Monster Hunter: World’s First Major Update Arrives Next Week [UPDATE]

Update (3/14):

Per Capcom-Unity, here is the complete list of changes coming to weapons next week:

— Great Sword: increased the damage for Charged Slash abilities.
— Long Sword: improvements to Foresight Slash input timing and hitbox detection.
— Sword & Shield: Roundslash damage increased and improved slinger usability
— Dual Blades: adjustments to help maintain Demon Gauge active
— Hammer: adjusted the stun values on charged attacks
— Hunting Horn: general attack power increase
— Lance: Counter-thrust adjustment to increase ease of use
— Gunlance: Reduced sharpness loss for shelling, and made some attack power increases
— Switch Axe: Zero Sum Discharge adjustments to increase ease of use
— Charge Blade: balance adjustments to Impact Phial and Power Element Phial
— Insect Glaive: improvements to extract attack power increase and extract effect length
— Bow: fixed various bugs
— Light Bowgun: no adjustments were made
— Heavy Bowgun: no adjustments were made

Original Story

Capcom has announced, at long last, that the first major update for the immensely successful Monster Hunter: World will arrive March 22.

The first addition within this update is the long-awaited Deviljho, the voracious brute wyvern who debuted in Monster Hunter 3. Not only will players be able to fight this monstrous beast, but a screenshot on the official MH:W Twitter page also confirms that they will be able to craft a new set of armor and various weapons from the materials it leaves behind.

And speaking of weapons, there will be a massive balance update for weapons coming as part of the update. The full list will be added once it’s available in English, but details from Famitsu indicate that basically every weapon except for Bows, Bowguns and Charge Blades will be getting net buffs.

Among them, the changes to the Charge Blade seem the most significant. Since release, the best Charge Blade in the game was the Diablos Tyrannis II thanks in part to it’s massive attack stat and ability to be boosted by non-elemental decorations. However, with the nerf to KO damage for Impact Phials and all-around boost to Elemental Phials, it seems that Capcom is keen on changing that.

In the meantime, other confirmed additions include a Mega Man costume, the ability to completely re-do your character’s appearance (the first time is free, while subsequent changes will require real world cash) and the option to return to the gathering hall once a quest has finished and a new community-made Greatsword.  And lastly, to address concerns about trolling in multiplayer, players will soon be able to be carve their quarry uninterrupted.

All in all, this looks like a pretty solid update. The Deviljho, in particular, is a very welcome addition thanks to it introducing both weapons and armor (and potentially a deco). Once it arrives, it will be interesting to see how it interacts with Bazelgeuse, the newly-introduced flying wyvern who has the same function as Deviljho did in the past, will they team up on the player or will there be a Turf War when the two encounter one another?