Capcom has revealed the upcoming expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds, named Ascendance for the high-flying floating island location players seem to be able to visit. This area in the clouds is host to a variety of new monsters, likely making up a brand-new roster of creatures you and your friends can take on. Much like Iceborne and Sunbreak, Ascendance‘s revealed monsters will play big parts in the expansion’s story, but their existence could hint at other series favorites coming back.
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The free Title Updates for Monster Hunter Wilds have improved the game greatly since its release, from fixed performance issues to the addition of great monsters, harder challenges, and more. That being said, the scale of Ascendance is already slated to be far larger than any Title Update, similar to Monster Hunter expansions of the past. New weapon mechanics and the inclusion of Master Rank will give players far more to do, likely with dozens of new monsters to fight instead of just one or two new additions.
Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance Already Shows Several New Monsters Arriving To The Game
The initial trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance showed off a few monsters who weren’t in the game before, appearing in areas new and old. The first large monster seems to be a brand-new addition to the series, bearing similarities to Qurupeco and other flying Wyverns seen in past games. This teal-colored monster hunts in a pack, much like Doshaguma in other regions of the game. Based on the trailer, players can expect this creature to dive out of the air in tight formations with its pack for high-speed, high-impact aerial assaults.
Although that monster was never named, some familiar faces were easier to identify in the trailer. The Elder Dragon Kushala Daora is present in a cutscene, shown throwing Doshaguma left and right using its signature powers over air. This creature has metallic skin and mastery of wind itself, making it a tough monster to fight through its constant disruptions to mobility. Along with fierce attacks, players of Monster Hunter World will remember the very difficult battles against Kushala Daora without the right gear to nullify the monster’s dominance in the air.
The final monster shown in the Ascendance trailer is through a callback to the first Monster Hunter, with a cutscene showcasing the shadowy form of Lao-Shan Lung. This behemoth of a monster hasn’t been in a new Monster Hunter in a generation, making his appearance a welcome one in Wilds comparable to the recently added Gogmazios or Lagiacrus. Typically appearance as a siege monster and DPS check in some ways, Lao-Shan Lung is a series classic whose return is already generating a lot of excitement among Monster Hunter players.
Kushala Daora & Lao-Shan Lung Have Specific Relationships With Other Monsters From The Series
The reveal of Kushala Daora and Lao-Shan Lung were quite deliberate in Ascendance, as both monsters represent gaps in Monster Hunter Wilds‘ roster. Gogmazios was the first Elder Dragon added to the game, opening the door for others like Kushala to arrive. However, Kushala Daora might be releasing the floodgates for more Elder Dragons, as the monster has often been associated with other creatures on that same level. For example, Monster Hunter World had you hunt Kushala Daora along with other Elder Dragons like Vaal Hazak and Teostra.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to see Kushala Daora arrive with other Elder Dragons, even possibly Nergigante, a hunter of Elder Dragons. Kushala being included as the only Elder Dragon in Ascendance would be strange, but an even odder development comes with Lao-Shan Lung. Lao-Shan Lung’s story in Monster Hunter games is that the monster is always fleeing from something larger and more dangerous than it. In particular, Lao-Shan Lung’s lore is tied to Fatalis, the legendary black Elder Dragon that is largely considered the strongest monster in the series history.
Other Elder Dragons May Be Arriving When Ascendance Releases Or Through Future Updates
The inclusion of another Elder Dragon and a colossal creature like Lao-Shan Lung hints at other momentous monsters being added to Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance. Anyone from Velkhana, Malzeno, or even Shagaru Magala from Monster Hunter Rise could return, or others related to Kushala Daora from Monster Hunter World like Kulve Taroth, Lunastra, Teostra, or Vaal Hazak. These Elder Dragons may not be in the base version of Ascendance, but could easily be part of future Title Updates once the expansion launches.
With the game finally fixed and expanded, the sky is truly the limit for other Elder Dragons or other series mainstays to come back. This version of Lao-Shan Lung could be running from another calamitous threat similar to Wilds Zoh Shia besides Fatalis, including past threats like Ahtal-Ka, Dalamadur, or even an original monster players haven’t seen yet. Regardless, the potential of Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance comes from how the monster roster will grow, hopefully in the most exciting ways possible.
What monsters do you think will appear in Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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