Monster Hunter Now weapon list, how to unlock new weapon types

Weapons are the most important tools in your Monster Hunter Now arsenal.

This mobile version of the series stripped back the usual roster of weapons down to six choices at launch, locking them behind story quest progression or Hunter Rank progress, with more being introduced with seasonal updates over time.

Despite the limited number of weapons in Monster Hunter Now, there are a couple of ranged options and series staples, such as the Great Sword, giving you some variety to play around with.

Monster Hunter Now weapons list: How many weapons are there?

To date, the roster of weapons in Monster Hunter Now is as follows:

• Sword and Shield
• Great Sword
• Bow
• Hammer
• Light Bowgun
• Long Sword
• Dual Blades (added in Dec. 2023’s “Fulminations in the Frost” update)
• Lance (added in Dec. 2023’s “Fulminations in the Frost” update)
• Charge Blade (added in March 2024’s “The Vernal Invader” update)

Developers Niantic and Capcom have confirmed new weapon types will continue to be added to the game as part of a “season system,” so for those familiar with the main series, hopefully your favorites will roll out before too long.

How to unlock new weapon types in Monster Hunter Now

Image: Niantic / Capcom via Polygon

To begin with, you’ll only have access to the Sword and Shield, albeit with multiple variations by forging together parts from slaying large monsters.

To unlock new weapon types in Monster Hunter Now, you must progress through the main story quest. In Chapter 2, you’ll first unlock three more weapons, and just a few steps later, you’ll get the remaining roster of weapons.

Specifically, you need to reach the following points in the story:

• To unlock the Great Sword, Dual Blades, and Lance, complete the first stage of “Chapter 2: Shimmering Swamp” in the main story.
• To unlock the Bow, Hammer, Light Bowgun, and Long Sword, reach Hunter Rank 15.

These pre-requisites aren’t too far into your Monster Hunter Now journey — requiring just a few hours of play. Of course, that might be staggered out depending on how much you’re able to explore, with many story steps based on collecting resources, which will be limited if you are playing in just a single spot.

Meanwhile, though large monsters do spawn frequently on your stationary position, making use of paintballs for when you need to complete large monster steps quickly is advised.

When will new weapon types arrive in Monster Hunter Now?

New weapon types — alongside new monsters and story updates — will be coming to Monster Hunter Now as part of major quarterly updates.

The first of these was “Fulminations in the Frost,” arriving Dec. 2023, which introduced the Dual Blades and Lance.

The iconic Charge Blade was added in March 2023.

Image: Niantic / Capcom

As of now, the Charge Blade is the only confirmed weapon planned for the March 2024 update — but expect more weapons to be rolled out in subsequent updates.