4 Times Monster Hunter World Was Not Ready for the WWE’s Asuka

If there’s one thing that stands out about WWE star Asuka, beyond her vibrant hair and perfectly-timed snarls, it’s the fact that she seems to have a sense of style that fits perfectly within a fantasy JRPG. From her bright colors to her unique brawling style, Asuka embodies the courageous and eager heroes of video game adventure titles, and one of her current favorites happens to be Monster Hunter World.

Asuka has made no secret of her various wins and less-than-wins (she doesn’t really lose, you see) and coupled with her enthusiasm for the game, it seems like she’s having a lot of fun. The WWE champ just won the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble, and though her spotlight was stolen near the end by an unwelcome visitor, the Empress of Tomorrow still shines bright on the video game screen.

Over the past two weeks, Asuka has been sharing her progress with fans, stating that — much like everything else — Monster Hunter World simply wasn’t ready for her. Her character customization is almost spot on (can we have some Asuka-brand dual-color hair options, Capcom?) and her game is almost as vicious as her in-the-ring-persona.

Monster Hunter World currently boasts record-breaking sales for a Capcom game, and the latest updates include the addition of Street Fighter’s Ryu as well as the heroine of Horizon: Zero Dawn. The game released worldwide at the end of last month, and has seen success beyond prediction ahead of its debut on PC, which won’t happen until Fall.

Asuka is one of many wrestlers who lets steam off and enjoys her down time on video games. Some other notable names on the roster include all of the members of New Day (Xavier Woods hosts his own gaming podcast) as well as Alexa Bliss, who has been seen taking on Tekken players at conventions in the past.

The wrestling star updates her fans with her adventures (whenever she’s not taking over the ranks of the WWE, of course) via Twitter, where she also posts clips from other titles she’s playing, like Dragon’s Crown. Scroll on down to see what she’s been up to recently.

Sick Gameplay

Asuka’s surprise-and-overpower attacks translate well when you put a sword in her hands, as this particular unfortunate monster seems to find out the hard way. The Odogaron falls mightily to the ground after a few expert moves from the rising wrestling star. Granted, she’s probably used to foes falling at her feet at this point. 

All Hail The Empress

Asuka wasted no time in creating her custom character for the game, and did a pretty great job of capturing her own likeness if we do say so ourselves. The character customization is gorgeous, but admittedly limited in Monster Hunter World (for now) which means that the new-age wrestling legend had to settle for a single-color haircut. Still, her recent battle marking shows up across her face, and the layered cut she sports is almost identical to her current style. Hopefully in the future, a new update will allow for the two-toned locks that make Asuka stand out even more. 

Not Every Battle Needs to be Won

… but that won’t stop her from trying. Asuka may feel worn down while taking on this big guy, but her endurance carries on throughout the clip, a lot like it does when she’s in the ring. Asuka doesn’t really give up even when she’s down, so it’s no surprise that she’s just as competitive in the digital world as she is in the wrestling world. 

Here Comes the General

Asuka’s full armor is really, really cool, and makes her look right at home in command of any army. Thankfully, Monster Hunter World is built for cooperative play, so no one will have to worry about taking orders from her — not that we wouldn’t, of course. Still, with that look in her eye, it might just be easy to fall under the boot if you ever end up working alongside the Empress. 

It’s likely that we’ll see more from Asuka over the coming weeks as she makes her way through the game, so make sure to follow her on Twitter for more gameplay updates.