When Monster Hunter World got its major expansion, Iceborne, earlier this year, it rose the bar for the already beloved game, but PC players were left out in the cold. Capcom has revealed today that the wait is almost over and the snow-crested expansion will arrive on PC January 9, 2020.
Iceborne introduces a brand-new region to the game in Hoarfrost Reach, and with it come several new monsters to take down, including Velkhana the Elder Dragon. All 14 weapon types received updates as well, and a new Clutch Claw mechanic was introduced alongside Iceborne. The expansion also added a new difficulty balanced for two-player co-op and an ability to ride smaller monsters for quicker travel. A new rank, Master Hunter, also comes with the update and is meant to prolong the game for the most diehard players. To access Iceborne's new quests, players must have completed the main story through Hunter Rank 16.
For PC players, the changes go beyond even what Xbox One and PS4 players received. A high resolution texture pack comes included, in addiiton to customizable graphics settings and DirectX12 support. Mouse and keyboard controls have been revamped to feel more intuitive given the game's many other gameplay alterations and additions. The first two PC updates for Iceborne are already planned for February and March, including a new monster in the latter month. You can see some of the new content in this trailer released today by the developer-publisher.
Monster Hunter World released in January 2018 to universal acclaim, garnering a mighty 89 from 170 reviews here on OpenCritic. The Iceborne expansion launched on Xbox One and PS4 on September 9. It managed to top the base game with a 91 OpenCritic average following 73 reviews, including a pristine 100% recommendation score. The Iceborne expansion will retail for $39.99.