Monster Hunter Now Season 1 is called ‘Vernal Invader’, here’s when it starts

Monster Hunter Now has been here for almost six months, and in that time the monster-slaying mobile title has racked up an impressive 20 million downloads.

I previously wrote at length about how the game became a bit of a haven during a personal health crisis, and like many, I'm still playing regularly and so was desperate to see what's coming next. After all, since Now launched, we've seen Monster Hunter Wilds revealed and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the franchise.

So, what's new in Season 1 of Monster Hunter Now? Here's what you'll find in Vernal Invader.

When does Season 1 start?

Season 1 of Monster Hunter Now, dubbed Vernal Invader, arrives in-game on March 14, 2024.

The update is free for all players, and introduces the Charge Blade weapon type, as well as multiple new Monsters (three of which have been revealed so far).

We'll add the trailer below shortly.

New weapon: Charge Blade

The Monster Hunter favourite, the Charge Blade, finally joins the weapon lineup in Monster Hunter Now in Season 1.

Players build up charge with the sword and shield configuration, before transforming it into its axe-form to unleash big damage.

As part of a preview, it was shown there's a brief moment of invulnerability when switching, so you can almost attack through a Monster's attack. Senior Producer Sakae Osumi told me the team intends to add one new weapon per season, so I can hopefully be reunited with my Insect Glaive soon enough.

Alongside the new weapon are three new skills; Latent Power, Quick Work, and Status Sneak Attack. We've not got any advance information on how they'll be implemented but I'm looking forward to finding out.

New monsters & invasion mechanic

At the time of writing, Niantic has revealed three new Monsters as part of my hands-off preview, but they'll no doubt be familiar to Monster Hunter fans.

Deviljho

Deviljho makes its Monster Hunter Now debut having arrived in the series in Monster Hunter 3. It's a big, angry creature that travels across long stretches to find other monsters to fight and kill, and is our first introduction to the invasion mechanic.

Put simply, with Season 1 you'll be able to fight one creature only to have Deviljho wander into the fray. That might be frustrating to some, but should also afford extra materials for your hunter if you're successful.

Tzitzi-Ya-Ku

A Monster Hunter World debutant, Tzitzi-Ya-Ku's reptilian nature and huge head frills make it instantly recognisable. These can flash players to stun them in place for a moment.

Odogaron

Also making its first appearance in Monster Hunter World, Odogaron is instantly recognisable as a four-legged creature that appears to be missing skin.

It'll bring the 'Bleed' status effect with it, too, so players will need to stand still to stop the effect or be punished for attacking and evading.

Tzitzi-Ya-Ku and Odograon will be introduced via urgent quests, but it seems you won't have to seek out Deviljho - it'll find you.

I asked Senior Producer Sakae Osumi if Capcom's 'Return to World' campaign made it an easier sell to put such familiar Monster Hunter World creatures into Now's first season, and he said the lineup had been decided way before Capcom started to get players back into World.

It also wouldn't be Monster Hunter without some subspecies, so you can expect Pink Rathian, Black Diablos, and Azure Rathalos to pop up at Hunt-a-thon points going forward. The Tzitzi-Ya-Ku and Odogaron will appear there, too, once their urgent quests are completed.

Season Pass and Cosmetics

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Players can expect the introduction of a season pass with 100 tiers of rewards ranging from materials to consumable items on the free version. At the end of the 100 tiers, players can keep earning another 100 levels of rewards, taking them up to seasonal rank 200.

A premium version (as yet unpriced) will add additional cosmetics including a wearable Palico tail, because why not? These act as Layered Armor, which is Monster Hunter's pseudo-transmog system.

Other Layered Armor coming this season includes school uniforms, glasses, and anniversary items for the game's six-month anniversary and the franchise's 20-year one.

Everything else

Niantic is revamping the pre-hunt lobby, so players can show off their armour and Hunter Rank, as well as their chosen weapon, while loadout slots are also being increased from five up to ten.

Players can also expect anniversary events, too. The anniversary quests will kick off on March 14 and offer additional rewards like Zinogre Plates, Wyvern Gem Shards, and more. It'll run until March 24.

There are two new packs available in the in-game shop and web store, too. As per Niantic's press release:

1. Season 1 Pack

• Potion x10
• Paintball x10
• Special Carving Knife x10

2. Season 1 Premium Pack (Web Store-exclusive)

• Gem x5,500
• Potion x10
• Special Carving Knife x2

If you've not finished off your Fulminations in the Frost quests, it might be time to get to them - they'll be gone once Vernal Invasion begins. For more on Niantic's location-based games, check out the latest happenings in Pokemon Go.