As Monster Hunter Now approaches its eight-month anniversary, the game’s growth continues steadily. In a recent interview with The Nerd Stash, Niantic’s Mark Van Lommel highlighted the United States as its fastest-growing region.
“Growth is looking really good for the game as a whole, especially in Japan, and a lot of population-dense areas like Taiwan and Hong Kong. For countries that have more of a diverse and spread-out population like the U.S., it’s tougher to find players to hunt together with. So that’s why we added in the matchmaking radius expansion for Huntathons; that’s why we’re adding the friend request feature after a hunt so you can team up with more players. And we’re always thinking of ways to make it easier for players to hunt together because that’s where the magic is when you’re teaming up you can take on higher-level monsters. It’s just really fun to have that multiplayer experience, so that’s been a big area of investment,” said Van Lommel.
Despite Japan being the highest-spending audience, accounting for 71% of the game’s revenue (via AppMagic data), the U.S. stands out in terms of growth. Van Lommel noted, “The fastest growing region, I would say, is the U.S. We’ve had a lot of momentum so far in Season 1. And then Season 2 which we showed here at Summer Games Fest we’ve had a lot of great reception from the media and creators who have played the game. So we expect a lot of growth in the U.S between now and August.”
U.S. Growth Amidst Global Success
Monster Hunter Now’s growth in the U.S. contrasts with the game’s established success in the East. While Japan dominates the revenue charts with $106.5 million from 35% of downloads, the U.S. accounts for 15% of downloads but only 6% of revenue, approximately $9 million. This positions the U.S. behind Hong Kong and Taiwan in terms of spending, but its growing player base indicates big potential.
Capcom has implemented several features to foster community engagement and make it easier for players to connect. The expansion of the matchmaking radius for Huntathons and the introduction of the friend request feature after hunts are aimed at addressing the challenges of a geographically spread-out player base in the U.S. These initiatives are designed to enhance the multiplayer experience, which Van Lommel believes is where the game truly shines.
In-game events celebrating the Monster Hunter franchise’s 20th anniversary back in March, coupled with new content and monsters launched in Season 2, are expected to attract both new and returning players. Capcom and Niantic will be hoping that these help Monster Hunter Now regain the momentum it had during its initial launch period, where it generated $31.44 million in its first month alone.
Monster Hunter Now’s success has also helped drive wider recognition of the brand. Van Lommel remarked that “We think there’s a lot of crossover (between mobile players and mainline Monster Hunter game players). Just like if you played PokemonGO you are likely to be a Pokemon fan, chances are if you play Monster Hunter Now you’re a Monster Hunter fan or have at least heard of it. Or you’re just a fan of good mobile action RPGs!”
Clearly, the game has been a financial boon for Capcom, contributing to Capcom’s 33% year-on-year net sales increase, as highlighted in its latest financial report.
