FFXIV Patch 7.35 Brings Monster Hunter Wilds Into Eorzea — Here’s What Actually Matters

Monster Hunter crashes into Eorzea – and 7.35 is more than a cameo

Patch 7.35 immediately grabbed me because FFXIV crossovers rarely feel like filler. The last time the game tangoed with Monster Hunter, we got the Rathalos trial – a wildly different fight that borrowed “carts” and item use in a way the game hadn’t tried before. Now we’re getting a new collaboration with Monster Hunter Wilds built around a fresh encounter: Guardian Arkveld, with Normal and Extreme modes and the usual suite of rewards (mount, minions, housing goodies). That’s the headline, but 7.35 also quietly adds the kind of evergreen content that keeps FFXIV sticky: a new Deep Dungeon, new Allied Society quests, and more Hildibrand chaos.

Key takeaways

• Guardian Arkveld brings Monster Hunter Wilds flair to FFXIV, with Normal and Extreme difficulties and cosmetic rewards worth chasing.
• Pilgrim’s Traverse revives the Deep Dungeon formula with solo and fixed-party routes, a challenge log, and friendlier restart rules.
• Yok Huy Allied Society quests and new Hildibrand chapters round out the patch with daily progression and slapstick side-story comfort food.
• This looks like a “log in and stay a while” patch, not just a one-and-done event.

Breaking down the crossover: Guardian Arkveld

FFXIV knows how to do crossovers that feel bespoke, not brand deals. Back in Stormblood, Rathalos shook up encounter design with four-player scaling and unique “cart” rules. With Guardian Arkveld, Square Enix is promising a fight in both Normal and Extreme forms – which usually translates to a newcomer-friendly version plus a mount-farming difficulty for the veterans who want to wipe for fashion.

The big question is whether Arkveld pulls more Monster Hunter DNA into XIV’s trial format. Will we see part breaks affecting mechanics? A soft enrage that feels more like a hunt’s stamina check than a standard DPS wall? The press materials don’t spell it out, but the devs’ track record with collabs (NieR, Yo-kai, FFXV, and that original MH team-up) suggests this won’t just be another color-swapped primal. Expect flashy tells, a punishing Extreme, and — if history repeats — a farmable totem drop rate that keeps you queueing “just one more.”

The rewards matter here. Mounts and minions from collabs tend to be evergreen flex pieces, and housing items let crafters and decorators cash in. If you live for glamour and screenshots, Arkveld is your new weekend grind. If you’re allergic to party finder drama, Normal mode will likely scratch the itch without the blood pressure spike.

Pilgrim’s Traverse: Deep Dungeon is back, and it’s thinking about solo players

Deep Dungeons are some of FFXIV’s smartest long-tail content. Palace of the Dead, Heaven-on-High, and Eureka Orthos took procedural floors, minimalist storytelling, and risk-reward progression and turned them into a whole subculture — especially for solo clears. Pilgrim’s Traverse continues that lineage with options for solo or fixed parties, plus three phrases that made me perk up: challenge log, changes to restart restrictions, and variable-difficulty bosses.

A challenge log for Deep Dungeon is a welcome carrot. It implies weekly or recurring goals that make dipping in for a few floors feel worthwhile even if you’re not pushing a hardcore run. “Changes to restart restrictions” reads like Square Enix heard the complaints about punishing resets after wipes or disconnects; if the system lets you get back into the action faster without babying the challenge, that’s a win for everyone. And “variable difficulty” bosses could solve the classic Deep Dungeon pain point where runs live or die on a handful of floor sets; smarter scaling means fewer feels-bad brick walls and more skill expression.

For anyone leveling alt jobs or chasing titles, this is your new treadmill. If you’re the type chasing a solo clear, stock up on patience and coffee — the community will discover optimal pomander routing and trap avoidance paths within days, and you’ll be theorycrafting before you know it.

Yok Huy and Hildibrand: the side dishes that keep you coming back

Allied Society quests — the artist formerly known as “beast tribes” — are FFXIV’s cozy daily loop: bite-sized quests, reputation ladders, and a pile of cosmetics, minions, and sometimes a mount at the end. The Yok Huy joining the roster means fresh dailies and more reasons to log in during lunch breaks. Historically, these quests are also great for gently leveling alt jobs, especially crafters and gatherers when the society supports it.

Then there’s Hildibrand. If you skipped this chain in past expansions, you missed FFXIV at its silliest: slapstick cutscenes, absurd villains, and lovingly choreographed nonsense. “Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures” is more of that good chaos. Sometimes Hildy also links to relic weapon steps; even if he doesn’t this time, it’s free serotonin with a side of unique emotes and glam pieces. Worth your time, even if you usually sprint past side quests.

The gamer’s perspective: value, time, and potential red flags

7.35 reads like a player-first patch cycle beat. The crossover is your high-gloss hook, but the Deep Dungeon is the retention backbone — something to do when the raid week’s done. My main concerns are the usual: drop rates on the Arkveld mount (please don’t make it a soul-crushing 99 totems grind), whether Extreme pugging turns into a parsing warzone, and how punishing Pilgrim’s Traverse feels to solo runners.

On the flip side, the addition of a challenge log and friendlier restarts suggests the team is smoothing the edges without declawing the challenge. And for newer players peeking in on a free trial and wondering if this patch matters to them: not all of it will be accessible day one, but this is the kind of content that waits for you and pays off later. That’s FFXIV’s secret sauce — the game rarely wastes your time.

TL;DR

FFXIV 7.35 isn’t just a flashy Monster Hunter Wilds guest spot; it’s a meaty patch. Hunt Guardian Arkveld for cosmetics, dive deep into Pilgrim’s Traverse for long-term progression, and top it off with Yok Huy dailies and Hildibrand hijinks. Plenty to love, a few places to be wary — and more than enough reason to log back in.