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In the gaming universe, trends can be as unpredictable as a Rathalos’s roar. Now, in 2024, Monster Hunter World is experiencing a resurgence that has Hunters donning their gear once again. Once thought to have settled, the game’s popularity is hitting new heights, with concurrent player counts on Steam and PlayStation soaring over the past two years’ records. So, what’s driving this comeback and making Monster Hunter World popular again? I think there are four answers to that question.
1. Anticipation for Monster Hunter Wilds
It’s fair to say that the impending release of Monster Hunter Wilds, slated to release in 2025, put World back into the spotlight. As fans eagerly await the next installment, many are revisiting World and Iceborne to get their hunting fix and relive the excitement.
Even just by looking at the teaser trailer, there is no doubt that Capcom promises to deliver an even bigger world than, well, Monster Hunter World. I’m sure the game will also offer a deeper story and lore, with more interesting characters to interact with and dangerous monsters to hunt.
But why do most players pick World and Iceborne instead of the more recently released Rise and Sunbreak? As seen in the trailer above, World presents graphics, visuals, and details that are much closer to what Wilds will be. After all, Rise was developed as a Switch game with more emphasis on “arcade-y” combat mechanics first and foremost, so it’s to be expected.
2. Capcom’s Strong Community Engagement
The Monster Hunter community has remained vibrant and engaged throughout the years, even for older games like Portable 3rd and Generations. Even before the huge spike in popularity again, Monster Hunter World speedrunners keep discovering new ways to bully the dreaded post-game monster Fatalis, such as using the Snowman item to exploit Gunlance’s Wyrmstake Cannon’s tick damage bug.
Whether through forums, social media, or in-game interactions, the sense of camaraderie among Hunters contributes to the game’s lasting appeal. To keep the Monster Hunter Wilds hype train running, Capcom also organized a community event called “Return to World.” Community managers stream the gameplay of the aforementioned game, and can be watched easily on Steam.
3. The Mobile Monster Hunter Now Game Borrows a Lot From World
In late 2023, Capcom and Niantic released the social, location-based mobile game dubbed Monster Hunter Now. Unlike other new entries in the series, though, even at a glance, we can see a lot of similarities between World and Now.
At the time of writing, all 19 large monsters you face in Now are all monsters that appeared in World, such as series mainstays like Rathalos and Barioth to Banbaro and Great Girros. The starting Leather armor set is also based on World’s basic set. If you look closely, you can also see the Slinger in the glove part of all Monster Hunter Now armor sets. Clearly, this will keep Monster Hunter World’s popularity on top of people’s minds as they play the mobile game.
4. MH World is What Made the Monster Hunter Series Mainstream and Popular
Capcom’s hunting game has been running strong for 20 years with 17 mainline entries. Nevertheless, thanks to the accessibility improvements as well as a worldwide PC release, World has become many players’ first foray into the franchise.
Monster Hunter World is designed to be more welcoming to newcomers, with streamlined tutorials, simplified menus, and helpful features. For example, the Scoutflies replaced the Paintballs system, radial menus, and fast travel using hunting areas’ Camps. The game also runs smoothly on modern consoles and PCs, with stunning graphics, animations, and sound effects.
Although I miss some minor features and gimmicks from older games (flexing, anyone?), indeed, these changes made World much more welcoming to the mainstream audience. With all four reasons combined, it’s not much of a surprise that Capcom and the community are enjoying Monster Hunter World‘s bounce in popularity.
