Prepare to face the ultimate challenge in Monster Hunter Now: Elder Dragon Interceptions. These special timed raids summon the most formidable Elder Dragons at specific Gathering Points, where hunters must band together to either slay or repel these ancient titans. Unlike regular hunts, the Elder Dragon’s health bar is massive and split into two phases-reach the halfway “repel” mark to earn valuable rewards even if you don’t finish the fight. With strict Hunter Rank requirements and a limited window to join, these interceptions test your skills, strategy, and teamwork like never before on mobile. Ready your gear and rally your allies-Elder Dragon Interceptions are where legends are forged.
Here’s how Elder Dragon Interceptions work in Monster Hunter Now, and the list of Elder Dragons added to the game so far.
Latest update: The most recent Elder Dragon to be added to the game, Kirin, was introduced in Feb. 2025.
How do Elder Dragon Interceptions work in Monster Hunter Now?
Elder Dragon Interceptions in Monster Hunter Now are special timed events where players can hunt powerful Elder Dragons at specific Gathering Points on the map. These interceptions occur at scheduled times throughout the day, starting around 7:15 AM and ending around 10:40 PM local time. To participate, players must have reached at least Hunter Rank 11, with higher-rank requirements for more difficult interceptions. Once the event begins, players can join by approaching the interception point or tapping a notification, then enter a lobby to team up with others. The battle features a fixed health bar for the Elder Dragon, regardless of group size, and is divided into phases where players can either slay or repel the dragon. Even if the dragon is not slain, repelling it by reducing its health sufficiently grants rewards, including materials for broken parts if applicable. After completing an interception, a cooldown of 180 minutes applies before joining another, though this can be bypassed using Ultra Hunting Tickets purchased in the in-game shop.
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.
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
Elder Dragons in Monster Hunter Now are rare and powerful creatures that players encounter through special events called Elder Dragon Interceptions. These interceptions were introduced in the June 2024 update “Dancing in the Tempest” and function similarly to raid battles, where hunters team up to defeat these formidable monsters. The health bar of Elder Dragons is divided into two phases, allowing players to earn rewards even if they only reach the halfway “repel” phase. So far, Kushala Daora is a notable Elder Dragon featured in the game, with more expected to rotate in over time as part of the ongoing content updates.
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.”
Unlike Pokémon Go’s Legendaries, aside from events which debut an Elder Dragon, Interceptions will rotate through a list of previously released monsters.
The Elder Dragons that can appear in Interceptions are:
- Kushala Daora (added June 2024)
- Teostra (added Aug. 2024 as part of the “Howls of the Flaming King” event)
- Nergigante (added Nov. 2024 as part of the “Carnival 2024” event)
- Kirin (added Feb. 2025 as part of the “Winter Event”)
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.
How do Elder Dragon Interceptions differ from regular hunts in Monster Hunter Now
Elder Dragon Interceptions in Monster Hunter Now differ from regular hunts in several key ways:
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Event-based and time-limited: Elder Dragon Interceptions occur only at specific Gathering Points and appear on the map for a limited time during scheduled windows, unlike regular hunts which can be initiated more freely.
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Two-phase health bar: The Elder Dragon’s health bar is split into two phases, each lasting about 75 seconds, making the encounter longer and more challenging. Reaching the halfway “repel” phase grants rewards even if the dragon is not fully slain.
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Fixed health regardless of group size: Unlike regular hunts where monster health scales with the number of participants, Elder Dragon health remains fixed, with up to four players per group.
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Hunter Rank requirements: Participation requires a minimum Hunter Rank (HR 11 or higher), with higher-rank interceptions (8★ and above) requiring even higher HR thresholds.
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Cooldown and ticket system: After joining an Elder Dragon Interception, players face a 180-minute cooldown before joining another interception or Hunt-a-thon, which can be bypassed by using an Ultra Hunting Ticket. These tickets are only consumed upon successful slaying or repelling, not on failure or leaving early.
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Repel rewards: Even if players cannot slay the Elder Dragon, inflicting enough damage to repel it still grants rewards, a feature not present in regular hunts.
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Matchmaking and group play: Solo players entering an interception are matched with others in a lobby before the hunt starts, facilitating cooperative play similar to raid mechanics in other games.
These differences make Elder Dragon Interceptions a unique, cooperative, and strategic challenge distinct from standard hunts in Monster Hunter Now.
Why is the health bar split into two during Elder Dragon Interceptions
The health bar in Elder Dragon Interceptions is split into two phases to enhance the challenge and pacing of the encounter. When players deplete the first health bar, the Elder Dragon becomes enraged and enters a second phase, which adds an additional 75 seconds to the timer. This two-phase system allows hunters to reach a halfway “repel” point, where they can earn rewards even if they fail to fully slay the dragon. The split health bar thus provides a strategic checkpoint, giving players a chance to earn “Repel Rewards” and extending the battle’s duration to accommodate the higher difficulty of these raids.
