better when all downloadable content (DLC) is installed, suggesting an unusual interaction between DLC checks and performance.
Unexpected Performance Boost Linked to DLC Ownership
Reddit user de_Tylmarande shared findings from an experiment comparing two Steam accounts on the same PC: one with only the base Monster Hunter Wilds and the other with all available DLC content. To their surprise, the account with full DLC installed showed much smoother performance, with frame rates reportedly much higher in the same areas of the game.
They concluded that the game’s DLC ownership check—a system that constantly verifies which DLCs a player has—may be causing heavy performance overhead on PC. When the game detects all DLC installed, it appears to make far fewer checks, leading to smoother gameplay.
Reddit user claims that they’ve figured out what causes Monster Hunter Wilds performance issues – and it’s kind of wild.
According to their investigation:
• Owning more DLC = more FPS
• This is due to an aggressive check the game does to see what DLC you own
• It is NOT… pic.twitter.com/LNADlNHlcP— KAMI (@Okami13_) January 14, 2026
In tests, the base-only account suffered from frequent FPS drops to around 20–25, while the full-DLC account-maintained 80+ FPS in the same scenarios.
Mod Testing Confirms Theory (But With Cautions)
Instead of purchasing all DLC just to test the theory, the user created a small mod that tricks the game into thinking all DLC is present. This mod doesn’t unlock any premium content but does appear to eliminate the ongoing DLC checks. According to the player, using the mod led to a dramatic improvement in performance, even without changing hardware or game settings.
However, they stressed they don’t recommend modding or distributing such tools for general use; this was purely an experimentation to help identify the root cause. The findings have been shared with Capcom in hopes of prompting an official fix.
Performance Issues and Community Reaction
Performance problems have been a hot topic for Monster Hunter Wilds on PC since its 2025 launch, with many players reporting stutters, low frame rates, and optimization woes despite high hardware specs. Capcom has been issuing free Title Updates to improve stability and performance over time, but some issues persist.
Community reactions have been mixed — while some players found ways to improve performance through mods or settings tweaks, others expressed frustration that such a blockbuster release still struggles on powerful systems.
In any case, the DLC-related performance quirk could help explain why some players see smoother gameplay than others, depending on what content is installed — an unusual factor that might influence optimization strategies going forward