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 6role 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 features 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.

The third free title update for the acclaimed Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion is now available for the PS4, and Xbox One (coming to PC on April 8, 2020). It offers two powerful monster variants, a number of system updates, and a new seasonal in-game event.

In the above developer update video, the Monster Hunter team also teased future updates coming to Iceborne; hunters can look forward to a Master Rank hunt for the gilded Kulve Taroth, the emergence of Arch-Tempered Namielle, and the calamitous appearance of Alatreon in the New World.

New Challengers Enter the Ring

Only the boldest hunters can successfully counterattack Rajang when in its enraged golden state. Its variant, Furious Rajang, embraces this seething anger to amp up its attacks even further. With its golden coat crackling with energy, every clash with this predator is an all-out assault. From a devastating pin attack to a number of new medium and long range attacks, Furious Rajang ensures no distance is safe. Since Furious Rajang also has fewer weak points to exploit, hunters will have no choice but to tackle this agile threat head-on.

Variant Raging Brachydios brings some explosive changes with an even more volatile coating of slime seeping from multiple areas on its body. Hunters can force the slime to drop off by attacking specific body parts, but must be prepared to avoid an even wider explosive zone once the slime reaches the ground. This hulked up version of the fan-favorite blast from the past can also trap hunters in a no-holds-barred cage match where retreat is not an option.

Hunters brave enough to attempt these encounters will be rewarded with materials to forge brand new top-tier Palico gear, weapons, armors featuring new set bonus skills, and decorative pendants.

Layered Weapons, Hunter Helper Updates, and More

Title Update 3 also introduces layered weapons, which alter the appearance of weapons without impacting their stats. The first round of layered weapons is available now, and allows players to customize fully upgraded weapons with a distinct base frame and monster part attachments. Later in April, weapons with unique designs will join the layered weapon pool. Hunter Helper is also overhauled, with increased monetary rewards when assisting hunters with a lower Master Rank, and enhanced drop rates for various quest types. Assisting hunters with Assignments now offers a chance of receiving rare decorations through Carved Feystones, while other regular quests award armor-enhancing King Armor Spheres. Those spheres will come in handy now that rarity 12 armors can be enhanced to level 20.

Guiding Lands aficionados will now have access to a new tool: the Banishing Ball. Now quest leaders can force unwanted monsters out of a region immediately while on a hunt. Hunters relaxing after a quest have a new swath of Paid DLC options for Your Room, including new monster figures, music options, and décor. Fashion hunters also have reason to celebrate, as all NPC hairstyles from World are now available as part of a free character customization update. When paired with new paid DLC pendants and sticker sets, hunters can flex their style even more.

New Seasonal Event

A day after Title Update 3 arrives for PC players on April 8th, both the PC and consoles communities will celebrate the new Seliana seasonal event, Full Bloom Fest, and simultaneous content updates for all platforms going forward! The whole base is getting into the rosy spirit, with new gathering hub decorations, new canteen meals, a new Poogie costume, seasonal Palico gear, pendants, paid seasonal Handler costume, and new guild card options. During Full Bloom Fest, log-in bonuses and bounties will offer tickets for crafting the elegant event armor, in addition to brand new event quests that provide materials for layered headgear based on the rare endemic creature Downy Crakes, and a pair of Whetfish Dual Blades.

Future Updates

In April, hunters will have even more challenges to overcome, with the Master Rank arrival of the glimmering Kulve Taroth, and the emergence of Arch-Tempered Namielle. The new Kulve Taroth Event Quest provides groups of four hunters the chance to gather upgrade materials that can bring the High Rank siege’s gear up to Master Rank muster. Hunters will also need their sharpest wits, weapons, and strategies for the approaching arrival of the fearsome walking natural disaster Alatreon. More info on this calamitous Elder Dragon coming soon

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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: Iceborne is currently available for PS4, Xbox One and PC.