How Elder Dragon Interceptions work in Monster Hunter Now

Interceptions are how you encounter Elder Dragons in Monster Hunter Now .

First introduced in June 2024’s Dancing in the Tempest update with the arrival of Kushala Daora, Interceptions are a mix of the game’s Hunt-a-thon events and Pokémon Go’s raids, where hunters team up to take down a rare, powerful creature.

Here’s how Elder Dragon Interceptions work in Monster Hunter Now, and the list of Elder Dragons added to the game so far.

Elder Dragon Interceptions release time

Elder Dragon Interceptions will debut as part of Season 2 Dancing in the Tempest on Thursday, June 13, with the first events appearing from 12 p.m. local time.

From there, they will rotate in and out of Gathering Points throughout the day, starting from around 7:15 a.m. until around 10:45 a.m.

How do Elder Dragon Interceptions work in Monster Hunter Now?

Similar to Hunt-a-Thons, Elder Dragon Interceptions are events which appear on the map at Gathering Points for a limited time. Approach the encounter before the timer ends to begin.

In battle, a key difference with Elder Dragon Interceptions is the health bar is split into two. If you reach the halfway point (known as the “repel” phase), you will receive monster parts even if you don’t complete the rest of the encounter. Additionally, you will still receive a reward if you only manage around 20% of the overall health bar.

Image: Niantic / Capcom

The time limit for Elder Dragon Interceptions are longer than most battles, with each of the two phases lasting around 75 seconds, likely to account for the higher difficulty of the encounter.

Finally, similar to Hunt-a-thons, solo players who enter an Elder Dragon Interception will have matchmaking; simply wait in the lobby when you first join until it populates with other players. They will also have a cooldown of 180 minutes, unless you purchase and use an Ultra Hunting Ticket from the in-game shop.

Elder Dragons list in Monster Hunter Now

For those new to Monster Hunter, Elder Dragons are among the rarest and most powerful creatures in the game — described by Niantic as “monsters that have existed since ancient times and possess characteristics that transcend human knowledge.”

As with Pokémon Go’s Legendaries, it’s likely they will be rotated in and out of the game through Interceptions over time.

The Elder Dragons that have appeared in Monster Hunter Now so far are:

• Kushala Daora (appeared June 2024)

With more than 40 Elder Dragons appearing in the series as a whole so far, there’s many more for the game to catch up on — though the rate at which we’ll see them is currently unknown.

You can get a sense of how many there are in this graphic of their rollout, generation-by-generation, on the Monster Hunter subreddit.

If you’re interested in other creatures in the meantime, our monster list can help you work out what to hunt next.