Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

The expansion introduces the Master Rank tier, which is the direct equivalent of the historical "G-Rank" found in older titles. Master Rank features substantially more aggressive monsters with heavily inflated health pools. Players must craft entirely new armor sets to survive the higher base damage of these creatures.

Players establish their new primary base of operations in Seliana, a cozy, thermal-heated gathering hub. Seliana is located in the Hoarfrost Reach, a massive, snowy map introduced with the expansion. The Hoarfrost Reach features layered, icy terrain and hidden hot springs to warm the player.

The expansion introduces the Clutch Claw, a vital new mechanic attached to the hunter's slinger. The Clutch Claw allows players to grapple directly onto monsters, allowing them to wound specific body parts for extra damage. It is also required to forcibly flinch shot monsters into environmental walls.

The mythical elder dragon Nargacuga was originally teased, but the true flagship monster is Velkhana. Velkhana is an ice-element elder dragon capable of creating piercing ice structures. It serves as the central driving narrative threat of the expansion.