Capcom is back with more videos showcasing the impending release of the Iceborne expansion for Monster Hunter World. Of course, if you’ve been following my coverage so far, these aren’t relating to new monsters, or even the new map – the videos showcase the updated moves of all your favorite weapons, now that a new mechanic has been introduced to the game. Check out my previous coverage for all things relating to Iceborne’s newest mechanics, including the all-new Clutch Claw tool, the Great Sword and the Long Sword, the Sword and Shield, and Dual Blades, the Hammer and Hunting Horn, and of course the Gunlance and the Lance.
The transforming weapons are the ones to get some love this time around, as Capcom showcased brand-new moves and mechanics for the Charge Blade and the Switch Axe. Check them out in their full, transformative glory down below.
First off, we have what is possibly the coolest – yet most complex – weapon in the game, the Charge Blade. The Charge Blade, like other weapons showcased before, can now be used in tandem with the Slinger, which is featured in the footage first. Another instance within the video shows that it can be used with your shield up while you’re in that mode for the Charge Blade, which opens up new counter possibilities.
The highlight for the video is, of course, the inclusion of all-new moves. Using the Clutch Claw launches the Hunter to the monster. The Hunter then buries his sword by stabbing it, then, using the embedded weapon as a launch point, jumps up, burying the rotating shield as he crashes down, and finally transforming the whole thing into an axe as he falls. The video also features the Savage Axe Slash, an entirely new move coming from the cancellation of the Super-Amped Elemental Discharge. The move features three very powerful blows from the Axe mode, which annihilates the bone armor of the monster Radobaan.
Next up we have the Switch Axe, which also looked like it got a huge boost thanks to the upgraded mechanics. One of the new features shown is the ability to chain together the Clutch Claw and a Zero-Sum Discharge, which is one of the most powerful abilities for the Switch Axe. Following an Elemental Discharge on the ground, the Hunter than draws his Clutch Claw, which he buries into the monster Anjanath’s face. This results in a very powerful Zero-Sum Discharge. Also shown was a new Overhead Slash coming from the Sweeping Slashes, plus a very powerful move from a Clutch Claw grab.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne releases on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 6, 2019. The PC version on Steam launches sometime during Winter of this year.
