User blog comment:Kogath/Monster Hunter: World Discussion/@comment-6050823-20190703102209

I was able to get my hands on Game Informer's digital magazine, and there were details about Iceborne in this issue.

Story
 * The Hinterlands is an unexplored region not too far away from the New World that has recently been attracting flocks of Legiana to its lands. The Hoarfrost Reach is a part of this region as well.
 * The Research Commission has left Astera to explore that unknown land in search of answers as to why the Legiana have suddenly started going to the Hinterlands. One of the driving forces leading our hunter there is the Handler, and something is inspiring her to solve this mystery.
 * Seliana is built in a part of the Hinterlands called the Hoarfrost Reach. Thanks to some of the commissions' engineers, they use thermal energy within these headquarters to power everything in Seliana.
 * There is also a Poogie wandering around the village as well.
 * Though the Hinterlands play a big part in Iceborne's story, hunters will be revisiting the New World as they progress through the game.

Barioth
 * Since Barioth is a returning monster, the MH Team didn't need to start from scratch while building it for Iceborne. They used Barioth's concept art from its original design to figure out what they would do to it in the expansion. From hardware limitations in previous titles, they couldn't show small details in the monster's design, but now they can! In Iceborne, you can see all sorts of small details in Barioth's design that emphasize how it is able to cling onto ice.
 * Just like in previous titles, breaking Barioth's wings will cause it to lose some of its maneuverability on the ice.

Velkhana
 * When the Game Informer group struck Velkhana, it flew into the air and unleashed a powerful roar before covering itself in ice. By secreting a substance between its scales that is particularly susceptible to supercooling, Velkhana is able to make its icy armor at will.
 * When Velkhana breathes an icy blast, it's still a liquid while it is traveling, but turns to ice the moment it hits the ground. The icicles trap the hunters, giving them less room to evade its attack, effectively leaving them few options to dodge Velkhana or smaller wyverns during the hunt.
 * If there's a dense fog in the area and it uses its icy blast, that attack will react differently and create ice in midair. Velkhana is described to be evasive in the air, using its forked-tail to attack as well as using an AoE blast that corrals hunters into tight spots.

Extra Notes
 * They make sure to mention that all monsters first appearing in Iceborne are Master Rank-exclusive, meaning they won't appear in Low or High Rank quests at all.
 * Due to player feedback about Astera being difficult to navigate, the MH Team made Seliana smaller and less complex so people could easily explore the village while having fun finding small details in it.
 * While the Game Informer group were hunting Barioth, they mentioned it encountered another monster that they can't yet reveal.