Over a year after release, Cacom announced that Monster Hunter Wilds is returning with a brand-new expansion titled Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance during this year’s Summer Game Fest, teasing new environments, monsters, and more for players to enjoy when it releases next year.
Although no explicit release date was given just yet outside its 2027 release window, the trailer itself teases more than a few familiar title monsters from the series that will be instantly recognizable for long-time Monster Hunter fans, which is only a brief tease of the full roster we can expect to see in its full release.
After concluding updates for the base game of Monster Hunter World with its final anniversary event, Monster Hunter World: Wilds Ascendance will be the biggest update for the game yet in the form of a paid DLC, which already showcases the first new biome included, which is a series of flying islands that seems to be a mix between Monster Hunter World‘s Coral Highlands and Wilds‘ Ruins of Wyveria.
Aside from showing off some new designs for Wilds‘ cast members, we also got a short glimpse of the very first new monster native to the new biome, in the form of a herd of flying monsters that can quickly dive to attack hunters in an animation that bears a striking resemblance similar to none other than the Elder Dragon Valstrax, which fans have been hoping to see aded since release.
Of course, one face that will be familiar to World players is the return of the Elder Dragon Kushala Daora, who looks to be encountered in the Wildspire Wastes in a climactic encounter towards the end of the Summer Game Fest trailer.
While more Elder Dragons offer plenty to be excited for after their long absence from Wilds, the trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance also provided a quick glimpse of the newest combat mechanic coming to the series, which lets you empower your weapons with a sparkling effect that lets you access new moves and attack patterns.
Even though new combat mechanics often coincide with even harder quests for players to challenge themselves with, one of the standout elements of the trailer came from what appeared to be the return of one of the first Elder Dragons introduced in the series, Lao-Shan Lung.
Although there will be far more returning monsters that Capcom will likely reveal as we get closer to the release of Ascendance, Capcom has already shown just how well they can adapt classic fights with massive monsters after their adaptation of Gogmazios from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.
- Released
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February 28, 2025
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor
- Engine
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RE Engine