'Sunbreak' Will Be an Enormous New Expansion for 'Monster Hunter Rise' — Will It Be Free?

It's almost time to go on a brand new hunt in Monster Hunter Rise — a new DLC expansion called Sunbreak is coming to the popular title. The DLC was previously announced in September 2021 and will include all sorts of new monsters to battle against, missions to complete, and armor to wear. Monsters from throughout the series will even return as part of the DLC. The release date for Sunbreak is just around the corner.

With all the goodies and new content that the game will feature, will Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak be free for players upon release? Here's everything we know about the DLC thus far.

Monster Hunter Rise was first released on the Nintendo Switch in 2021 and came out on PC in 2022. Players take on the role of Hunters as they slay all sorts of creatures ranging from small to impossibly enormous. Working either solo or in an online group, players can defeat monsters and craft items and weapons to take on even bigger foes as the game progresses.

The game was immensely popular on release, becoming the second best-selling title in the series behind Monster Hunter World.

In its first DLC expansion, Sunbreak seeks to make the world of Rise even bigger. Hunters begin a new quest in the land of Elgado, an outpost threatened by an elder dragon named Malzeno. Players will be able to take on a new difficulty level in the form of Master Rank quests. New monsters, new characters, and updated gameplay tweaks will be included in this exciting update — and with new monsters comes new armor for your Hunter to become even stronger. With an update this big, is the DLC free?

As a self-proclaimed "Massive Expansion" to Monster Hunter Rise, Sunbreak will most certainly cost money to play. The DLC itself starts at $40 to pre-order and download upon release. You'll also need to have the base game already downloaded to have access to the DLC. Players will also have to have completed the "Serpent Goddess of Thunder" quest in the main game to start the DLC campaign.

What's more, there are a variety of different ways to purchase the DLC.

Of course, the DLC can be bought on its own through the Nintendo eShop for players who already have Rise. You can even digitally purchase a "Deluxe Edition" that includes different armor sets and cosmetics right out of the gate. For new players, you'll also be able to purchase the base game and Sunbreak as one bundle for $70.

No matter which version of the DLC you decide to get, Sunbreak will undoubtedly feature plenty of content to make it worth your while. The paid DLC expansion adds so much to an already-enormous game that it almost feels like an entirely new title.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak will be released for both Nintendo Switch and PC on June 30.