• Guide

How to unlock pigments - Monster Hunter Wilds

How to add a splash of color to your wardrobe.

Josh Broadwell

March 7, 2025 6:00 PM

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How to unlock pigments in Monster Hunter Wilds is a straightforward enough process, but that doesn't make it an easy one you can do early, with just a few exceptions. Unlocking pigments is tied to story progress and another of Monster Hunter Wilds' systems, though you do have limited access to it for one specific outfit.

This Monster Hunter Wilds guide explains how to unlock pigments and what armor you can start dying early in your adventure.

Monster Hunter Wilds: How to unlock pigments

You technically start Monster Hunter Wilds with pigments unlocked, but only for your starting equipment and, if you own the game's DLC, any of the additional sets of layered armor that add-on grants you. Unlocking pigments in Monster Hunter Wilds for everything else is tied to unlocking layered armor, something you can only do after finishing the main campaign and beginning Wilds' postgame.

Layered armor is Monster Hunter's transmog system. It lets you keep the stats from whatever armor you have on at the time and change the appearance so it looks like a different set of armor. Capcom used to make you craft these sets separately, but in Wilds, all you need to do is craft a piece or set of high rank armor to unlock it for use as a layered armor set.

There's no quest tied to this, either, though Gemma will encourage you to craft new armor once you begin chapter four. Since there's no pre-requisite, you're free to start crafting pieces that qualify as layered armor as soon as you have the materials for it.

You can only change the pigment colors for your starting equipment and any armor that counts as layered armor. The system isn't available for low-rank armor.

If you're after more Monster Hunter Wilds help, check out our guide to every monster weakness and how to use the rare and valuable lucky voucher items.

Josh Broadwell

Contributing Editor

Josh is a freelance writer and reporter who specializes in guides, reviews, and whatever else he can convince someone to commission. You may have seen him on NPR, IGN, Polygon, or VG 24/7 or on Twitter, shouting about Trails. When he isn’t working, you’ll likely find him outside with his Belgian Malinois and Australian Shepherd or curled up with an RPG of some description.