Capcom’s big expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds just got a whole lot more real. At the September 3 PlayStation State of Play, the studio dropped the first full Ascendance trailer — and it brought a storm-summoning new Elder Dragon, a breathtaking floating locale, the return of a franchise icon, and a story that leaps forward in time.
Lao-Shan Lung Returns — and the Story Jumps Years
Ascendance picks up after the base game ends — specifically, once you reach Hunter Rank 40 and clear the quest “Awaking From a Dream.” The expansion opens with the sudden arrival of the colossal Elder Dragon Lao-Shan Lung in the Forbidden Lands, an event so devastating that the Expedition Team can only watch. Years pass. The team constructs Madoi Stronghold, a fortified new hub, bracing for Lao-Shan Lung’s anticipated return.
Fans of the base game’s story will be glad to see Nata, the young character who accompanied you through Wilds, has grown into a full-fledged hunter, with his Wudwud companion Bangard at his side. The time skip gives Ascendance the weight of a proper sequel chapter rather than a bolt-on epilogue.
The Skybound Eyrie: A Locale Above the Clouds
Ascendance adds a brand-new hunting ground: the Skybound Eyrie, a spectacular locale that floats high above the cloud line. Lush open landscapes, cascading waterfalls, ancient ruins, and entirely new endemic life fill the region — and the mist that once hid it is clearing as the expansion’s story unfolds. Visually, it’s one of the most striking areas Capcom has ever put into a Monster Hunter title, and it looks like it was built specifically to show off PS5 hardware.
New Monsters: Gundoraja, Araketa and Something Worse
Two new monsters were named in the trailer. Araketa is a Bird Wyvern that travels in flocks and uses powerful air currents blasted from its wings to achieve high-speed flight across vast distances — exactly the kind of fast, evasive prey that will punish sloppy hunts. Then there is Gundoraja, the expansion’s headline Elder Dragon, described as a newly discovered creature with the ability to bend the storm to its will. If the trailer’s tone is any guide, Gundoraja is the monster that defines Ascendance the way Arkveld defined Wilds.
The trailer also teased a third threat: a glossy, ink-like parasite monster that emerges from the fallen bodies of other creatures. No name was given, but the body-horror design is unlike anything in the base game and suggests Capcom has something genuinely different planned for Ascendance’s roster.
Master Rank Arrives
Ascendance introduces Master Rank, the higher quest tier that has been a fixture of Monster Hunter G-rank expansions since the series began. For the uninitiated, Master Rank quests demand tighter skill, better gear, and far more preparation than the base game’s High Rank endgame — it is essentially the point where the real Monster Hunter begins. Capcom also confirmed the Boost Bracer, a new piece of equipment that enables a “Boost Action” to temporarily power up all 14 weapon types, which we covered in detail when the daily trailer series began last week.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is coming to PlayStation 5 in 2027. The base game is required, and a free Prologue Demo is available on the PlayStation Store for players who have not yet picked it up. Singapore hunters who have been grinding endgame Wilds content have a proper next chapter to look forward to — and from what the State of Play showed, the wait looks worth it. More details are expected at the Capcom Spotlight at TGS 2026 on 16 September at 10pm SGT.
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