Prepare for Elder Dragons, Monster Hunter Wilds' expansion is coming in 2027.
Monster Hunter Wilds' major expansion has finally been revealed at Summer Game Fest 2026. Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is set to release in 2027 and will feature the addition of Master Rank, a new locale, new monsters to hunt, and new abilities to hunt them with.
Capcom has answered Monster Hunter fans' call for more Elder Dragons with Ascendance, as they revealed the return of two of these powerful monsters in the trailer: Kushala Daora and Lao Shan Lung.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance
Release date: 2027
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Developer: Capcom
What's coming in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance?
Ascendance will be the major expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds, adding a ton of new content to the base game in the same vein as Iceborne and Sunbreak for Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise, respectively. The biggest addition coming with Ascendance is Master Rank, which introduces a higher tier of difficulty for monster hunts that lets players hunt stronger monsters from the base game and the expansion to craft new weapons, armor, and more.
These Master Rank hunts will take place in a new locale up in the sky, as befitting the expansion's ‘Ascendance’ name. The hunt takes us to the Eastlands, which looks like an area held aloft by the mysterious technology used by Wyveria, the ancient civilisation that once reigned over the Forbidden Lands.
Only one new monster inhabiting this locale was revealed, a still-unnamed Flying Wyvern that travels in packs and can seemingly store air within organs in its wings to create quick burst of speed for increased maneuverability and powerful attacks.
But we do know two the names of two monsters coming in Ascendance: the Elder Dragons Kushala Daora and Lao Shan Lung. In the world of Monster Hunter, Elder Dragons are powerful creatures that can alter their local ecosystem with their mere presence and whose abilities set them apart from the usual classification of monsters. Monster Hunter Wilds' base game notably launched without a single Elder Dragon in its roster, with its first Elder Dragon in Gogmazios only coming in a later update.
Kushala Daora is an Elder Dragon known most for its steel hide and uncanny ability to control powerful wind, seen in the trailer throwing a pack of Doshaguma around like ragdolls.
Meanwhile, Lao Shan Lung is a massive Elder Dragon whose sheer size lets it shrug off almost any attack from puny hunters. Lao Shan Lung's reveal notably showed it in an updated version of the classic ‘Siege’ map exclusive to its hunt, where hunters must work together to prevent Lao Shan Lung from destroying a fortress lying in its path and drive the huge monster away.
Aside from the reveal of new and returning monsters, Capcom also briefly showed new abilities that will help players take on Master Rank hunts. The Boost Bracer adds an explosive element to melee attacks and lets hunters shoot a barrage of projectiles from a distance.
When is Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance coming out?
Capcom did not reveal the official release date for Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, only that the expansion is set to come out sometime in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
