Update: The Monster Hunter World Witcher DLC release date has been confirmed to be February 8. That is the day when Geralt will be playable!
[PS4/X1] Ready your blades! Geralt of Rivia from @witchergame voyages into #MHWorld in a free title update on Feb 8. pic.twitter.com/ljdmX8AAmI
— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) January 11, 2019
In a developer update earlier today, Capcom announced Monster Hunter World “Iceborne,” a new expansion coming next year. The game’s producer, Ryozo Tsujimoto, revealed Iceborne is set to release in Autumn 2019, with a trailer hinting at new story content and map areas. Among other announcements, the livestream also promised a crossover with The Witcher 3, with the series’ protagonist Geralt of Rivia heading to the game in Spring 2019.
The trailer for Iceborne, shown below, shows Rathalos sweeping over the sea away from a group of hunters, heading towards the landscape of a previously inaccessible area. This expansion looks to bring plenty of new monsters and gear held within this new biome, and is apparently equal in size to the older “G” or “Ultimate” editions. While Iceborne is set to release on console in fall 2019, Tsujimoto also said that a PC version is in development, but that further information will be announced in Spring 2019.
Introducing Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, a massive expansion coming to #MHWorld in 2019. pic.twitter.com/Yt6WeEizgq
— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) December 10, 2018
The crossover with The Witcher 3 is expected to bring Geralt of Rivia into Monster Hunter: World, with voice lines from the original voice actor Doug Cockle for the English version. Other languages are also expected to retain their original voice actors. After his appearance in Soul Calibur 6 earlier this year, the news that Geralt will be introduced to the world of Monster Hunter World fits nicely with his history of slaying monsters.
Other news from the livestream included that new monsters are being added to the update on console, including Kulve Taroth in Arch-Tempered form from December 19 to January 3, which will be followed by Arch-Tempered Nergigante next spring. Similar updates for PC are expected to follow at some point after these dates. More news about the expansion will be featured in spring 2019 at the next developer update, likely to feature more information on the map area in Iceborne.