'Monster Hunter Rise' First Major Update Brings Back Missing Monsters

The first big update for “Monster Hunter Rise” is now live, and it’s bringing back three classic enemies as well as two new Apex variants of existing monsters. The update is free to all players who own the game, and it’s expected to be the first of many similar content drops in the future.

The initial release of “Monster Hunter Rise” was met with very favorable reviews from the series’ fans and critics around the world, but the lack of a proper “Monster Hunter” end game was cited as its biggest weakness. The absence of Elder Dragons in the base game was also seen as an odd decision, considering how those enemies are a staple in every “Monster Hunter” game.

Update 2.0 brings back three of the elder dragons: Teostra, Kushala Daora and Chameleos. The update also includes the respective armor sets that can be acquired by hunting each of the dragons. The Apex Diablos and Apex Rathalos are also joining the roster of Apex monsters, featuring enhanced movesets for much tougher battles overall.

Event Quests are also making a comeback in this patch. Players who are looking to farm for specific materials or enjoy greater challenges can take on special event quests that typically give out unique rewards. This also opens the game up to future events and crossovers similar to how “Monster Hunter World” handled its event quests.

Players will now also be able to customize their hunter’s look through the reintroduction of Layered Armor sets. Layered Armor essentially functions as skins, replacing the default look of one armor piece with that of another piece’s. This won’t bring any advantages to battle, but it’s perfect for those who really want to nail that specific look without sacrificing armor skills and decorations.

The update is a big step in the right direction for “Monster Hunter Rise” and with a couple more of similar updates scheduled for the future, fans of the franchise have a lot to look forward to. The game is already set to follow “Monster Hunter World” in terms of global popularity, and it won’t be long until “Rise” surpasses its predecessor once the PC version of the game is released sometime next year.