In the summer of 2016, a previously unknown mobile game developer took the world by storm with the debut of Pokemon Go. Overnight, everybody with a smartphone turned into a Pokemon trainer, walking the streets with their heads buried in their phones as they caught Pokemon, took control of gyms, and spun PokeStops. Seven years later, the game is still going strong, and now Niantic is going to try to work its magic on another massive franchise with the upcoming launch of Monster Hunter Now, based on Capcom’s action RPG games.
What is Monster Hunter Now?
Like Pokemon Go, Monster Hunter Now distills the experience into an augmented reality mobile game that encourages players to explore the world around them. But rather than capturing and evolving Pokemon, you’ll fight enormous beasts with friends or on your own to gather monster parts you can use to upgrade your weapons and armor.
At launch, Monster Hunter Now will feature six weapons (Sword & Shield, Great Sword, Long Sword, Hammer, Light Bowgun, Bow) and 13 monsters (Great Jagras, Kulu-Ya-Ku, Pukei-Pukei, Barroth, Great Girros, Tobi-Kadachi, Jyuratodus, Paolumu, Anjanath, Rathian, Legiana, Rathalos and Diablos). Each weapon has a unique playstyle, although the prolonged battles the series is known for will play out much more quickly — about 75 seconds.
Monsters will spawn in specific habitats that you will find as you’re walking around the real world. You can invite up to three other players to participate in the hunt.
Price, release date, and platforms
Monster Hunter Now will be free to download on iOS and Android starting September 14, 2023. You can pre-order the game on the App Store or pre-register on Google Play to ensure you get the game the minute it becomes available on your platform of choice.
- Download Monster Hunter Now for iOS on the App Store
- Download Monster Hunter Now for Android on Google Play
Although the game is free to play, there will be in-app purchases available.
Pre-registration rewards
Monster Hunter Now is offering a bevy of pre-registration rewards to early adopters. As long as you download the game within seven days of launch, you’ll receive all of the following rewards, depending on which global milestones are reached:
At the time of writing, future monster hunters have only hit the first three milestones, so be sure to pre-register if you want to help unlock the rest.
Can I see Monster Hunter Now in action?
If you want to see some live gameplay from Monster Hunter Now and learn more about how the game actually works, set aside some time to watch this lengthy showcase featuring developers from Niantic and Capcom playing the game and explaining its systems:
