Spring has officially begun in the Northern Hemisphere, which means summer is just a few short months away, with events like E3 and the Tokyo Game Show fast approaching. Rumors have suggested anew mainline entry in theMonster Hunterfranchisecould be revealed at an event like Tokyo Game Show 2023 and release sometime this year.Monster Hunter Riseports on PC and consoles established that the series is capable of iterating upon its solid formula with new ideas and still maintain strong sales in the west, a trend that began with 2018’sMonster Hunter World, so this wouldn’t be too surprising.
BothMonster Hunter WorldandMonster Hunter Risewere supported by Capcom via regular free content updates and one massive expansion each. Now that Sony and Microsoft’s “next-gen” consoles have been current-gen hardware for a few years, there is a strong case to be made for Capcom leveraging the power and fidelity of the PS5 and Xbox Series X to develop aMonster Huntersequel with a more clear live-service model. It’s time forMonster Hunterto take a cue fromDestiny 2’s success.
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Turning Monster Hunter Toward the Live-Service Model
The term “live-service” can garner a negative reaction, which is understandable given the way some titles have implemented the live-service model as a way to ship an incomplete product, or include controversial features like microtransactions and persistent online connectivity.Bungie’s work onDestiny 2is perhaps the gold standard for how a developer should approach live-service development. Since launching in 2017,Destiny 2has maintained a considerable average of 1.6 million monthly players across two console generations. By listening to feedback from fans, providing regular (and sizable) content updates, and continuously improving the experience via rebalancing and patches, Bungie has proven that “live-service” doesn’t have to be a bad word.
Leveraging the power of the impressive RE Engine thatMonster Hunter Riseis built with, the nextMonster Huntershould become a live-service content platform rather than a periodic release. Thepossibility of a newMonster Hunterlaunching with the same amount of content that players are used to (a main story quest plus hundreds of hours of endgame activities) before receiving regular yearly expansions and seasonal activities is an enticing premise, and could be the paradigm shift that pushes the series to its next level of success.
Newer Monster Hunter Games are Defined by Their Expansions
The base games of bothMonster Hunter WorldandMonster Hunter Riseare full of content for players to sink their teeth into, but theirrespective Iceborne and Sunbreakexpansionshelped each title reach their true heights. Intended to be completed once players have reached Master Rank, these expansions help highlight the characteristics that attract and keep players hooked for extended periods. After Capcom launches the Sunbreak expansion on PlayStation and Xbox consoles in April, the roadmap of support forMonster Hunter Riseis nearing its end. Historically, the expansion for newerMonster Huntertitles mark the end of each game’s lifecycle in place of the “ultimate” version that older titles received.
With the best qualities of each of the newMonster Huntertitle being primarily showcased in their expansions, it follows that Capcom should invest in a model that sees multiple significant expansions developed for the next major entry. Forfans of theMonster Hunterseries, it is an enticing premise to imagine a new major sequel that receives monsters and maps every six-to-eight months, possibly becoming a curation of the entire zoological history of the franchise. The shift to a live-service model would make this pipe dream a reality, with the possibility of higher sales and greater market reach being considerations for Capcom to follow Bungie’s lead.
Monster Hunter Riseis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
