Putting on an Air Show Mid-Fight: Hands-On with Araketa ⭐9.5

Taking a look at the new monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance through the hands-on demo

Putting on an Air Show Mid-Fight: Hands-On with Araketa ⭐9.5

Kyuman "Frann" Kim [email protected] Sep 17, 2026 Korean (한국어) KO Add us on

The latest installment in the storied hunting action series, Monster Hunter Wilds, is expanding once again. Following the main game released in February 2025, a massive expansion titled Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, which adds a new story, Master Rank, new locales, and new monsters, is set to release in 2027.

The story of Ascendance picks up several years after the ending of the main game. As the colossal Elder Dragon Lao-Shan Lung suddenly appears in the Forbidden Lands, abnormal phenomena occur across the ecosystem. The Expedition Team faces a new threat following the ending of Wilds. A new area floating above the clouds, Skybound Eyrie, along with the new Elder Dragon Gundraza and returning Elder Dragons such as the familiar Teostra, have also been announced.

At TGS 2026, hands-on demos were available to test the new monsters and systems of Ascendance. By spending 20 minutes hunting Araketa and Teostra each, I got a brief glimpse into the upcoming changes.

One of the key features of Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is the arrival of Elder Dragons. Set several years after the main game, the expansion has confirmed the roster inclusion of Lao-Shan Lung, as well as the new Elder Dragon Gundraza and Teostra. The core story revealed so far revolves around the various ecological changes occurring in the Forbidden Lands following Lao-Shan Lung's appearance.

Araketa, a Bird Wyvern introduced for the first time in Ascendance, is quite intriguing. Like Doshaguma, it moves in packs and uses burst acceleration as a weapon by expelling powerful air currents from air sacs in its wings. The alpha in particular issues commands to the pack with a unique roar, leading multiple individuals to coordinate attacks against the hunter.

Being a Bird Wyvern, it was not as iconic as the Rathalos couple, nor did it showcase any moves during the demo that would leave hunters trembling in fear. Judging strictly by the demo, Araketa seems poised to act as the gatekeeper for the intro phase of Ascendance.

Having been away from Monster Hunter Wilds for so long, my hands were as rusty as could be, but I plucked up the courage to grab a Lance (?) and take on the Araketa hunt. After all, isn't the Lance the ultimate classic Monster Hunter weapon?

Araketa's attacks were relatively straightforward. However, it was quite threatening when using its air sacs to charge at explosive speeds or leap into the air for a slam attack. The two smaller Araketa that constantly accompanied it also obstructed vision and delivered combo attacks, making for a pretty tricky melee at first.

The alpha Araketa also lets out a screech to command its subordinates. One example is taking to the sky together to rain down a series of diving attacks. If you focus solely on the alpha, you'll suddenly find yourself surrounded by the pack.

Contrary to my concerns, however, the subordinates did not engage in combat overly aggressively. While they frequently joined in on key attack patterns, before the main body issued commands, their primary nuisance was blocking line of sight. The spectacle was also quite impressive. It suddenly screeched and began flying in formation in midair, reminiscent of the Republic of Korea Air Force Black Eagles. Though I was briefly captivated by the sudden air show, it wasn't a difficult pattern to handle.

I also got a taste of the Boost Bracer, but the demo time was too short to use Boost Actions effectively. The best I could do was squeeze in pressing R1+▲+● (on PS5) during combat to see what kind of attacks would come out.

Attacks dealt while sparks fly from the bracer inflict high damage and look impressive to boot. According to released information, Boost Action enhances the unique traits of all 14 weapon types and leads into new combo attacks. Since the mechanic functions by landing attacks to fill a gauge before activating Boost, aggressively striking monsters grants more opportunities to utilize these new actions.

In the case of the Lance, the dash used to quickly close in on enemies and counterattacks could be enhanced with Boost Action. Facing a brand-new monster for the first time, there was no way I could time my counters properly. Even so, likely thanks to Boost Action, I managed to pull off a Clash about twice.

The fact that it can be used instantly whenever desired is also impressive. As long as you have the resource, it can be activated even during specific actions, allowing you to immediately unleash a powerful Boost Action attack when a monster reveals an opening. Once Ascendance launches, it feels like players will need time to dig into every single weapon again to find optimal attack routines.

While fighting Araketa, I also got a brief glimpse of the sky islands that will serve as the main stage for Ascendance. It is an area where fragmented landmasses float in the sky, officially named 'Skybound Eyrie.' The gliding capabilities of the Seikret mount have also been enhanced to allow movement between islands.

In areas with upward wind currents, you can ride updrafts to reach even higher locations. During glides, flapping its wings allows another leap into the air. Unlike the main game, which mostly involved flat-ground movement, navigating floating landmasses with your Seikret in the new region looks set to offer a fresh feel to traversal itself.

During the remaining demo time, I also encountered Teostra, who is set to appear in Ascendance. A quest to hunt it in the existing Oilwell Basin area was available. Finding Teostra wandering right in front of the village was easy enough.

Although I couldn't observe many patterns due to the short fight, the presentation of certain attacks seemed to have changed. It even created a flame tornado; watching it made me think of Joe Higashi from KOF and gave me a chuckle.

I also tried out the Bow briefly during this time, and the damage from combo attacks leading into Boost Action felt incredibly satisfying. Seeing how Boost is utilized in an entirely different manner compared to the Lance suggests it will take a considerable amount of time just to check the changes for all 14 weapon types.

Although demo time was far too short to examine every type of Boost Action, there was still plenty to take away. Seeing the new enemies, Boost Actions, and skyward-expanded area traversal offered a glimpse into the direction Ascendance aims to broaden the main game's hunting experience.

At this TGS, another interesting version of Monster Hunter Wilds was presented: the Nintendo Switch 2 version scheduled for release on December 4. Wilds, which was first launched on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, is expanding its reach to Nintendo's handheld console. Ascendance has also been confirmed for a Switch 2 release in 2027.

The Switch 2 version tested at TGS offered settings for locked 30fps and variable framerate. Even with locked 30fps, the gameplay felt remarkably smooth. While graphical fidelity inevitably requires some compromise, the benefits of a portable Monster Hunter far outweigh it.

Hunters who have enjoyed Monster Hunter since the PSP days will likely agree: being able to farm rare materials on the go. That alone provides ample potential for Nintendo to become the premier Monster Hunter machine once again.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of AI. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. [Read Original]

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Kyuman "Frann" Kim

[email protected]