Monster Hunter: World introduces a living, breathing ecosystem in which players take on the role of a hunter that seeks and slays ferocious beasts in heart-pounding battles that unfold across the vast ever-changing terrain. Venture on quests alone or with up to three hunters in a newly designed online drop-in multiplayer system which allows cross-region cooperative play between Japan and the west, uniting the player base for the first time ever.

Retaining the series’ skill based progression and robust crafting system, players gear up to venture on quests to seek and slay monsters, progressively improving their skills to become the ultimate hunter. Loot collected from fallen foes can be used to create new equipment and armor upgrades styled after the monsters they’ve slain, allowing hunters to survive the elements and defeat the tougher opponents that await them.

Monster Hunter: World delivers a seamless gameplay experience allowing players to move freely across map areas that comprise the living ecosystems and dynamically transition from day to night. The landscape and its diverse inhabitants play a critical role in each quest as players strategically use the surrounding environment including terrain, vegetation and wildlife to their advantage in battle or become hindered by the hazards they present. Hunters must use their cunning and abilities to track and maneuver their targets throughout the intense, evolving battles.

The content-rich Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will feature new quest ranks, locales, monsters, moves and gear in addition to a full narrative experience that continues on from the ending of Monster Hunter: World.

Capcom revealed several details including the first look at Monster Hunter World: Iceborne with information on the new icy setting, monsters, gameplay options, purchase and pre-order options for console, and the latest updates for Monster Hunter: World.

The Iceborne expansion builds on every aspect of Monster Hunter: World, starting with an all-new story that picks up after the main game and whisks hunters away to a newly discovered chilly locale called Hoarfrost Reach. The snow-covered terrain offers an ecosystem that contrasts areas in the main game and progressively expands with the story. Iceborne is set to offer the largest region in the game so far, presenting hunters a wealth of new content with even more quests to face than in the original release.

Picking up from the end of the storyline in Monster Hunter: World, Iceborne has players joining forces with the Research Commission once again to explore the undiscovered new land of Hoarfrost Reach, which will be the largest map in the game. Following an unusual sighting of Legiana from the Ancient Forest, the team journeys across the waters to a new locale with a frigid climate covered in snow and ice. As pioneers, the group soon sets up a new base camp in Hoarfrost Reach called Seliana, which serves as a warm haven with resources to prepare them for the challenging quests that await. A peek at the cozy new HQ can be seen in the latest trailer.

Iceborne also introduces the new higher difficulty Master Rank, a brand-new quest tier that makes new and existing monsters more ferocious than ever. The extreme cold is also the setting for brand new frigid climate foes such as the horned brute wyvern Banbaro and the snow-buried Beotodus. These interweave with returning fan favorites such as the swift-attacking Nargacuga who adds some dangerous new tricks to his trademark move set as he joins the Monster Hunter: World lineup. Leading the pack in Iceborne is the mysterious new flagship monster Velkhana, an elder dragon with powerful ice attacks that is a pervasive threat in the new story. 

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will introduce new monsters as well as returning series favorites. Tigrex, a frenetic creature familiar to fans of past Monster Hunter titles, joins Iceborne with its powerful roar and unpredictable moves sure to keep hunters on their toes. Shrieking Legiana, a newly discovered extreme variant of Legiana from Monster Hunter: World, is covered in a white frost which it uses to freeze the air around it and ferociously attack hunters.

To ready players to face the expansion’s fierce hunts, several new gameplay options have been added to broaden the player’s combat repertoire, creating opportunities for exciting new hunting strategies. The Slinger can now be used while the main weapon is drawn, regardless of weapon type. New features have also been added for the Slinger such as the Clutch Claw used to grapple onto monsters with more direct control and the Flinch Shot which unloads Slinger ammo to stun monsters. Each of the 14 weapon types will also get new combos and new elements, offering additional depth to master in combat.  

First-time hunters and established series fans attending E3 will get the first chance to play a demo of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne including three different quests, all 14 weapon types and brand-new gameplay options such as new weapon combos and features, and Clutch Claw function for the Slinger. Quest choices include the Great Jagras quest from Monster Hunter: World for newcomers, the brand new horned brute wyvern Banbaro for an intermediate challenge or the returning series favorite Tigrex for the fiercest of hunters. With more monsters to be revealed this is just the tip of the Iceborne!

The Monster Hunter: World base game is required and while Iceborne players will be able to enjoy some of the gameplay options such as the Slinger and weapon updates right away, they must have completed the main story through Hunter Rank 16 in order to access the new Iceborne story and quests. Several options are now available for pre-order for new or returning players on console either digitally or at participating retailers, with a special Yukumo Series layered armor set bonus exclusively for these early bird customers.

Several options are now available for pre-order for new or returning players on console either digitally or at participating retailers, with a special Yukumo Series layered armor set bonus exclusively for these early bird customers. For existing owners, the Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion is available as digital DLC for MSRP $39.99 / €39.99. A Digital Deluxe version including both the expansion and a Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Deluxe Kit DLC of cosmetic items is MSRP $49.99 / €49.99. For newcomers,the Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Master Edition containing both the main game and the Iceborne expansion is available to preorder at retail and will be available for purchase digitally at launch for MSRP $59.99 / €59.99.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will be available for PS4 and the Xbox One on September 6, 2019, with a PC release to follow this winter.

With flexible online multiplayer options and an accessible quest structure, players can tackle challenges alone or join up to three other hunters online for cooperative play. For the first time in the Monster Hunter series, players from Japan and the west can play together online, providing an expanded base of cooperative hunting companions. With the new online drop-in functionality, solo players can hail for assistance from the worldwide group during quests when their opponents are too daunting to take on single-handedly.

Monster Hunter: World is currently available for PS4, Xbox One and PC.