The release of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is almost upon us. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Capcom has released a roadmap indicating what their updates are going to be throughout this year and extending onwards to 2023.
From what we know so far, the updates are going to be seasonal in nature. Capcom also recently posted this image showing us exactly what we can expect from each season.
As per the image, Capcom is going to release free title updates with each season that releases. Players will not have to wait long for this since the first update rolls out in August.
August update
This update is the first Free Title Update in the expansion and it contains a few new features including:
- Lucent Nargacuga, amongst other new monsters
- Forlorn Arena, a new locale
- New special species monsters
- New rare species monsters
First off, the Lucent Nargacuga is a Nargacuga variant monster. Variants are generally the same monster but with changes depending on the monster’s habitat and evolutionary adaptive changes. How the Lucent Nargacuga differs from the base version is not known yet, but we will have further news as it is released.
A new locale offers new possibilities since it will consist of a different biome, perhaps one not yet seen in the game. The Forlorn Arena seems like it could also consist of a fighting arena reminiscent of the previous Monster Hunter games in the series.
Apart from these changes, the additions of new rare and special species monsters are always a welcome addition, since these bring in new challenges and materials to craft gear with.
Fall update
The next update in the roadmap featuring the second Free Title Update is the Fall update consisting of:
- New unique monsters
- New special species monsters
- New rare species monsters
- New powered-up monsters
These details are somewhat obscure compared to what we know from the August update. Going by previous updates to the game, it is safe to say that there will be new unique monsters released, perhaps new variants to existing monsters as well.
Similar to the previous update, there will be new special and rare species monsters available in addition to the unique ones, offering even more variation in gear crafting and available materials, along with new sidequests to hunt them.
One thing that differs from the previous update is the addition of new powered-up monsters. These variants are stronger versions of existing monsters with a difference. They aren’t a different subspecies of the same monsters, but a powered-up version. Monster Hunter: World players would be familiar with this concept through the Tempered and Arch-tempered versions of monsters in that game.
Winter update
The final update of the year including the last Free Title Update contains:
- New unique monsters
- New special and rare species monsters
- New powered-up monsters
This update is even more obscure, seemingly consisting of more of the same as the previous update. New content is never a bad thing though, as it will keep players occupied for many hours to come.
The roadmap continues on towards 2023 and we know nothing about where the series will go next. Only time will tell and we will keep you updated with any changes yet to come in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.
