Monster Hunter now brings Capcom’s RPG to Niantic’s AR world

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has announced its next big mobile game: Monster Hunter Now. The partnership with Capcom will bring Rathalos to your neighborhood through augmented reality in September 2023.

Monster Hunter Now will allow players to hunt monsters in the real world, with areas of the world assigned specific ecozones that spawn specific monsters. Fighting monsters will use touch and swipe controls depending on the weapon equipped, and weapons and armor can be forged and upgraded using materials earned from defeated monsters . Notably, each battle against a monster encountered will only last up to 75 seconds, which is a big change from the usual 10-20 minute battles throughout the series.

Players can also team up against larger monsters, as the game’s multiplayer feature automatically links players who are chasing a certain monster on the map. A new “paintball” feature will also allow you to “mark” a monster you encounter on your travels, then “summon” it at home to challenge it with friends and family .

The game uses Niantic’s trademark AR technology, which has been featured in games like Pokemon Go and most recently in NBA around the world, to allow players to hunt together in real-world locations. In a press conference earlier this week, Niantic CEO John Henke said that negotiations between Niantic and Capcom began four years ago, while longtime Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto said that he “couldn’t say no” to the idea.

“We hear a lot from Monster Hunter fans that they want to play a Monster Hunter game with AR,” Tsujimoto said. “If we were going to make a game like that, I’m pretty sure we’d have to work with Niantic.”

Monster Hunter Now will fully launch in September for iOS and mobile devices. Interested players can sign up for the closed beta test now at the game Official websitewith beta scheduled to start on April 25th.