Capcom has presented a new Nintendo Direct announcing a new mainline Monster Hunter game and a Monster Hunter RPG for the Nintendo Switch, both set to arrive in 2021.

Pause the SCIFI.radio stream using the controller at the upper right (or at the bottom if you’re on mobile) before watching.

Monster Hunter: Rise is the latest upcoming game in the series, taking a few pages from the quality of life updates added in Monster Hunter: World but with even more mobility tricks up its sleeve. The player is first introduced to the Palamute, a new mount and combat partner similar to the Palico, but with a specified attack role and high mobility. Palicos return in this game, but they have been put into a more defined support role, likely pulling attention away from the player and supplying bonuses to increase the player’s own effectiveness.

The Wirebug is another new feature, which plays into the title of the game itself. The Wirebug is similar to a flying grappling hook (as in a grappling hook that can hook onto thin air) that allows the player to maneuver the mountainous region surrounding Kamura Village, the player’s base of operations.

Not much more has been revealed about this game, beyond four new monsters and the fact that returning monsters will be making an appearance, and a new locale for players to explore.

Those four new monsters are introduced in the trailer by name, starting with Magnamalo, the flagship monster of the game. Magnamalo seems to have design elements that make it look like an Oni from Japanese folklore, but not much else is known about this mysterious Fanged Wyvern.

The Aknosom is one of the newest Bird Wyverns, who uses its strange crest as a weapon that changes with the flow of combat.

Monster Hunter: Rise also introduces the Great Izuchi, a Bird Wyvern who relies on teamwork with the rest in its flock to overwhelm monsters and hunters alike.

The hulking Tetranadon is an amphibious monster that uses its bulk as a weapon, charging into hunters and attacking them by throwing its weight around.

The Wyvern of Malice, Magnamalo

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin was also announced, but not many gameplay features were revealed. It’s anticipated to be released in the Summer of 2021

Monster Hunter: Rise is expected to release on March 26, 2021.

-30-

Charles Raven
Charles Raven