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Capcom has lifted the lid on the expansion to its enormously successful hunt-em-up Monster Hunter World during its Spring Developer Update livestream last night, showing off some of what we can expect from the frosty-themed Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.
Taking place in a whole new region of the game's world known as Hoarfrost Reach, intrepid Hunters will be exploring the uncharted new region for the Commission, battling across snow and ice in what's being touted as Monster Hunter World's biggest locale to date. Players will be battling the elements as well as monsters, with the extreme tempratures decreasing player's stamina. This can be countered, however, by ensuring to eat plenty of hot food and drink who's ingredients can be found near Hot Springs dotted around the world.
There's a whole new ecosystem in the region to deal with, with plenty of creatures big and small filling this expansion out, and of course to take these down there's also been tweaks to your equipment – such as the new Slinger which can now be used in conjunction with your main weapon unlike in the main game where you had to swap between them. Also mentioned was a Clutch Claw, a way to attempt to grab and corral monsters in order to try and steer them around the map to encourage encounters and interactions with other monsters that hallmarked the main game.
Of course, the main star attractions will be the bigger beasties, such as Velkhana – an elder dragon 'with the ability to freeze all', the Banbaro, the Beotodus and, returning from previous Monster Hunter games, the wyvern Nargacuga. Finally, the expansion will also see changes in the main game, as the new region's ecosystem seeps into the larger world of Monster Hunter World.
Monster Hunter World Iceborne will require the base game to play, Capcom confirmed, but they'll also be releasing a Master Edition as a physical edition which will include both the add-on and the main game together in one package. Pre-orders of both editions will also get access to a Yukumo Layered Amoured Set.
Pre-orders for the expansion, which does come in at £34.99 for the standard edition, are available now on the PS4 and Xbox One's respective digital storefronts, with the PC version coming at an as yet undisclosed date 'this Winter'. Monster Hunter World Iceborne will release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on September 6.
