With the release of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne just few days away, and the beta in full swing for Xbox One players, a new interview from Eurogamer has revealed some more details on the highly anticipated DLC expansion. At this year’s Gamescom, Eurogamer sat down with producer Ryozo Tsujimoto as well as directors Kaname Fujioka and Daisuke Ichihara of Monster Hunter World to discuss the upcoming expansion. The three members of the game’s team had some interesting information to share relating to the level requirements of Iceborne, as well as how players can help others get up to snuff to brave the frigid Hoarfrost Reach.
According to Tsujimoto, the DLC has a level requirement of Hunter Rank 16, which means players must have beaten the main Monster Hunter World story, as well as beaten the final boss, to play the new content. While this may be a little discouraging for both new players and those that have not yet beaten the main storyline, Fujioka and Ichihara noted that they have implemented a new system, called Hunter Helper, to aid players in completing the original story. “If you haven’t finished World yet and want to catch up so you can play Iceborne, your friends who are a higher rank than you will actually get rewards by playing quests with you and helping you finish up your storyline. While the specific rewards have not yet been announced, it is a relief that players won’t have as much difficulty convincing their friends to help them grind out some levels.
Another topic touched upon in the interview was the difficulty level of Iceborne. When fans requested that the difficulty of the new expansion be upped, the game’s developers listened. According to Fujioka and Ichihara, “Iceborne is adding the Master Rank to the game, and it’s kind of equivalent to what used to be called G-Rank,” the rough equivalent of Ultimate editions in western releases. The two directors say that even though Iceborne will step up the difficulty level, it’s not just for the hardcore Monster Hunter fans. “I think if you’re someone who’s played a lot and enjoyed it and you’ve beaten the game, no matter whether you are within that hardcore fan level, or you consider yourself not that hardcore, Iceborne is still for you.”
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is set for release on September 6 for PS4 and Xbox One. Be sure to also check out MXDWN’s hands-on impressions of Iceborne from San Diego Comic-Con.