Niantic has released details on Monster Hunter Now’s first season, The Vernal Invader, giving players an early look at the Charge Blade, layered armor, battle pass cosmetics, and new monsters including Deviljho.
The Vernal Invader is the latest content update coming to Monster Hunter Now and it comes packed with a huge amount of content. Not only will this update include the deadly Charge Blade, but it also features a wave of new monsters and the hotly anticipated layered armor mechanic.
There’s even the debut of the game’s Season Pass, a tier-based system that enables Hunters to unlock exclusive cosmetics and upgrade materials.
Contents
- Monster Hunter Now The Vernal Invader release date
- Monster Hunter Now new weapon: Charge Blade
- Monster Hunter Now new monsters
- New Invasion mechanic
- Monster Hunter Now layered armor
- Monster Hunter Now Season Pass
- New Celebration quests
- Monster appearance rate increase
Monster Hunter Now The Vernal Invader release date
The Vernal Invader update officially begins at midnight GMT, 1am CET, and 12am UTC, on Thursday, March 14.
It’s important to note, that the Special Quests related to Fulminations in the Frost will conclude once The Vernal Invader season begins, so be sure to wrap up any unfinished quests before March 14.
Monster Hunter Now new weapon: Charge Blade
The Charge Blade is the latest weapon coming to Monster Hunter Now.
Making its debut alongside The Vernal Invader update is the Charge Blade. This deadly weapon type has two modes:
- Sword Mode
- Axe Mode
Hunters can charge energy while in Sword Mode and then switch over to Axe Mode to deliver even more damage. The weapon’s special, Super Amped Element Discharge, unleashes a powerful move that unleashes all the stored energy at once for an explosive attack.
Monster Hunter Now new monsters
The Vernal Invader update will see three new monsters added to the MHN.
The Vernal Invader update will see the release of the following three new monsters:
- Odogaron (Swamp)
- Tzitzi-Ya-Ku (Desert)
- Deviljho (Invader)
Hunters can unlock Odogaron and Tzitzi-Ya-Ku by completing the corresponding urgent quests in the Season 1 story quest. These monsters will also appear on the field for all Hunters who have completed the prologue.
As for Deviljho, the nomadic beast will be encountered through Invasions, a new map feature that will be introduced in The Vernal update.
New Invasion mechanic
Volatile territories will be appearing in The Vernal Invader update, which will impact the game’s desert, forest, and swamp habitats. When Hunters encounter a large monster roaming in a volatile territory, Deviljho may invade their hunt, ambushing the player and replacing the monster that originally appeared.
The chance of Deviljho appearing in these hunts has yet to be determined, but it should make for an exciting twist to regular outings.
Monster Hunter Now layered armor
Layred armor is finally coming to Monster Hunter Now.
After months of asking, Niantic is finally giving the Monster Hunter Now community layered armor. Aside from the cosmetics that can be unlocked via the new Season Pass feature, all forged equipment grade 6 and above can be used as layered equipment.
This means Hunters can show off their style and mix sets to create the most fashionable designs.
Monster Hunter Now Season Pass
The Monster Hunter Now Season Pass will enable players to unlock various cosmetics and items.
With the introduction of the Vernal Invader update, Niantic will be adding a Season Pass to Monster Hunter Now. Players can either use the Free Plan or purchase the Premium Plan to claim additional rewards and layered armor cosmetics for completing each tier.
According to Niantic, the Season Pass can be completed in a month and will follow a three-month release cycle, with a new one being added to the game in Season 2. There are also 100 tier unlocks, and bonus tiers beyond tier 100 for those that wish to go beyond it.
New Celebration quests
Sixteen new quests will also be added in The Vernal Invader update, which will reward Hunters with an exclusive Hunter medal and Beginner Weapon Tickets. After hunters complete the fourth stage of the quest series and above, they’ll be granted additional rewards such as:
- Zinogre Plates
- Wyvern Gem Shards
- Other monster materials
Additionally, Event quests will become available to hunters after they complete the prologue in the Special Quests tab. The celebration quests will be available from March 14 at 9am to March 24 at 2:59pm local time.
For those looking to try out the Charge Blade, you can use the Beginner Weapon Tickets to forge the grade 3 weapon – Bone Strongarm. This will make it easy for both veteran and new Hunters to try out this new weapon type.
Monster appearance rate increase
From March 14 at 12am through March 24 at 2:59pm (UTC), as a continuation of the Monster Hunter Now Celebration 2024 Part I, monsters in all habitats will reappear after one hour, and monsters will appear in more places on the field. The following monsters will also appear in Hunt-a-thons: