'Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak': Here's What's New In The August Update

The first big update since the release of the "Sunbreak" expansion is now live for "Monster Hunter Rise," and it's brought a bunch of fun new additions to help keep the endgame engaging.

This patch and its content are free to everybody who owns the base game and the expansion. Here's a summary of what new additions players can expect the next time they log in.

New Monster Subspecies

Four subspecies of monsters will be returning to "Monster Hunter Rise" in this update, and franchise veterans might be able to recognize:

• Gold Rathian
• Silver Rathalos
• Seething Bazelgeuse
• Lucent Nargacuga

The monsters have been present in the previous games in the series, and all of them are notorious for being significantly more difficult than their normal counterparts, thanks to their enhanced movesets.

New Events

Weekly event quests will be available from Aug. 18 onward. The developers did not specify which quests will go live, but the update trailer showed a Hunter against a Rathian and Rathalos duo. It also showed the return of the infamous Double Monkey Madness event with the twin Rajangs.

Expect to get new rewards after completing the events.

Anomaly Quests

Anomaly Quests are designed to provide the most difficult challenges in "Monster Hunter Rise." Players can now take on Anomaly Investigations and hunt monsters in randomized locales and maximum player caps.

The quests will feature Afflicted monsters, which are more powerful versions of their regular counterparts. When defeated, the monsters will drop Anomaly-related materials that can be spent in Bahari's new shop for items like Armor Spheres, Jewels and Outfit Vouchers.

Qurious Crafting

Perhaps the most interesting part of the new Anomaly system is the introduction of Qurious Crafting. This new mechanic will let players upgrade armor pieces by improving their stats and adding entirely new armor skills.

A sneak peek from the developers showed the Malzeno Bracers receiving additional max armor and Blast Attack 1 after receiving the Qurious Crafting treatment.

This also extends to weapons. Players can boost the raw Attack, Affinity or Elemental damage of their favorite hunting gear using materials from Afflicted monsters.