Today, on the Monster Hunter Digital Event – January 2021 stream, Capcom has announced that they will be releasing the Monster Hunter Rise demo for Switch on January 7, 2021. Yep, you read that right; the demo is dropping today after the event! …although the Nintendo UK Twitter account said “tomorrow.” Anyway, the 1.6GB-sized demo will be available when it drops until February 1st, and you will be able to play with friends in the lush, forest area of Shrine Ruins through either local or online play. Nintendo Switch Online subscription is needed for online features, though.
The Monster Hunter Rise demo will be separated into four types of quests:
- Beginner Quest: lets you face Great Izuchi and its bloodthirsty pack. Limited to 30 tries.
- Intermediate Quest: lets you take on one of The Fated Four, Mizutsune. Limited to 30 tries.
- Basic Training Quest: to learn how the Wirebug system works.
- And Wyvern Riding Training Quest: to learn more about the new mounting system.
As noted in the quest details above, the stream didn’t just announce the demo period but also showcased several latest features and familiar sights to series’ veterans. You can watch the recap video below (PS. the actual stream starts at 30:34):
- Frost Islands, the new tundra hunting locale.
- Goss Harag, a fearsome bear monster that can freeze its arm as a makeshift weapon.
- Returning monsters confirmed to include Mizutsune, Barioth, Tigrex, Khezu, Lagombi, and Great Baggi.
- Wyvern Riding, a revamped version of the mounting system. This time you can control the monsters you are on using the Wirebugs to slam them into walls or even attack other monsters.
Before today’s latest info drop, Capcom revealed two brand new monsters; the mermaid-inspired Somnacanth and the bird-monkey-hybrid Bishaten, along with the fan-favorite punching bag Royal Ludroth at The Game Awards 2020. And Capcom has officially stated that the game will be released exclusively on Switch on March 26, 2021. Just three months after the Monster Hunter Rise demo. However, according to a leaked information, Monster Hunter Rise will be coming to PC as well, six months after the Switch launch in October 2021.
Although the leak is most likely to be true, no one knows for sure whether Capcom will go through with that plan. We’ll see if a PC port actually comes in the future, so don’t forget to stay tuned to The Nerd Stash for more Monster Hunter and Nintendo Switch news.
