Monster Hunter Rise Demo Now Live On Switch, Unlocks Free Item Pack In Full Game

Capcom shared some new details about Monster Hunter Rise during its latest Digital Event, including some more information on the game's free demo. The demo is now available on the Nintendo eShop, and if you play it, you'll unlock an extra item pack in the full game when it launches this March.

The demo gives fans their first taste of Rise's two big new gameplay mechanics: the Palamute and the Wirebug. The former is a new type of canine companion that players can ride on and fight alongside during a hunt, while the latter functions like a grappling hook and lets players swing around the environment.

In terms of content, the demo features four missions: two training exercises that introduce you to the Wirebug and the new Wyvern Riding mechanic, and two proper hunts. The "beginner" hunt tasks you with slaying a Great Izuchi, one of the new monsters being introduced in Rise, while the "intermediate" hunt has you battling the returning Mizutsune.

Both hunts are playable either solo or online with other players, and you'll be able to sample all 14 weapon types in the game. However, the demo will only be available until February 1, so you'll have a limited time to play it. You'll also need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play the demo with others online, but Nintendo is offering a free NSO trial right now if you don't currently have a membership. You can read our Monster Hunter Rise demo impressions here.

Your progress in the demo does not carry over to the full game, but according to a post in the Switch news channel, everyone who has demo save data will unlock an item booster pack in Monster Hunter Rise when it launches. The booster pack consists of the following:

• Mega Potion x20
• Pitfall Trap x5
• Energy Drink x10
• Mega Demondrug x5
• Mega Armorskin x5

In addition to detailing the demo, Capcom shared a new trailer for Monster Hunter Rise during its latest Digital Event. The video introduced us to a new locale, the Frost Islands, as well as a variety of monsters that will be appearing in the game, including the new Goss Harag and several returning monsters like the Tigrex, Khezu, Barioth, and the aforementioned Mizutsune. The video also gave us our first look at Wyvern Riding, a mechanic that lets you temporarily ride and take control of a monster.

Monster Hunter Rise launches for Nintendo Switch on March 26. In addition to the standard edition of the game, Capcom will also release Deluxe and Collector's editions, which come with some additional bonus items. You can learn more in our Monster Hunter Rise preorder guide. Three new Monster Hunter Amiibo figures are also launching alongside the game on March 26.

Rise is the first of two new Monster Hunter games coming to Switch this year. The second, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, is slated to arrive sometime this summer and is a follow-up to the series' 3DS RPG spin-off. Capcom has teased that there will be some connectivity between Rise and Wings of Ruin.