Monster Hunter Rise January Event Introduces Wyvern Riding, New Demo

Capcom introduced Monster Hunter Rise‘s Wyvern Riding feature during January’s MonHun Rise presentation. It’s a system where hunters turn the game’s winged monsters into rampaging death mounts. The presentation also unveiled several new monsters and announced a timeframe for the Monster Hunter Rise demo.

Wyvern Riding involves the Wirebug and something called Ironsilk. Once players unlock the feature, they can use the Wirebug to bind monsters and ride them around the landscape — and even to attack other monsters or harm the monster mount itself. 

The Monster Hunter Rise January event also offered a look at a brand-new area, the Frost Islands. Dragons once called this snow-covered region home, making it a destination for ambitious heroes. Now, the islands host several monster types, but also helpful wildlife wise hunters can use to their advantage during the hunt.

One of those new monsters is Goss Harag, a massive, troll-like creature wielding an ice-blade arm. The flying wyvern Barioth makes its return from Monster Hunter: World, though it seems to be the normal variant and not the frigid Iceborne version.

Khezu is another flying wyvern, but with a twist. This eyeless, worm-like wyvern lives in dark places and generates electricity from its neck.

Great Baggi is a bird wyvern that knocks hunters out with its saliva, while Lagombi is a fanged beast that crushes foes with its cuddly, furry belly.

The biggest and baddest monster revealed is Tigrex, another flying wyvern, but a much more dangerous one that destroys its prey with rush attacks and deadly fangs.

While Capcom didn’t show off other locales, the presentation did introduce monsters from outside the Frost Islands, including Monster Hunter Rise’s flagship monster, Magnamalo. Magnamalo is covered in hard armor and wields a deadly “hellfire” gas against hunters when it isn’t crushing them with its massive tail.

The Monster Hunter Rise January presentation also briefly introduced some of the characters running the base, including the Palico and Palamute handler, the leader of the Meowcenaries, the merchant, the quest giver, and more.

And, of course, the other big announcement was the promised Monster Hunter Rise demo. The Monster Hunter Rise demo lets hunters loose in the Shrine Ruins and includes Beginner and Intermediate quests, includes all 14 quests. These are designed to get players familiar with the Wirebug, Wyvern Riding, and the best part of Rise, the Palamute.

Both missions can be tackled solo or through multiplayer co-op, but they won’t last forever. The MH Rise demo is available starting midnight January 7 (technically that would be January 8) through February 1. Monster Hunter Rise releases March 26 for Nintendo Switch.