Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance has the fanbase hyped, but the return of the elder dragon Kushala Doara has them rolling their eyes.
Monster Hunter Wilds's "massive expansion" was finally announced at Summer Game Fest last week, with Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance set to launch in 2027, which will undoubtedly bring back the Master Rank quests and introduce new and returning monsters. Given that Monster Hunter Wilds' base game brought back some long-time series absentees – with a ton of love being shown to Monster Hunter 4's roster – we can't wait to see all the returning monsters we'll have a chance to hunt for the first time in years… wait, it's Kushala, isn't it? It's gonna be Kushala.
Yes, the Steel Dragon, Kushala Daora debuted in Monster Hunter 2, and – aside from the third generation – has appeared in every single major Monster Hunter title to date. Kushala Doara may be metallic, but its main issue is its ability to manipulate the wind, which makes the fight against this massive Elder Dragon quite tedious.
Reaction to the trailer itself had fans gutted over its return – at least in lieu of announcing other monsters we haven't seen for a while – with one user in the Reddit announcement thread saying, "Looks beautiful, but I died inside a little when I saw Kushala."
Kushala is more of an Elder that I want you to make tolerable rather than one I expect you to make enjoyable.June 8, 2026
Capcom has decided to poke the bear with a Twitter post about the monster. And the fans responded in kind, with multiple posts comparing his constant appearances to The Deep from The Boys, while another responds, "Kushala is more of an Elder that I want you to make tolerable rather than one I expect you to make enjoyable."
Although others are on the defensive for this Elder, with plenty pointing out that, with weather effects being a big focus in Wilds, it makes total sense. Plus, most of Kushala Doara's hate comes from World, but people are pointing out that fighting it in Rise was way better. Although even with those caveats, it's as simple as "I'm just really tired of seeing him is all" for some.
At the very least, everyone is pretty hyped to see the return of another Elder Dragon, the original Monster Hunter's Lao-Shan Lung who – aside from a return in the Smash Bros-style celebration that was Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate – hasn't appeared in the series since the second generation of games.
