Monster Hunter Now ‘Diablos Invasion’ event guide

Monster Hunter Now’s first event is centered around Diablos, a desert-dwelling monster you would otherwise encounter during the late-game.

Much like Niantic’s Pokémon Go Community Day events (similar enough that they take place over the same weekend), the “Diablos Invasion” event boosts creature spawns and provides additional quests for a limited time.

There are some notable differences between the two events, but the ethos if the same; if you wanted an excuse to play for an afternoon and get your hands on some rare resources, this is a good time to play.

Looking for more advice? Our Monster Hunter Now tips and tricks page can give you some extra pointers.

Monster Hunter Now “Diablos Invasion” event times and bonuses

Image: Niantic / Capcom

The “Diablos Invasion” will take place on Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept. 24 between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time for those Hunter Rank 11 and above.

This gives you two opportunities — and six hours in total — to make the most out of the bonus Diablos spawns, which will be boosted in desert areas.

The event is a useful opportunity to farm monster parts for Diablos weapons and armor, whose set perks include Guard (reduces damage and knockback when blocking), Heroics (increases attack power when below a third health), and Slugger (increases stun power).

Time-limited quests, meanwhile, will be available for the entirety of weekend — from 12.01 a.m. Saturday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday — giving you extra time to complete their steps. You can find these in the ‘Special’ tab alongside the game’s daily quests.

As the first ever event in Monster Hunter Now, the exact spawn rate, number of quests and their rewards are unknown at the time of writing — though we do know one time-limited quest includes “snapping a picture of Diablos in AR mode”, so get your cameras ready.

Update (Sept. 25): With the event now over, going by the community reaction and my own experience, Monster Hunter Now’s first event was disappointing. Spawns were low for most players — personally, I saw very little on the Saturday, but fared much better on Sunday — while the quests available were limited to just two: the aforementioned ‘snap a picture in AR mode’ and ‘defeat a Diablos’, the latter a tall order for many considering how new the game is.

The only positive was the surprise debut of a new monster — Black Diablos — a very rare spawn that eluded many players. At the time of writing it has yet to be seen outside of “Diablos Invasion”, suggesting it will be an event exclusive.

How to prepare for Diablos and the Diablos Invasion event

Diablos will appear for all players at Hunter Rank 11 and above — meaning you won’t have to have encountered one in the story first — giving all players an easy opportunity to encounter a late-game monster.

Though Diablos will be available for all players, a Niantic spokesperson has confirmed to Polygon it will be at minimum a five-star encounter, and encourages players at lower levels to team up with others to defeat them.

This gives players at lower levels a few options. The best is find other players to join them during the event hours, while the other is hope random players locally will be matchmaking for party members in-game (see the upper left corner of the screen for when others are looking for an assist).

Another option for lower-level players is to progress through the story to the point where taking one on solo is viable (this is realistically Chapter 10 onwards, when you start to unlock five-star encounters in general — which we reached after around one week of playtime).

Finally, though not confirmed whether it’s possible for event spawns, it’s possible you could Paintball a Diablos or two to encounter for after the event ends, and if so, then ask others to join you via a QR code before the Paintball expires.

Whichever way you plan to take on Diablos, know they are weak to ice, dragon and paralysis, so we recommend you have one of these elemental weapons (we recommend Grade 3 or above) to give you the edge in battle.

Finally, know that habitats change daily — so if you are playing both days, a desert biome’s location on Saturday could well be different on Sunday, and you should adjust your walking routes accordingly.

• SEO Powered Content & PR Distribution. Get Amplified Today.
• PlatoData.Network Vertical Generative Ai. Empower Yourself. Access Here.
• PlatoAiStream. Web3 Intelligence. Knowledge Amplified. Access Here.
• PlatoESG. Carbon, CleanTech, Energy, Environment, Solar, Waste Management. Access Here.
• PlatoHealth. Biotech and Clinical Trials Intelligence. Access Here.
• Source: https://www.polygon.com/monster-hunter-now-guides/2023/9/22/23885388/diablos-event-time-date-invasion