Highlights
- Monster Hunter Now, developed by Niantic, brings the iconic gameplay of the series to mobile with an AR twist, allowing for ambitious gameplay reminiscent of the mainline games.
- The mobile game is expected to feature events, crossovers, collaboration items, and tie-ins with new mainline entries, following the content delivery schedule of modern Monster Hunter games.
- Capcom’s goal for Monster Hunter Now is to generate excitement, drive interest in the series, and potentially integrate with new mainline games, offering a platform for sneak peeks and celebrating the franchise’s history.
Monster Hunter Now looks to bring the series’ iconic gameplay to the mobile platform with an augmented reality twist. Developed by Niantic of Pokemon Go fame, the title is in the hands of the developer who understands the mobile AR game space best, and this has allowed them to pursue ambitious gameplay that is reminiscent of the mainline series. Modern Monster Hunter games have been jam-packed with events and crossovers, and it stands to reason that this approach will also extend to the new mobile game. On top of crossovers with other franchises and series, Monster Hunter Now has plenty of opportunities to tie into new mainline entries.
Like Monster Hunter World before it, Monster Hunter Rise received many free updates. These updates contained events with collaboration items like a Sonic The Hedgehog costume and an Amaterasu skin for the player’s Palamutes. New monsters were also drip-fed through updates. These updates slowed down before the release of the expansion and then resumed until the end of the game’s life cycle. This has been the content delivery schedule for modern Monster Hunter games, and it stands to reason that Monster Hunter Now will likely function similarly, though things will get interesting once it is running concurrently with a new mainline game.
Monster Hunter Now Is Perfect For Crossovers
Capcom has said that Monster Hunter Now isn’t looking to make money. Instead, Capcom’s hope for the game is that it will generate excitement around the series and drive more people to check out its other entries. Monster Hunter Stories is available on mobile platforms as well, and the series has games on most major platforms, so this plan could definitely work out. Once a new mainline game for the series is announced and eventually released, it will likely feature some sort of collaboration with the mobile game or even some form of integration, like the ability to unlock things in one game by completing tasks in the other.
The potential for crossovers with mainline games is vast. Most of Monster Hunter Now‘s monsters are pulled from World and its excellent expansion Iceborne. When the new game is announced, it is possible that new monsters will be added to each concurrently. Monster Hunter Now could also receive events tying into the next mainline title’s launch. Events like this could give some exclusive gear related to the game and could start before release, allowing Capcom to use MH Now as a platform to tease content for their series to dedicated fans. Using the new mobile game to provide previews to its audience would be a fun way to give fans sneak peeks at upcoming content in the mainline series.
Monster Hunter Now Could Be A Nostalgia Trip
As well as promoting new mainline titles in the Monster Hunter franchise, Now could pull on the series’ vast history. Monster Hunter has been around for the better part of two decades and boasts a roster of hundreds of large monsters like the series’ fearsome Elder Dragons. Some of these critters haven’t been seen in a new entry for years, and some areas, such as Monster Hunter Tri‘s Loc Lac City, are no longer accessible in-game due to server shutdowns. MH Now could be the perfect opportunity to revisit old monsters and pay homage to previous titles. Given that next year will mark 20 years of Monster Hunter, MH Now could be a great platform for the series to celebrate its history.
Monster Hunter Now is positioned to crossover with both new and old games from the mainline series. While the spin-off games are less well-known, they could also easily receive content in Now, and that even seems likely if a new spin-off title is announced. Since Monster Hunter Now will be a live-service mobile game, fans of the franchise can expect that for as long as it is running, it will tie into and promote important entries and events in the franchise. Whether Monster Hunter Now connects to the mainline games directly, the game will serve as an important part of the series going forward.
Monster Hunter Now is scheduled for release on September 14, 2023, for mobile devices.
