During the Summer Game Fest 2026 showcase, developer Capcom finally answered the call of Monster Hunter fans the world over and announced that the “Master Rank” expansion to Monster Hunter Wilds, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, will be launching in 2027 on all platforms – including Nintendo Switch 2. Yep, that’s right: those crazy cats are porting this massive game over to Nintendo’s new handhold as well.
Despite the performance issues that have plagued the PC version of Wilds, Capcom have solid form when it comes to versions of their games on handhelds. After all, Monster Hunter Rise was a Nintendo Switch exclusive before it made its way to other platforms a year or so later. But while the port is great news for Switch 2 owners, the real excitement is around the expansion itself.
Traditionally, Capcom give the main game around 12 to 18 months to really settle before releasing what is commonly known as the “G-Rank” or “Master Rank” expansion, which adds a whole host of new monsters, locations and mechanics to the game. World’s Iceborne and Rise’s Sunbreak expansions added hundreds of hours more content to the base games, and it looks like Ascendance is set to do the same for Monster Hunter Wilds. You can watch the official reveal trailer below:
While the trailer shows off returning wind-based Elder Dragon Kushala Daora, we also saw a new – as yet unnamed – pack-hunting monster, this one an aerial predator dive-bombing the hunter en masse. More monsters will be revealed between now and release date, and we’ll also learn more about the new locations, Skybound Eyrie, a collection of floating islands suspended above the Forgotten Lands.
Of course, there’s also the aforementioned Mast Rank, which will give players new ways to customise and improve their Hunters, as well as grant new armour and weapon options for slaying both new monsters and tougher versions of old favourites. The story will continue from the end of the Wilds campaign and centre around the “sudden appearance of Elder Dragons in the Forgotten Lands”.
To combat them, you’ll receive the new Boost Bracer item, a special device that adds new actions and attacks to Monster Hunter Wilds’ existing roster of 14 weapon types. The Boost Bracer is promised to afford Hunters new attacks, combos, and mobility options as they explore the Forgotten Lands and the Skybound Eyrie.
There’s no official release date for Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance yet other than 2027, but we’ll be sure to let you know if that changes. In the meantime, why not check out our full review of Monster Hunter Wilds here?
