How to Play the Monster Hunter Games in Order

Every Monster Hunter Game successful Release Order

Monster Hunter (2004)

Monster Hunter, alongside Auto Modellista and Resident Evil: Outbreak, was developed arsenic portion of a three-game program to research the marketplace imaginable of the PS2’s online network, Capcom’s Ryozo Tsujimoto told Eurogamer successful 2014.

The archetypal Monster Hunter laid the instauration for the franchise, introducing galore of the series’ defining systems. Players, connected their ain oregon with others online, are fixed quests to hunt monsters, aft which they usage materials harvested from the satellite and the monster’s remains to trade and upgrade weapons and armor earlier embarking to fight, well, stronger monsters.

An expanded mentation called Monster Hunter G was released exclusively successful Japan the pursuing year.

Monster Hunter Freedom (2005)

The bid recovered its location connected portable consoles successful 2005 with Monster Hunter Freedom, an enhanced larboard of Monster Hunter G tuned for single-player play connected the PSP. This archetypal portable introduction successful the franchise sold implicit a cardinal copies, according to Capcom, opening a inclination successful which Monster Hunter’s portable versions handily outsold its location console counterparts — a inclination that held until the breakout occurrence of Monster Hunter World successful 2018.

Monster Hunter 2 (2006)

Capcom returned to location console for the series’ 2nd due entry, Monster Hunter 2 (aka Monster Hunter Dos). It was released exclusively successful Japan for PS2. Monster Hunter 2 introduced a day-night rhythm and gems, further enhancing your opportunities for weapons and armor customization.

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (2007)

The 2nd handheld crippled successful the series, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 again took the halfway of its location console counterpart (MH2) and built upon it with caller contented and a single-player focus. The crippled was expanded further successful 2008’s Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, which added caller monsters, missions, maps, and the quality to person a Felyne combatant articulation the subordinate successful battle.

Monster Hunter 3 (2009)

Monster Hunter 3 (aka Monster Hunter Tri) debuted successful Japan successful 2009, earlier being released internationally successful 2010. The 3rd mainline MH crippled was initially successful improvement for the PS3, though it would yet beryllium released arsenic a Wii exclusive. In summation to caller monsters, weapons, and locations, Monster Hunter 3 introduced the series’ short-lived underwater combat.

It aboriginal came to Wii U and 3DS arsenic Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate with caller monsters, a reworked single-player experience, updated graphics, and a caller multiplayer area.

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (2010)

Like the 2 mainline entries earlier it, Monster Hunter 3 was tweaked and ported to PSP arsenic Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. Unlike the 2 portable versions earlier it, this crippled besides got a console merchandise connected PS3 arsenic Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Ver.

Despite ne'er being released successful the West, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is the best-selling crippled among Capcom’s handheld-exclusive Monster Hunters with 4.9 cardinal copies sold.

Monster Hunter 4 (2013)

Monster Hunter 4 was primitively released exclusively for 3DS, exclusively successful Japan. Only the enhanced edition, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Monster Hunter 4G successful Japan), was released globally arsenic a motorboat crippled for New Nintendo 3DS. This procreation of Monster Hunter games astir notably improved traversal by pairing accrued verticality with much fluid subordinate movement. It besides improved the single-player acquisition with a deeper communicative and much NPCs.

Monster Hunter Generations (2015)

Capcom followed up MH4 with Monster Hunter Generations (Monster Hunter X successful Japan), different installment released exclusively for 3DS. Generations had, arsenic our reappraisal stated, “the entreaty of a top hits album,” blending aged and (at the time) caller mechanics from the series’ then-10-year history. Most notably, Generations featured caller wrinkles to customization and combat done Hunting Styles and Arts.

Generations aboriginal received an enhanced edition, known arsenic Monster Hunter Generations XX successful Japan and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate internationally. It was the archetypal Monster Hunter crippled released connected Nintendo Switch.

Monster Hunter Stories (2016)

Monster Hunter Stories is simply a spinoff that takes the enactment bid into the satellite of RPGs. True to the genre, Stories trades successful the real-time enactment of the mainline games for a turn-based combat strategy and puts much accent connected communicative and exploration.

It was primitively released for 3DS, though it’s since travel to PS4, Switch, PC, and mobile.

Monster Hunter World (2018)

Monster Hunter World is, to date, the series’ precocious constituent from some a captious and commercialized perspective. With 27 cardinal copies sold, it’s the series’ (and Capcom’s) best-selling game, and with a Metascore of 90, it’s besides the series’ best-reviewed game.

With World, Capcom moved the superior improvement of Monster Hunter backmost to location consoles, specifically PS4 and Xbox One. For the archetypal time, it made a concerted effort to scope a wider Western assemblage by moving to a much seamless open-world design, reducing the learning curve of the series’ intricate systems, afloat supporting online play with planetary servers, and releasing simultaneously crossed each regions.

A monolithic expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, was released the pursuing year. Similar to the Ultimate versions of past games, Iceborne added caller monsters and mechanics to the basal game, arsenic good arsenic an all-new communicative that rivals the size of the run successful World.

Monster Hunter Rise (2021)

Monster Hunter Rise is the series’ 2nd best-performing game, ranking lone down World successful presumption of income and Metascore. As the subtitle ‘World’ denotes the erstwhile game’s much planetary approach, ‘Rise’ indicates a greater absorption connected verticality, a plan determination supported by the instauration of the Wirebug, a caller mechanic that enabled wall-climbing and wide much fluid traversal.

Rise builds disconnected of the erstwhile Switch entry, Generations Ultimate, arsenic overmuch arsenic it does World, fixed World and Rise were, for a time, being developed successful tandem. As stated successful our review, “much of the streamlining World did has been carried forward” successful Rise, portion “other things similar abstracted Village and Hub questlines for single- and multiplayer and the quality to tweak a weapon’s playstyle a spot instrumentality from older Monster Hunter games.”

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak was released the pursuing year. The enlargement includes a caller storyline, monsters, and locations.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (2021)

Capcom followed Rise with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, a sequel to the 2016 RPG. Co-developed by Marvelous Inc. (Story of Seasons), Wings of Ruin leans into tried-and-true JRPG systems similar turn-based combat, quality customization, and an accent connected story. Stories 2 again lets you combat alongside monsters (aka Monsties) alternatively of strictly hunting them, creating a enactment strategy that should beryllium acquainted to anyone who’s played a Pokemon RPG.

Monster Hunter Wilds (2025)

Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest crippled successful the series, released connected February 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Wilds is simply a mainline Monster Hunter crippled that builds connected the plan principles of World and Rise. It boasts “dynamic, ever-changing environments” and the series’ “most evolved enactment and improved immersion,” according to Capcom.

As noted successful IGN's review, "Monster Hunter Wilds continues to creaseless disconnected the traditionally unsmooth edges of the bid successful astute ways, reducing arsenic overmuch friction arsenic imaginable that could get successful the mode of you grabbing immoderate of its exceptionally amusive weapons and planting them firmly successful a monster’s hide."

Upcoming Monster Hunter Games

The newest summation to the franchise is the aforementioned Monster Hunter Wilds. In presumption of aboriginal releases, Capcom is besides moving alongside TiMi Studio Group (Call of Duty Mobile, Pokemon Unite) connected Monster Hunter Outlanders, a free-to-play mobile crippled with multiplayer hunters and “a monolithic unfastened world.” No merchandise model has been announced.

At the astir caller Nintendo Direct, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection was announced arsenic an upcoming crippled for the Nintendo Switch 2 arsenic good arsenic Xbox, PC, and PS5. The game, releasing successful 2026, volition travel the heir to Azuria and the princess of Vermeil arsenic they enactment unneurotic to halt a "crystal encroachment" from destroying their nations.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies arsenic a freelance writer for IGN.