The latest Monster Hunter Wilds trailer has unveiled the highly anticipated fourth biome: the Iceshard Cliffs. This frozen wasteland is surrounded by uncharted ruins and seemingly teeming with untold monstrosities.
This is the latest map revealed for Monster Hunter Wilds, making it the fourth — and hopefully not the final — explorable area within the game. The first biome revealed to us was the Windward Plains, a sand-swept expanse where the Rey Dau dominates the dunes. The second, the Scarlet Forest, is a lush jungle ruled by its aquatic Apex, the Uth Duna. The third biome, revealed a few months earlier, was the Oilwell Basin, a decrepit underground realm covered in oil and scorching flames. It’s ruled by the Nu Udra, a cephalopod straight out of H.P. Lovecraft’s nightmares.
The Iceshard Cliffs is unlike any other biome in Monster Hunter history. It’s strange. While it could be compared to the Hoarfrost Reach or Frost Islands, the Iceshard Cliffs is just one part of Monster Hunter Wilds’ greater interconnected setting, the Forbidden Lands. Why this region is buried under ice remains a mystery, but fans speculate that the cause may be the unnamed Ice Apex Monster glimpsed in the trailer.
Like all frozen biomes in a Monster Hunter game, it’s home to creatures that thrive in its extreme climate. In Monster Hunter: Iceborne, we had Velkhana; in Monster Hunter: Rise, the hulking brute Goss Harag roamed the snow-capped fields.
In Monster Hunter Wilds’ Iceshard Cliffs, monsters like the Hirabami are abundant. These floating leviathans are a chilling new sight — armed with sharp claws on their tails, they can quickly turn a hunter’s expedition into a nightmare. They use the wind-catching membranes on their necks to float and can summon herds of other Hirabami, much like the Doshaguma did in the game’s first open beta.
Hirabami isn’t the only terror lurking in the biting cold. The Temnoceran Nerscylla is also making its return. Veteran Monster Hunter fans will welcome its comeback, but new hunters with arachnophobia are already dreading another encounter with a spider-like creature.
Did we mention Gore Magala is back too? Well, good luck with that.
Monster Hunter Wilds launches on February 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Meanwhile, A second open beta is coming this week, giving players another chance to dive into the hunt.