Following a delay due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Capcom announced that Monster Hunter World: Iceborne's Title Update 4 will be releasing on July 9. The headlining act is undoubtedly the return of the Elder Dragon Alatreon, so Capcom has highlighted some of what hunters need to know before encountering the beast in a new PlayStation Blog post today.
Alatreon's return was first announced via a trailer in March, highlighting its ability to use attacks based on "the unstoppable power of all known elements," including dragon, ice, thunder, and fire affinities. Known as the "Blazing Black Dragon," Alatreon first appeared in Monster Hunter 3, and according to Capcom U.S.A. social media and community manager Yuri Araujo promises to be "one of the most intense and dynamic hunts" in Iceborne.
In order to begin a hunt for Alatreon, players must be at least MR 24 and have completed the recon assignment for one of Iceborne's new Elder Dragons: Safi'jiiva. The blog post discusses how Alatreon "sits a higher echelon of Elder Dragons" because it can switch its elemental attacks at will, releasing a shockwave known as "Escaton Judgement" each time. However, players who have gone through titles like Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate should know how to deal with the Blazing Black Dragon, whose parts create armor with a new set bonus that turns elemental resistances into weapon damage.
Alatreon is the major focus for Monster Hunter World's upcoming content, but a roadmap and the PlayStation Blog post also discuss future content including the Sizzling Spice Fest to celebrate summer between July 22 and August 6, as well as a new Variant monster called the Frostfang Barioth coming on August 7. Another returning monster has also been teased for the game's Title 5 Update in fall 2020.
As the Iceborne expansion continues to receive new content, Capcom also appears to have plans for more Monster Hunter content. During a recent shareholders meeting, the company confirmed there are no plans to port Monster Hunter World to Switch, but there is a new game in the works angling toward a younger audience.
It's unclear when those future plans will come to light, but in the meantime, Monster Hunter World should continue to offer plenty of content for fans to enjoy. The tease of another returning monster after Alatreon is especially tantalizing, as the game has already added plenty of fan-favorite hunts including the Furious Rajang and Raging Brachydios.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: PlayStation Blog