An Iconic Elder Dragon Returns to Monster Hunter Wilds And It’s Not Good News

The gaming world is right now hyped with Monster Hunter Wilds as the game sits in the top spot in the list of the most-wishlisted games on Steam. If you can’t wait anymore to play the game, then there’s good news for you. The second open beta for the upcoming title begins on Thursday, February 6 at 7 p.m. PT and ends on February 9 at 6:59 p.m. PT.

You’ll get another opportunity to play before the launch the following weekend, from February 13 to 16, if you can’t make it to that one. And the game is out on February 28 if you somehow manage to miss that one as well. Waiting is okay. However, if you are planning to get into the game early, then be prepared to face one of the most brutal monsters in the franchise, which is absolutely bad news for the fans.

Gore Magala will wreak havoc in Monster Hunter Wilds

The ancient dragon Gore Magala, the Nerscylla, and a brand-new monster named the Hirabami will all return in the next Monster Hunter Wilds, according to a new trailer released by Capcom. At the Capcom Spotlight, the trailer was unveiled along with the announcement that gamers would be able to battle the Arkveld in the next Open Beta Test.

The beast attacks a group of hunters in a teaser at the end of the trailer, revealing Gore Magala’s return. Monster Hunter 4‘s main monster was the Gore Magala, although it’s unclear if either its adult version, the Shagaru Magala, or its distinctive Frenzy Virus mechanic will return.

Gore Magala itself was one of the strongest monsters in the entire franchise and it’s just its larval stage. Now, if Shagaru Magala comes up then it is going to be the biggest threat for the fans of Monster Hunter Wilds.

Along with the Gore Magala announcement, the presentation also showed us the Iceshard Cliffs, a new area in Monster Hunter Wilds that is a snow-covered mountainous area. The Hirabami, a new monster that can attack in packs like the Doshaguma, seems to be living in this area. There is another area in the game that locates one of the most formidable monsters of the upcoming title.

Monster Hunter Wilds is going to be a big deal

Monster Hunter Wilds might become one of the biggest gaming releases of 2025. But why’s that? Why are people so hyped up about the game? The most likely explanation is its fluid exploration. Once missions are posted on the board, you and your party will no longer be transferred into an instanced biome.

Instead, you will walk (or ride your bird-like horse, a Seikret) directly from the center town into the semi-open world zones. Like in any other open-world game, you can then roam around freely and finish plot missions and side quests in any sequence.

Although the transition to a semi-open environment may seem mainly aesthetic at first, it has a big impact on the Monster Hunter formula. Monster Hunter has never felt more integrated into the landscape than it does in Wilds, even though the typical loop of “bigger hunting means bigger crafting” is still evident.

What Capcom did when they enlarged the concept of Iceborne’s Guiding Lands to create an endless hunt-a-thon is so much more than what many first thought. The sense of immersion that Wilds creates not only makes the monster-hunting simulator more successful but also creates an environment that promotes deeper, more intricate storytelling.