Capcom recently announced new details for their expansion to Monster Hunter: World, a massive ice-coated world coming under the title Iceborne. The expansion builds on every aspect of Monster Hunter: World, starting with an all-new story that whisks hunters away to a newly discovered chilly locale called Hoarfrost Reach.
Iceborne offers the largest region in the game so far, presenting hunters with even more quests to face than in the original release. It also introduces the new higher difficulty Master Rank, a new quest tier that makes new and existing monsters more dangerous than ever. The frigid climate also houses new enemies, such as the horned wyvern Banbaro and the snow-buried Beotodus, but don't think they've left out all the previous fan favorites (take the Nargacuga for example, who's getting some nasty new tricks added to his move set). At the head of the pack in Iceborne is Velkhana, an elder dragon with deadly ice attacks that poses a huge threat in the new storyline. In addition, several new gameplay options have been added, ranging from Slinger mechanics to new elements for all 14 weapon types.
The base Monster Hunter: World game is required, and while Iceborne players will be able to access some of the gameplay options right off the bat, you have to complete the main story through Hunter Rank 16 in order to access the new story and quests. For existing owners, the expansion is available as digital DLC for MSRP $39.99, and there is a Digital Deluxe version (with both the expansion and a Deluxe Kit DLC of cosmetics) for MSRP $49.99. Newcomers can get their hands on the Master Edition, including both the main game and the expansion, for MSRP $59.99. Preorders are available, and the expansion launches on September 6.
