Monster Hunter: World

Outside Japan the series long stayed in the shadows, partly because it came out there late. Capcom released World all over the world at once, with shared servers for every region. Maps also stopped being split into separate zones, and the monsters learned to behave in more complex ways.

Before launch, veterans set up an "Adopt-A-Hunter" programme. Experienced players paired up with newcomers, since for many in the West World was their first game in the series.

In autumn 2018, for the first time, more copies had been shipped abroad than to Japan itself. On launch day on Steam more than 240,000 people were playing at once, the biggest launch of the year there. By summer 2026 it had shipped more than 30 million copies, more than any other Capcom game.

Reviewers praised how the series became easier to get into without losing its core, though they noted the mechanics and difficulty can still be daunting for newcomers. Players leave 89% positive out of 319,288 reviews, critics give it 88 on Metacritic. By our Recommended Score it is #69 of 4,736 games.

Liked it? Try MONSTER HUNTER RISE, with a story drawn from Japanese folklore and dogs you can ride, and Monster Hunter Wilds, where you pitch camp out in the open world.