Before we break in to the latest Monster Hunter Rise news, there’s a little bit of the series’ historical context to bear in mind. Back in 2007, an MMO called Monster Hunter Frontier went live in Japan on PC and later on Xbox 360 in 2010, featuring some unique encounters and locations that have mostly not been seen in the series since. The MMO shut down in 2019, and with it went most fans’ hopes for a return of these old haunts and hunts.
This leads us to the recent Capcom Showcase event, where the upcoming Sunbreak expansion unveiled several returning fights and locales from the series’ past, including Espinas the Thorn Wyvern from Frontier, Gore Magala from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, the Daimyo Hermitaur from Monster Hunter 2, and the jungle location from the series’ second generation. A post-launch free update to Sunbreak will also bring back the Lucent Nargacuga from Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate that can be fought in the returning and revamped Forlorn Arena.
Those who are eager to get a taste of Sunbreak can try out a demo on both Steam and Nintendo Switch that’s set to go live tonight at 10:00 p.m. EDT; it will include solo and multiplayer fights against the new Malzeno and Astalos, as well as fights against the Great Izuchi and Tetranadon. The demo will also feature the new jungle locale and access to Sunbreak-specific features like new Silkbind attacks and the Switch Skill Swap system.
