Capcom used the September 3 State of Play to give Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance its biggest showing yet, and the headline reveal is Gundoraja, a newly discovered Elder Dragon that pulls storm clouds around with it. The expansion arrives in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, and it needs a copy of the base game to run.
Quick answer: Gundoraja is a brand-new Elder Dragon that controls storms and appears in the Skybound Eyrie, a floating locale above Wyveria. To reach it when Ascendance launches in 2027, you need Monster Hunter Wilds, Hunter Rank 40, and the completed 7★ assignment “Awaking From a Dream.”
Gundoraja, the new storm-controlling Elder Dragon
Gundoraja is a serpentine Elder Dragon that emerges from the dark clouds hanging over the Skybound Eyrie, and its defining trait is control over storms and lightning. Capcom describes it as a monster that bends the weather to its will, which lines up with the trailer footage of it coiling through thunderheads.
Worth flagging: Gundoraja has been presented as a new Elder Dragon, not officially as the expansion’s flagship monster. The flagship slot has not been confirmed by Capcom, so treat the flagship label you may see floating around as unconfirmed for now.
Requirements to play Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance
Ascendance is a Master Rank expansion layered on top of the base game rather than a standalone release. Three things gate entry, and all of them are set in the base game before the expansion ever launches.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base game | A copy of Monster Hunter Wilds |
| Progression | Hunter Rank 40 |
| Quest | Completion of the 7★ assignment “Awaking From a Dream” |
Clearing that assignment is what opens the Ascendance story and Master Rank when the expansion goes live. If you have not started Wilds at all, the free Prologue Demo lets you build a Hunter and Palico, play the opening, and try all 14 weapon types, with save data carrying into the full game.
The Skybound Eyrie locale and Seikret updrafts
The Skybound Eyrie is the expansion’s new region, a network of ancient ruins and floating islands sitting high above Wyveria. It only becomes reachable after the mist that covered those skies clears, and it comes with open landscapes and endemic life that has not appeared in the series before.
Getting around it works through updrafts. Strong gusts of wind launch your Seikret upward, letting you cross the gaps between islands instead of picking a route along the ground. That vertical movement is the reason the expansion is called Ascendance, both in how the story moves and in how the hunting works.
Story setup: Lao-Shan Lung, Madoi Stronghold, and an older Nata
Ascendance picks up past the ending of the base game. It opens with Lao-Shan Lung appearing in the Forbidden Lands, and the Expedition Team simply cannot stop it. The hunters fight, the elder dragon overwhelms them, and heavy damage follows.
The story then jumps forward several years. In that gap, the Guild and the people of the Eastlands build Madoi Stronghold to prepare for Lao-Shan Lung’s return, which brings back the multi-stage siege quests the series is known for, complete with defensive walls and cannons.
Nata reflects that time skip. The young Keeper is now a grown member of the Expedition Team working as an apprentice hunter, and he heads into the Skybound Eyrie alongside his Wudwud partner Bangard.
Boost Bracer: how the new combat gear works
The Boost Bracer is a new piece of equipment worn on the hunter’s left arm and activated through the Slinger. Attacking a monster fills a gauge; once it is ready, a Boost Driver attack triggers Boost, a temporary state that amplifies whatever your weapon is already good at.
All 14 weapon types get their own Boost actions, with new attacks, combos, and mobility options during the window. The practical loop is to use a Boost Driver to create an opening, then spend the enhanced state pushing damage. Capcom is rolling out the weapon-by-weapon breakdowns gradually through the official Ascendance site and its social channels.
Every monster shown in the State of Play trailer
Beyond Gundoraja, the trailer confirmed a mix of new and returning monsters, plus one creature Capcom has not named at all.
| Monster | What was shown |
|---|---|
| Gundoraja | New Elder Dragon that controls storm clouds over the Skybound Eyrie |
| Araketa | New Bird Wyvern that flies in packs using air currents from its wings; pack leaders coordinate the group with calls |
| Lao-Shan Lung | Returning colossal Elder Dragon that triggers the story and the siege quests |
| Kushala Daora | Returning Elder Dragon, confirmed with a brief appearance |
| Unnamed creature | A black, symbiote-like monster emerging from a Shagaru Magala corpse, with a jaw that splits partway down its body |
Lao-Shan Lung’s arrival also reshapes the map. Ecological disturbances spread through the Forbidden Lands, and Guardian monsters expand their habitats into areas they did not previously occupy, which is one of the mysteries the Expedition Team is sent to investigate.
Release window, platforms, and crossplay
Ascendance is set for 2027 across all three platforms. No specific launch date has been confirmed.
| Detail | Confirmed |
|---|---|
| Release | 2027 |
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam |
| Players | 1 (online 1–4) |
| Crossplay | Supported |
| Director | Takuro Hiraoka |
Note: the State of Play footage was captured on PS5 Pro, and some camera angles were adjusted for the trailer, so treat the framing as promotional rather than a straight look at moment-to-moment play.
The shape of Ascendance is now clear enough to plan around. Elder Dragons drive the story this time rather than sitting on the sidelines, Master Rank raises the difficulty ceiling, and the Boost Bracer is the mechanical hook holding it all together. The rest, including full weapon breakdowns and the remaining monster roster, is still being drip-fed ahead of the 2027 launch.
