Monster Hunter: World's first connectivity patch is live, but mileage may vary

Having started Monster Hunter: World on PS4, switching over to the PC version has mostly been a grand old time, but not without issue. Networking hiccups have often left me disconnected from servers mid-mission, leaving me unable to signal for help just as a Rathalos decides I look like a tasty treat. Today, Capcom rolled out their first patch for the game, with patch notes promising improvements to these woes, but stating that "it does not completely resolve the issue". While I've not had a chance to test the patch myself, reactions from Steam users have been mixed.

Here are the fixes included in this patch, according to Capcom:

• Fixed an issue where error messages would display and kick players offline when searching for online sessions.
  Also readjusted the matchmaking function to make it easier to find an online session via "Search for an Online Session" > "Matchmake".
• Fixed an issue where error messages would display and kick players offline after having joined an online session.
• Fixed an issue where error messages would display and kick players offline while playing multiplayer.
  This adjustment reduces the number of occurrences, though it does not completely resolve the issue. We will continue to investigate this matter.
• Fixed an issue where the error message "E_FAIL : hr" would display and the game would crash when switching to full screen mode.

While some players report improved reliability on the network front, others claim that the problems have only been exacerbated and they're having trouble connecting to the online side of the game at all. Unsurprising given the huge number of networking configurations out there, but not ideal.

The patch also (briefly) broke an unofficial hack to enable 21:9 ultra-wide aspect ratio support for the game. Fortunately, that has been updated already, although the hack itself is limited and displays the HUD off-centre.

This patch only aims to address network issues, too. There are some other known problems with the PC version, such as limited water reflections (compared to the console versions), and some textures looking a little smudgier than they should. Hopefully Capcom have those in their sights for future updates, although they're minor compared to being unable to play online in a series built around co-op.

Despite its technical issues, Monster Hunter: World remains astonishingly popular on PC. With the game still perched dragon-like atop Steam's top sellers list, it seems likely to stay that way for some time. If you're one of those newcomers still figuring out the pointy end of a Gunlance (although I still recommend the Insect Glaive), our man Dave has been rumbling in the jungle, assembling a comprehensive Monster Hunter World guide for beginner dragon-slayers. Well worth a look.