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Here’s when Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’s Title Update 4 releases

Alatreon and Frostfang Barioth arrive in Iceborne with Title Update 4

Alatreon, the black elder dragon that was the final boss of Monster Hunter III, finally arrives in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne this week with the release of Title Update 4. It’s joined by the Frostfang Barioth variant and a host of new gear, skills, and activities to do. You’ll be able to download Title Update 4 July 8 or 9 (depending on your region), and we’ve got specific times listed below.

Alatreon was originally planned for some time in May, but the update was delayed. Now, Update 4 will include several planned updates from the game’s content roadmap as originally laid out by Capcom. At the top of the list is Alatreon, a fearsome elder dragon that can switch its elemental affinity between frost, fire, and dragon powers, making it a difficult boss to select gear for. It also has a powerful shockwave attack that can wipe out all but the most hearty hunters. It’s going to be a demanding battle, but you’ll have brand new armour and weapons to craft out of its materials.

Frostfang Barioth exists because apparently someone decided the normal Barioth wasn’t enough of a bastard, which it 100% is. Expect unrelenting aggression paired with a nasty tendency to freeze you in your tracks with frost attacks. Vanilla Barioth is the first major skillcheck in Monster Hunter: World’s Iceborne expansion, and Frostfang Barioth is going to be a tougher customer still.

Monster Hunter’s directorial team has created an in-depth developer diary video that explains what’s coming in Title Update 4.3:

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An interesting new wrinkle for the meta is the Alatreon armour set bonus, called Alatreon Divinity. With that bonus active, elemental power from your weapon increases as your amour’s elemental resistance increases, making elemental resistance a much more attractive build goal with this set.

The next big event in Monster Hunter: World is the Sizzling Spice Fest, which features carnival-style decorations in the Asteria and Seliana gathering hubs. The costumes are brightly-coloured like the kind you might find in Rio de Janiero, and the food is almost exclusively meat. Even the Handler will be getting a lavishly beaded samba outfit, covered in feathers. Palicoes will be able to wear a festive Pukei-Pukei costume, while Poogies are getting a hilarious egg outfit (with a greedy Kulu-Ya-Ku hanging on for dear life).

The Sizzling Spice Fest will feature the usual round of new event quests and armour, and you’ll also be able to finish up any limited-time quests from previous festivals as well – so if you’re missing Dante’s outfit from Devil May Cry, this will be the time to wrap that up.

Title Update 4 arrives July 8 at 20:00 EDT / 17:00 PDT, and July 9 at 1:00 BST.