Monster Hunter World: Iceborne's most surprising and coolest reveal is the Acidic Glavenus

We're getting plenty of wild Monster Hunter World: Iceborne monsters this fall, and the newcomers are a healthy mix of all-new monsters and returning fan-favorites. But the most recent addition a Monster Hunter World Iceborne Acidic Glavenus, an exciting combination of new and old, not to mention a total surprise.

Glavenus was introduced in Monster Hunter Generations as one of the big four flagships, and it later received a deviant called Hellblade Glavenus. When Glavenus was announced for Iceborne alongside new subspecies like Ebony Odogaron, players started to wonder if Hellblade Glavenus - famed for the top-tier weapons its parts yielded - might return as well. Oh, we got a Glavenus subspecies all right, but it's an original monster custom-made for Iceborne.

Hellblade Glavenus specialized in fire attacks and tail sweeps, but Acidic Glavenus focuses on precise attacks and some nasty acid. Glavenus has always been Tail Spin: The Monster, but where it originally used its tail as a sweeping greatsword, its Acidic form handles it more like an elegant straight sword. It still has some big sweeps, but its strikes are swifter and more precise. Even its pose is different - I love the way it coils its tail for a split-second before striking, just like a duelist with a sword. Hunting Glavenus with a longsword always felt like a true sword fight, so it's great to see Capcom tap into that with this new subspecies.

We'll get to hunt Acidic Glavenus and his mates when Iceborne arrives on PS4 and Xbox One on September 6, and on PC later this winter. 

At this point, I'm wondering what Capcom won't add in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

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Austin Wood

Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.