Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Won't Hit Steam Until Next Year

A major expansion is on the way, but Monster Hunter fans on PC will have to wait a little while longer than others to venture into the icy tundra. While Monster Hunter World: Iceborne arrives September 6 for console players, the Steam version won't arrive until January 2020.

This isn't the first gap Monster Hunter World has had in its lifetime, as it came to Steam in August 2018 after launching on consoles in January of that year. While the wait isn't quite as long this time around, it's still fairly noticeable.

Despite the lagging launch, Monster Hunter World has still done very well on the PC platform. The Steam version rocketed up the charts on launch day, and in a November 2018 Q&A, Capcom said it would "focus on the PC version of the game" for future growth. Perhaps this lessened wait between console and PC versions is a sign of that.

Iceborne seems like it's going to reignite some fires for monster hunting as well. The addition of freezing weather as an added nuisance actually heightens the tension of big monster fights, and the monster-grappling Clutch Claw allows for a lot of fun and antics. Or strategy, I guess, if you're smart and not trying to launch face-first into monsters like me. Plus, even if hunting isn't your thing, you can hang out in a hot spring with your cool cat pals.

We'll see how it comes together on consoles, and what PC players have to look forward to, on September 6. Meanwhile, if you want to read more about what's coming to the world of Monster Hunter World, check out our interview with the devs from E3 2019.