We knew the free demo for Capcom's Nintendo Switch title Monster Hunter Rise would be arriving sometime this month, we just didn't expect it to be today. A new digital event from the gaming giant behind the worldwide franchise just revealed a new look at Rise's monsters, weapons, NPC's, and skill sets. Additionally, they not only revealed the imminent release of the free, limited demo, but also the content that'll be accessible to gamers until February 1st. Plenty of time to check the game out.

However, there are also quite a few things to note for this demo, via Capcom's site:

  • *This is a free demo of Monster Hunter Rise for Nintendo Switch.
  • *You need a Nintendo Account in order to access the Nintendo eShop.
  • *You need 1.6GB of free space on your Nintendo Switch or your microSD card to download the demo.
  • *Up to four players can play the demo in Local or Online Multiplayer, as long as each player downloads the demo.
  • *In order to use Online Multiplayer, a Nintendo Switch Online membership is required.
  • *The quests for Great Izuchi and Mizutsune can only be played a total of 30 times. [Emphasis mine] Once you've reached this limit, all 4 quests, including the Basic Training Quest and the Wyvern Riding Training Quest, will no longer be available.
  • *The demo is available with the following limitations:
  • [Single Player and Local Multiplayer] Until the remaining number of quests hits 0.
  • [Online Multiplayer] Until the MONSTER HUNTER RISE DEMO can no longer be downloaded.
  • *You will not be able to transfer your save data to the main game. [Emphasis mine.]

Producer Ryozo Tsuhimoto and director Yasunori Ichinose previously shared a New Year's Eve message with Monster Hunter fans everywhere, which was the preamble to their reveal during today's event. Additionally, they confirmed the release date for the full game as well as a general Summer 2021 tease for Monster Hunter Stories 2.

MHR will continue the success of Monster Hunter World and its "Iceborne" DLC by including the familiar 14 weapon types, along with new and fan-favorite faces from monster-kind. After you've mastered everything that Rise has to offer, you'll be able to embark on "Wings of Ruin", the new Stories RPG set in the world of Monster Hunter.

The Monster Hunter Rise demo should arrive very soon, followed by the March 26th release of the full game; Monster Hunter Stories 2 will then arrive some time this summer, all available on Nintendo Switch. You can pre-order now to get access to bonus content like cosmetic armor for your Palamute and Palico pals.

Before you can get your hands on the demo, you can see some of your favorite streamers check it out in a streaming showcase:

Check out the full digital event for Capcom's Monster Hunter Rise here:

Here's a Wyvern Riding 101 tutorial to get you schooled up before the demo drops:

Take the reins and turn monsters onto each other! Learn the ropes of the powerful Wyvern Riding technique with this tutorial. #MHRise

And a look at how the all-new versatile Wirebug tool works:

Master all-new mobility and decisive weapon attacks with this handy guide on the Wirebug! #MHRise