Monster Hunter

Officially Monster Hunter (franchise)

CAPCOM's LEGENDARY ACTION-RPG HUNTING FRANCHISE — 2004 debut on PS2 (Japan-only initially); GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH with MONSTER HUNTER WORLD (2018, sold 25M+ copies, best-selling Capcom game ever until surpassed). Player is a HUNTER tracking + defeating GIANT MONSTERS (Rathalos, Diablos, Nergigante, Fatalis, Alatreon, dozens of iconic species) in beautiful ecosystems. 14 WEAPON TYPES each with deep combat systems. Craft ARMOR + WEAPONS from monster materials. Solo or 4-PLAYER CO-OP. Newest entry: MONSTER HUNTER WILDS (2025). 100+ MILLION UNITS SOLD franchise-wide.

📐Console + TV / PC / handheld⏱~30 min🌤indoor

Photo · Wikipedia

What is Monster Hunter?

MONSTER HUNTER is CAPCOM's LEGENDARY ACTION-RPG HUNTING FRANCHISE. FIRST RELEASE: Monster Hunter (PS2, March 2004 Japan; September 2004 US). Initial Western releases underperformed; the franchise became a PHENOMENON in JAPAN via PSP portable entries (MH Portable / Freedom series 2005-2010, tens of millions sold). GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH came with MONSTER HUNTER WORLD (January 2018 PS4/Xbox One; August 2018 PC) — massively simplified UI + open ecosystems + graphics leap = 25M+ COPIES SOLD (Capcom's best-selling game ever until MH Wilds). Followed by IceBORNE expansion (2019, 11M+ copies), MONSTER HUNTER RISE (2021 Switch/PC + 2023 all platforms, 15M+ copies), SUNBREAK expansion (2022), and MONSTER HUNTER WILDS (2025 PS5/Xbox/PC, over 8M copies in first 3 days). Franchise total: 100+ MILLION UNITS SOLD. GAMEPLAY: Player is a HUNTER of the GUILD tracking + defeating GIANT MONSTERS in beautiful ecosystems (Ancient Forest, Coral Highlands, Wildspire Waste, Frozen Wilds, Elgado, Windward Plains). Monsters have RICH ECOLOGIES: hunt, sleep, fight territorial rivals; understand + exploit behaviors. ICONIC MONSTERS: Rathalos (wyvern king), Rathian, Diablos, Nergigante (World flagship), Fatalis (black dragon, franchise mascot villain), Alatreon (elder dragon), Lagiacrus (leviathan), Zinogre (thunder wolf), Barroth, Deviljho (T-rex), Kirin (unicorn-elder), Kushala Daora (steel dragon), Teostra (fire lion), Malzeno (Sunbreak flagship), Arkveld (Wilds flagship). 14 WEAPON TYPES: Great Sword, Long Sword, Sword & Shield, Dual Blades, Hammer, Hunting Horn, Lance, Gunlance, Switch Axe, Charge Blade, Insect Glaive, Bow, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun. Each has ~15-30 unique combos + special mechanics (Long Sword spirit gauge, Charge Blade phial charging, Insect Glaive kinsect). Craft ARMOR + WEAPONS from monster materials (Rathalos Plate, Nergigante Talon, etc.); armor sets grant SKILLS (Weakness Exploit, Attack Boost, Divine Blessing). GATHERING QUEST between hunts (harvest herbs, mine ore, fish). 4-PLAYER CO-OP online (or 2p local for some entries). SOLO PLAY fully supported with SOS system to invite others mid-hunt. TIME LIMIT typically 50 minutes per hunt. Considered ONE OF THE BEST-DESIGNED action combat systems in gaming + celebrated for its ecological worldbuilding + player skill expression.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Hunt monsters, craft their materials into stronger armor + weapons, hunt bigger monsters, repeat. Deeply loop-based action-RPG.

Rules

Basic rules

Accept quest (hunt/capture monster, time limit ~50min)
Village/Hub quests + High Rank + Master Rank tiers.
Track monster in ecosystem, engage combat
Modern entries use auto-tracking or Scoutflies (World).
Master weapon combos + monster tells (attack patterns)
Each of 14 weapons plays completely differently.
Break monster parts + tail-cut for extra rewards
Focused damage yields more materials.
Craft armor + weapon upgrades from materials
Endless progression loop.
Multiplayer: 4-player co-op online via SOS or friends
Monsters scale HP for multiplayer.

Scoring

Progression-based; no VP. Craft materials, complete quests, unlock Hunter Rank + Master Rank + Anomaly Rank tiers.

Action	Points
Successful monster hunt (kill or capture)	Rewards + materials + zenny (currency) + Hunter Rank XP
Break monster part (head, wing, tail)	Extra material rewards per part broken
Capture (weakened monster in trap + tranq bombs)	Better rewards vs kill for most monsters
Reach Hunter Rank / Master Rank threshold	Unlock harder monster tiers + new quests
Fail hunt (3 faints or timeout)	Hunt failed; reduced/no rewards

Win condition · No traditional win; endgame is defeating hardest tempered / anomaly / arch-tempered monsters + crafting all gear.

Playing area

Called

Console + TV / PC / handheld

Dimensions

Any TV / monitor / Switch handheld

Available PS5/PS4, Xbox Series/One, PC (Steam), Switch (Rise + earlier entries).

Equipment

Monster Hunter Wilds ($70 USD, 2025)
Current flagship, PS5/Xbox Series/PC
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak ($50)
Switch/PC/PS/Xbox; portable-friendly
Monster Hunter World + Iceborne Master Edition ($40)
PS4/Xbox/PC; still incredible
Monster Hunter Stories 2 ($40)
Turn-based monster-collecting spin-off; Pokémon-esque
Modern controller with L2/R2 (weapon-dependent)
Some weapons benefit from claw grip or arcade stick

Strategies

Pick a weapon and specialize
14 weapons = huge skill trees; commit to 1-2 initially.
Learn monster tells
Each attack has windup; dodge/counter on the tell.
Use elemental + status ammo/weapons
Fire vs ice monster, thunder vs water etc.
Break parts for materials
Focused damage on head/tail nets more rewards.
Sharpen weapon frequently
Dull weapon bounces off tough hides; whetstone/steadying hone.

Terminology

Palico: Cat companion / hunter helper (Airou); MH Rise adds Palamute dogs.
Zenny: In-game currency.
Hunter Rank (HR): Player progression tier; higher = harder monsters.
Master Rank (MR): Post-endgame tier from expansions (Iceborne, Sunbreak, Wilds).
Elder Dragon: Elite monster classification (Kushala, Teostra, Nergigante, Fatalis, Alatreon).
Wyvern: Common monster type; Rathalos + Rathian are wyverns.
Piscine wyvern: Fish-like monsters (Lavasioth, Jyuratodus).
Tempered / Arch-tempered: Endgame monster variants with more HP + tougher attacks.
Longsword: Most popular weapon; spirit gauge + iai counters.
Wirebug (Rise): Traversal + special move mechanic introduced in Rise.

Major competitions

Monster Hunter World Championship (Capcom-hosted, 2019)
occasional · worldwide · since 2019
Speedrunning: Time-Attack (TA) community races per monster
ongoing · worldwide online · since 2004
MH World won 2018 Game Awards Best RPG nomination + Golden Joystick Best Multiplayer
annual · worldwide · since 2018

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Capcom (developer + publisher)
Founded 1979 · Osaka, Japan
Monster Hunter World team (Yuya Tokuda et al.)
Founded 2018 · Osaka, Japan

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Ryozo Tsujimoto (JP) — Series Producer since MH Freedom
Kaname Fujioka (JP) — Original MH Director + Wilds Director
Yuya Tokuda (JP) — MH World + Rise Director
Speedrunners: Team Darkside, Arekkz Gaming, Gaijin Hunter (YouTube guides + speedrun scene)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Start with Monster Hunter Wilds (2025)
Best modern intro; streamlined tutorials.
2
OR Monster Hunter Rise on Switch/PC
More casual, faster pacing.

intermediate

1
Learn 1 weapon deeply (Long Sword or Sword & Shield for beginners)
Master combos + timing.

advanced

1
Speed-run Time Attack (TA) individual monsters
Endgame skill expression.
2
Try tempered/anomaly investigations
Hardest endgame content.

Frequently asked

What is Monster Hunter?+

CAPCOM's LEGENDARY ACTION-RPG HUNTING FRANCHISE — 2004 debut on PS2; global breakthrough with MONSTER HUNTER WORLD (2018, 25M+ sold). Player is a HUNTER tracking + defeating GIANT MONSTERS in beautiful ecosystems. 14 WEAPON TYPES each with deep combat systems. Craft armor + weapons from monster materials. Solo or 4-PLAYER CO-OP. Newest entry: MONSTER HUNTER WILDS (2025). 100+ MILLION UNITS SOLD franchise-wide. Widely considered one of the best-designed action combat systems in gaming.

Which Monster Hunter should I start with in 2026?+

TWO RECOMMENDATIONS: (1) MONSTER HUNTER WILDS (2025, $70, PS5/Xbox Series/PC) — latest, best graphics, most streamlined; excellent starting point. (2) MONSTER HUNTER RISE + SUNBREAK ($50, Switch/PC/PS/Xbox) — more casual, faster pacing, works on Switch handheld. Both are excellent entry points. AVOID Monster Hunter World as first game if Wilds is available — Wilds is a direct improvement. AVOID older MH games (Portable, Tri, 4) initially; they're for series veterans.

Sources & provenance

Capcom — Monster Hunter— Capcom
Wikipedia — Monster Hunter— Wikipedia

Last verified 2026-08-27.verified