Monster Hunter fans, ready to conquer the skies? Capcom unveils Ascendance with floating islands and a monster unseen for over a decade

Capcom used Summer Game Fest 2026 to reveal Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, a massive story expansion in the tradition of Iceborne and Sunbreak. Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Takuro Hiraoka presented the trailer and released a separate developer message breaking down its key features. The expansion is scheduled to launch in 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

The headline feature is Kumoju Ruins, a new region made up of floating islands high above the clouds. Hunters will travel between them on flying beasts, leaping across platforms and gliding on bird-like creatures capable of jumping, soaring, and drifting through the skies. Hidden among the clouds are the remains of an ancient Wyverian civilization that has been isolated from the surface world for so long that the monsters living there evolved separately from everything below.

And this is where the biggest surprise for longtime fans arrives: Elder Dragons are back. The trailer confirms the return of Kushala Daora, the steel wind dragon familiar from many previous entries, as well as Lao-Shan Lung, the colossal mountain-sized dragon that has been absent from the series for more than ten years. Its last appearance was in Monster Hunter Frontier.

Alongside new monsters and a new region, Ascendance introduces a higher difficulty tier — the kind of endgame challenge hardcore hunters have been waiting years for. Every weapon type receives new moves and powerful abilities, while the trailer hints at entirely new combat mechanics that go beyond the base game. Capcom emphasizes the scale of the project by placing the words “A Massive Expansion” front and center in the trailer.

If history is any indication, it may be possible to estimate a release window. Iceborne was announced roughly nine months before launch, and Sunbreak followed a similar pattern. If Ascendance does the same, a February–March 2027 release seems likely. No exact date has been announced yet. Monster Hunter Wilds remains one of Capcom’s most successful releases, and an expansion of this size reinforces the company’s commitment to supporting the game for years to come.

And it wasn’t Capcom’s only major announcement at Summer Game Fest 2026. During the show, the publisher also unveiled a remake of Resident Evil Code: Veronica, scheduled for release in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. It looks like next year will once again be built around proven Capcom franchises: Monster Hunter players get a huge expansion, while survival horror fans finally receive the return of one of the most requested Resident Evil classics.

Have you been waiting for Master Rank, or was the base game's difficulty enough for you? And do you remember Lao-Shan Lung? Let us know in the comments if you're still playing the game.