Very hard (H-upsilon congruent to 26 GPa), uniform and adherent tungsten carbide thin films were obtained by multipulse excimer laser ablation of tungsten targets in methane at (5 x 10(-2)-1) Pa pressure. The films were deposited on substrates placed parallel to the target at a distance of 70 mm. Increases in the gas pressure result in an increase of the carbon content in the deposited films accompanied by a decrease of the mean WC crystallite size in the deposited layers. The microhardness of the films shows a nonlinear evolution with the methane fill pressure with a maximum in excess of 26 GPa at p = 1 x 10(-1) Pa.