Monster Hunter Rise is already popular, and its "massive" Sunbreak expansion promises to add a host of new content that should bring fans right back into the fray. Capcom hosted a Monster Hunter Digital Event earlier this week to bring those fans more information about Sunbreak, namely revealing its June 30 release date and price range for both standard and deluxe editions. It also outlined some of the monsters that people can expect to hunt.
The headlining creatures in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak are known as the Three Lords: Garangolm, Lunagaron, and the Elder Dragon Malzeno. Each of these lords takes residence in a different portion of Sunbreak's large Citadel map, inspired by stories of western canon such as vampires and werewolves in the same way Rise's new monsters were inspired by Japanese yokai. However, the presentation also teased another veteran monster named Astalos. With Astalos coming to Monster Hunter Rise, Capcom should follow-through by introducing the rest of the Fated Four.
Monster Hunter's Flagship Monsters
Narratives in Monster Hunter games revolve around the creature adorning their box art, known as the Flagship Monster. Rathalos was the Flagship for 2004's Monster Hunter on PlayStation 2, which ultimately set the Wyvern up to be a mascot for the series appearing in every game and crossovers like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After that came Kushala Daora in Monster Hunter 2, Lagiacrus in Monster Hunter 3, and Gore Magala in Monster Hunter 4, with each game's complete "Ultimate" editions featuring new monsters such as Tigrex or Brachydios. The trend continues with modern titles like World using Nergigante, and Rise using Magnamalo.
Monster Hunter Generations, a 3DS title released to celebrate the series' 10th anniversary, had four Flagship Monsters that each terrorized one of the game's four hub villages. These were known as the Fated Four: Astalos, Gammoth, Mizutsune, and Glavenus. While Glavenus was arguably the biggest member of the quartet given its place on the box art, each of the Fated Four were given equal billing in Generations' marketing. In Japan the game was known as Monster Hunter Cross, with the Flagship Monsters each filling a quadrant separated by the "X."
Why Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Should Keep the Fated Four Together
Mizutsune features in Monster Hunter Rise, and was one of the creatures to receive an Apex form. Given the water-elemental Leviathan draws inspiration from the Kitsune, it easily fit with Rise's yokai design theme. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate's Flagship Monster, Valstrax, also came to the game as free post-launch content, so with Astalos confirmed to make an appearance it would be silly to leave Gammoth and Glavenus out.
The apparent design of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak's new Citadel map also makes a good argument for why the Fated Four should be kept together. The Citadel is seemingly larger than any map to-date, and its Three Lords inhabit different biomes. Garangolm appears in a forested area, Lunagaron appears near icy mountain peaks, and Malzeno inhabits the ruins of an ancient civilization. Gammoth is a hulking wooly mammoth that could easily live in these snow-covered mountains. Meanwhile, Glavenus is inspired by the T-Rex and first appears in Generations' Jurassic Frontier; an ecosystem perhaps not unlike The Citadel's forests.
Capcom doesn't have to keep the Fated Four a full quartet in every game. The Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion reintroduced Glavenus without any of its companions. However, having Astalos, Mizutsune, and Valstrax as major representatives of Generations feels incomplete without the remaining two. Given their intentionally diverse nature was meant to represent a cross-section of ecosystems, it would also make a lot of sense for Sunbreak to use them all when selling its larger, varied map.
Monster Hunter Rise is available now for PC and Switch. Its Sunbreak expansion launches on June 30, 2022.