The five returning monsters proposed by this theory are Dalamadur, Akantor, Dire Miralis, Yama Tsukami, and Akant. They are predictions—not confirmed additions. Capcom’s September 3, 2026 announcement names Lao-Shan Lung as a central story threat and confirms the new Skybound Eyrie locale, Araketa, and Gundoraja, but it does not confirm any of those five returning candidates.
Which monsters are confirmed for Ascendance?
In Capcom USA’s September 3, 2026 announcement on PlayStation Blog, the story continues several years after the base game’s ending. Lao-Shan Lung arrives, and hunters will explore the Skybound Eyrie, a new locale high above the clouds. The announcement also names two newly discovered monsters:
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- Araketa: A Bird Wyvern that flies at high speed by controlling air currents with its wings and coordinates pack movement through calls.
- Gundoraja: An Elder Dragon that can control storm clouds.
The announcement also describes expanded Guardian Monster habitats and ecological disturbances. These are the official details relevant to the roster question; the five returning monsters below remain a separate fan theory, not an announced list.
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The theory weighs popularity, time away from recent mainline appearances, and fit with the expansion, giving fit the greatest importance. Its five candidates and proposed roles are:
#1 Best Overall
- Wild New Adventure – Monster Hunter Wilds follows the story of a special Research Commission investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the hunter is joined in their journey by a colorful cast of characters, including a Palico partner, Guild-appointed Handler Alma, trusty smithy Gemma, and the mysterious child Nata. Together, the team ventures into an unexplored new frontier where surprises await around every corner.
- A Living World – The Forbidden Lands spans multiple biomes with dynamic identities, such as the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, where the ecosystems shift between vibrant seasons brimming with life, and unforgiving climates where monsters fight over limited resources. Changes in the landscape will impact the creatures that live there and push hunters to adapt as well.
- New Monsters and Wildlife – Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors.
- Players can also now ride atop the Seikret, an agile new mount enabling hunters to traverse difficult terrain, perform actions like sharpening weapons on the move, and switch between two weapons while out on hunts!
- Evolved Hunting Action – The series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever! Hunters can look forward to tracking down monsters with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. The action also now flows seamlessly from cutscenes to gameplay, resulting in a new level of immersion.
| Candidate | Proposed role in the theory | Why the writer includes it |
|---|---|---|
| Dalamadur | Headline-scale setpiece or title-update candidate | The theory argues that its enormous scale and spectacle could suit a large, vertical arena. |
| Akantor | Base-roster or title-update candidate | The writer sees Ukanlos as a natural counterpart and suggests the pair could make a coherent package. |
| Dire Miralis | Black Dragon title-update wildcard | The theory imagines adapting its aquatic-feeling encounter without bringing back full underwater combat. |
| Yama Tsukami | Airborne or vertical setpiece candidate | Its floating, drifting concept is the writer’s reason for connecting it to a sky locale. |
| Akant | Grounded mid-tier roster candidate | The theory includes it as a more conventional, grounded option among its five picks. |
Those roles are the article author’s speculation about where each monster might fit—not information about Capcom’s plans. The official announcement does not identify these candidates as returning monsters.
How the theory filters its picks
Popularity and fan demand
The theory says it starts from a community anniversary popularity ranking and then considers well-placed candidates. The ranking’s publisher, year, and underlying figures are not established here, so the premise should not be treated as a verified ranking or used to assign a precise position to any monster.
Time away from the series
The writer favors monsters considered to have been absent from recent mainline appearances. That is a selection criterion, not a complete audit of every monster’s franchise history.
Fit with Ascendance
Fit receives the most weight. The theory points to vertical spaces, large-scale fights, and an apparent Elder Dragon focus. The announced Skybound Eyrie, described as floating high above the clouds, and Lao-Shan Lung’s central place in the story provide context for that reasoning. They do not make any of the five picks more than plausible speculation.
Rank #3
- Wild New Adventure – Monster Hunter Wilds follows the story of a special Research Commission investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the hunter is joined in their journey by a colorful cast of characters, including a Palico partner, Guild-appointed Handler Alma, trusty smithy Gemma, and the mysterious child Nata. Together, the team ventures into an unexplored new frontier where surprises await around every corner.
- A Living World – The Forbidden Lands spans multiple biomes with dynamic identities, such as the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, where the ecosystems shift between vibrant seasons brimming with life, and unforgiving climates where monsters fight over limited resources. Changes in the landscape will impact the creatures that live there and push hunters to adapt as well.
- New Monsters and Wildlife – Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors.
- Evolved Hunting Action – The series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever! Hunters can look forward to tracking down monsters with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. The action also now flows seamlessly from cutscenes to gameplay, resulting in a new level of immersion.
- Crossplay Multiplayer – Alongside the option to enjoy the story of Monster Hunter Wilds solo, hunters can join up to three other players across any platform to explore the world together and take on the game’s challenges as a hunting party or receive aid from notable story characters as Support Hunter NPCs.
The article’s filter also excludes variants and deviants from its base-return shortlist, and moves some end-boss or difficult-to-pair candidates into honorable mentions. Its reasoning includes the possibility that an existing siege fight could make another end-boss choice harder to place. These are the writer’s editorial judgments, not confirmed rules or constraints for Ascendance.
Honorable mentions and near-misses
The theory also considers Old/White Fatalis, Ahtal-Ka, Great Jaggi, Ceadeus, Namielle, Zinogre, Nakarkos, and Deviljho. It places these outside its five picks for reasons such as variant or deviant status, perceived overlap with an end-boss or siege role, not meeting its absence filter, or a less suitable roster tier. Those explanations describe how the theory was constructed; they do not establish that Capcom has ruled these monsters out.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is the release and access context?
Capcom USA’s September 3, 2026 announcement says the expansion is coming to PlayStation 5 in 2027. It requires the base Monster Hunter Wilds game. To start the expansion story and enter Master Rank, players must reach Hunter Rank 40 and complete “Awaking From a Dream.” The announcement says all 14 weapon types will be available, and notes that more mechanics and weapon details would be revealed later; its details are therefore a dated announcement, not a final guide to everything in the expansion.
How to read the monster list
If you are asking which monsters are confirmed, the five theory picks are not the answer: the announcement names Lao-Shan Lung in the story premise and identifies Araketa and Gundoraja as newly discovered monsters, but does not confirm the five candidates as returning. If you are asking which monsters this particular theory considers plausible, its list is Dalamadur, Akantor, Dire Miralis, Yama Tsukami, and Akant. Keep the distinction clear as more official information appears ahead of the stated 2027 release.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Wild New Adventure – Monster Hunter Wilds follows the story of a special Research Commission investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the hunter is joined in their journey by a colorful cast of characters, including a Palico partner, Guild-appointed Handler Alma, trusty smithy Gemma, and the mysterious child Nata. Together, the team ventures into an unexplored new frontier where surprises await around every corner.
- A Living World – The Forbidden Lands spans multiple biomes with dynamic identities, such as the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, where the ecosystems shift between vibrant seasons brimming with life, and unforgiving climates where monsters fight over limited resources. Changes in the landscape will impact the creatures that live there and push hunters to adapt as well.
- New Monsters and Wildlife – Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors.
- Evolved Hunting Action – The series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever! Hunters can look forward to tracking down monsters with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. The action also now flows seamlessly from cutscenes to gameplay, resulting in a new level of immersion.
- Crossplay Multiplayer – Alongside the option to enjoy the story of Monster Hunter Wilds solo, hunters can join up to three other players across any platform to explore the world together and take on the game’s challenges as a hunting party or receive aid from notable story characters as Support Hunter NPCs.
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