Capcom has revealed the first Monster Hunter Rise collaboration during E3 2021, as the game will add crossover content from Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. The Monster Hunter series has collaborated with a number of different video game franchises over the years, but so far Capcom has only committed to collaborations with its own properties for Monster Hunter Rise.
There was a time when the Monster Hunter series was filled with Nintendo crossovers, as the 3DS entries in the series had costumes and weapons from Metroid, Super Mario Bros., and The Legend of Zelda. This seemed as if it was going to be the case for Monster Hunter Rise, as it was originally advertised as a Nintendo Switch game. Capcom later revealed that Monster Hunter Rise is coming to PC in 2022, which is likely why it won't have Nintendo crossovers this time around.
Capcom has revealed the first of three "Capcom Collabs" for Monster Hunter Rise. On June 18, players will able to earn a new Palico outfit based on Tsukino from Monster Hunter Stories 2. The people who have save data from Monster Hunter Stories 2 will be able to receive the Rider layered armor set in Monster Hunter Rise. A trailer for the new content that was shown at E3 2021 can be seen on the official Capcom USA YouTube channel.
It was also revealed that the upcoming 3.1 update will be released on June 24. This will add new Event Quests, the Black Leather Legs and Shadow Shades armor, the Play Possum gesture, and the Festival Set stickers. There will also be a new round of paid DLC coming. Capcom also revealed that the 3.2 update will come at the end of July and will feature the second Capcom Collab, and the 3.3 update will arrive in August, with the third Capcom Collab.
It's disappointing that Capcom chose Monster Hunter Stories 2 as the first crossover event for Monster Hunter Rise. It makes sense to want to promote the new game, especially since Rise itself has been so popular on Nintendo Switch, but the new items aren't exciting, because it's just existing Monster Hunter content. Previous Monster Hunter games have had crossovers with series like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, so the Monster Hunter Stories 2 collaboration feels underwhelming. Time will tell if future events will engender more enthusiasm for the ongoing game.
The Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin crossover content will start on June 18. The 3.1 update for Monster Hunter Rise will be released on June 24.
Source: Capcom USA/YouTube