Monster Hunter series producer predicts Hammer will rise in popularity with Ascendance expansion

Capcom has released a series of weapon breakdown videos over the past two weeks showcasing the new Boost Bracer mechanics coming to Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance. The Boost Bracer lets hunters enhance their combat actions with additional speed and impact while adding new attacks to existing weapon movesets.

At Tokyo Game Show, PC Gamer spoke with Monster Hunter developers about how the Boost Bracer evolves combat flow and which weapon they expected to gain the most fans. When asked what weapon he'd stake 10,000 yen on climbing the popularity rankings in Ascendance, series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto answered immediately. "Hammer," he said. "I think the hammer should definitely go up a place or two."

Tsujimoto has served as Monster Hunter series producer since Monster Hunter Freedom 2 released in 2007. His prediction carries particular context: at the 2023 Justdan Game Festival in Taiwan, he revealed his Monster Hunter Rise guild card showing he'd used the hammer in all 895 of his completed hunts. In prerelease interviews for Monster Hunter Wilds, when asked about the new mid-hunt weapon swapping feature, he stated "both of my weapons will be hammers."

The Hammer's Ascendance toolkit includes the return of Rise's Impact Crater switch skill as the boost mode entry attack. Once engaged, hammer hunters gain access to a mid-charge boost dash for repositioning and a new one-armed slam that can follow the weapon's heaviest charged attacks.

Ascendance director Takuro Hiraoka offered a contrasting view, predicting Gunlance could also rise in the rankings. "There's definitely an appeal—a special kind of romance—to gunlance this time that'll maybe see it go up the rankings as well," Hiraoka said. The Gunlance toolkit features explosive shells for airborne plunging attacks and overheated stake thrusts.

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 and is available to wishlist on Steam.