Capcom and Niantic had teased what is to come in the major update planned for Monster Hunter Now this December, featuring a key art of the hunters going up against Zinogre.
Along with the fancy render of Zinogre, the new key art for the major update titled ‘Fulminations in the Frost’, revealed far more that is coming to Monster Hunter Now, including other monsters, new weapon types, and a high likely chance of a Tundra biome.
While details have not been fully revealed yet, Capcom has confirmed that the major update ‘Fulminations in the Frost’ will be arriving on Monster Hunter Now on December 7th, 2023.
Even if information is scarce at the moment, there is a lot to be extracted from this single key art, and eagle-eyed Monster Hunter fans are already pointing out several interesting details that hint towards the content we will be getting.
New Monsters
Zinogre
Jam to the epic electric rock theme song. The star of the illustration is the Lord of Lightning itself, Zinogre in its iconic supercharged howling pose.
Fans had known that Zinogre would be shocking his way into Monster Hunter Now as it was already teased during the Tokyo Game Show 2023 Capcom Online Special Program earlier this year.
The Thunder Wolf Wyvern is easily one of the most popular monsters in the series, starting its journey as the flagship of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd
It is known for its symbiotic relationship with Fulgurbugs, leveraging their abilities to generate electricity to charge itself up in combat.
Barioth
Not directly revealed, the equipment made of Barioth parts can be seen in the artwork especially noticeable when looking at the hunter at the bottom right as he donned a full set of Barioth armor and wielded the Glacial Bash hammer.
The Ice Tusk Wyvern is known for its amber tusks and spiked scales which it utilizes to move freely atop slippery ice.
Highly aggressive and territorial, Barioth is also the only pseudo wyverns in the main series capable of flight.
Banbaro
It’s Banbaro time. Similar to the Barioth, the Ferocious Bull Wyvern is not directly revealed but the huntress wielding the Bow in the background is seen wearing a full set of its armor.
First encountered in the Hoarfrost Reach, the Banbaro is a fairly docile herbivore that can become highly aggressive when provoked.
When angered, it would charge its enemies down with its moose-like antlers, digging up soil or fallen trees along the way as weapons.
New Weapons
There are 14 known weapon types in the main series, but there are 8 of them absent during the launch of Monster Hunter Now. Fret not, as the new key art also revealed that the Dual Blades and Lance are finally making their way into Monster Hunter Now.
Lance
This is evident by that the hunter in the foreground by the left of the artwork is seen wielding the Lance.
This weapon type is known for its defensive playstyle, blocking monster attacks with its massive shield and counterattacks with quick triple pokes.
Dual Blades
Meanwhile, the huntress that is in midair attempting to strike Zinogre from above wields the Blizzarioths Dual Blades made from the aforementioned Barioth.
Known for its agility, the Dual Blades is for hunters who enjoy weaving in combos while evading at a moment’s notice and leveraging the Demon Mode for attack options.
New Biome
At the moment, Monster Hunter Now only has three biomes, namely the Forest, Desert, and Swamp, with each dictating the type of monsters to spawn.
From the key art, it would seem that the update will be bringing in the snowy and icy Tundra biome, in time for winter.
Aside from the snow-covered floor in the art, the aforementioned Barioth was never encounterable outside of snowy regions.
On the other hand, Banbaro was first found in Hoarfrost Reach, an extremely cold zone in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, but for whatever reason, it is also an invasive monster that shows up everywhere.
While Zinogre is weakest to the Ice element, it can sometimes be fought in snowy maps in some games including Frozen Seaway and Hoarfrost Reach… for whatever reason.
As mentioned, the Fulminations in the Frost update will be coming to Monster Hunter Now on 7 December 2023 and Capcom will be revealing more information at later dates.
Did you know that Capcom wants to know who is your favorite monster of all time in the series and currently having a poll? Read here to place your votes and why it is Khezu.
For more Monster Hunter content, such as an interview with the series producer Ryōzō Tsujimoto, the reproduction biology of Gore Magala, and many more, you can check them out here.