Marvel Rivals was, from the moment it was revealed, compared to Overwatch. Taken at face value, Marvel Rivals is remarkably similar to Blizzard’s game; while Marvel Rivals uses Marvel heroes and villains for its playable characters, it is, like Overwatch, a competitive multiplayer hero shooter with some remarkably similar mechanics and gameplay systems. Both Marvel Heroes and Overwatch 2 are free-to-play, monetized as live services, and lean on the addition of new characters to keep things feeling fresh.
Marvel Rivals has enjoyed explosive popularity since launching in December, and it is speculated that this has come at the cost of interest in Overwatch 2. Blizzard’s game, according to the current narrative, is dwindling as NetEase’s Marvel Rivals gobbles up its players.
In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller discussed the new reality Blizzard finds itself in, with Marvel Rivals now out in the wild and attracting tens of millions of players.
“We’re obviously in a new competitive landscape that I think, for Overwatch, we’ve never really been in before, to this extent where there’s another game that’s so similar to the one that we’ve created,” Keller said.
You’d think this would be a bad thing for Overwatch, then, but Keller called the situation “exciting,” and even said it was “really great” to see Marvel Rivals take ideas established by Overwatch in a “different direction.”
Still, Keller admitted Marvel Rivals’ success had forced a change in attitude within Blizzard when it comes to Overwatch 2, saying: “this is no longer about playing it safe.”
To that end, Blizzard has announced radical changes coming to Overwatch 2 in 2025. While the roadmap ahead includes much of what you’d expect to see in terms of new content, the core gameplay itself will see a seismic shift, including the additions of hero perks and the return of loot boxes.
All eyes will be on Overwatch 2 to see if these changes spark a resurgence in interest. We’re now nearly nine years out from the debut of Overwatch in 2016, and two-and-a-half from the launch of Overwatch 2. And while Blizzard does not make Overwatch player numbers public, we can see concurrent player numbers on Steam are as low as they’ve ever been since Overwatch 2 launched on Valve’s platform in 2023, with a 37,046 concurrent player peak over the last 24 hours.
Marvel Rivals, meanwhile, remains a top 10 most-played game on Steam, with a 310,287 concurrent player peak over the last 24 hours.
Overwatch 2 still has a ‘mostly negative’ user review rating on Steam. Indeed, in August 2023, Overwatch 2 became the worst user-reviewed game on Steam ever. Most of the negative reviews focused on monetization after Blizzard was heavily-criticised for forcing its premium predecessor to update into a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original Overwatch unplayable, back in 2022. Overwatch 2 subsequently endured a number of controversies including the cancellation of its long-awaited PvE Hero mode — the one feature, players said, that justified the sequel’s existence.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
A Mortal Kombat 1 dataminer has unearthed what looks like compelling evidence that the gory fighting game will get Hara-Kiri Fatalities in the form of Quitalities.
Redditor InfiniteNightZ published a video, below, showing off what look like Hara-Kiri Fatalities in Mortal Kombat 1. A Hara-Kiri finisher, first introduced in 2004’s Mortal Kombat: Deception, sees the defeated player cause their own death with a self-Fatality.
What’s interesting here is that InfiniteNightZ found Hara-Kiri animations for recently released DLC characters, such as Ghostface, adding credence to the speculation that they will be added to Mortal Kombat 1 in a future update rather than left on the cutting room floor. “After seeing that they’re adding it to the downloaded roster now, I think it’s highly possible,” InfiniteNightZ said.
InfiniteNightZ then suggested the Hara-Kiri animations could arrive as Quitalities, given that’s how they’re referenced in the game’s code. Quitalities are quick-fire finishers that trigger when a player quits a multiplayer match, and have been in previous games in the series. “They are listed as Quitalities, there’s still hope,” InfiniteNightZ said of the animations.
High-profile Mortal Kombat 1 dataminer Interloko found additional Hara-Kiri animations, after InfiniteNightZ’s find was made public.
Thanks @MatthewDim40523 for tag me Here are another 2 missing from the video, so looks like only Omniman and Conan doesn’t have one.
Of course, this may all amount to nothing, and it’s worth noting that neither NetherRealm nor publisher Warner Bros. Games has announced Quitalities for Mortal Kombat 1.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
What happened to Rare’s Everwild? It’s been over five years since the game was announced back during Microsoft’s X019 presentation. Repeated no-shows during Xbox showcases and rumors of reboots have caused some to wonder whether Everwild had fallen by the wayside. Not so, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said.
In an interview with XboxEra, Spencer listed Everwild as one of the games yet to come out that he was excited for, adding he’d recently visited UK studio Rare, which runs live service pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves, to get a look at Everwild and the progress the developers were making.
“Yeah, State of Decay is just one of the franchises I love back from the original one, so that one stays on the board. I do think the work that Double Fine’s doing and how Tim [Schafer] kind of solicits feedback from the team. And the other one, I’ll say because I was recently out at Rare. It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making.”
Spencer said Microsoft had been able to give the developers of those games (State of Decay, the next game from Double Fine, and Everwild) time while still having a packed schedule of releases (bolstered, obviously, by the acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard).
“We can give those teams time,” Spencer said. “And next week I’m going to be up in Vancouver with the Coalition [Gears of War developer] — and how fun is that?”
As for Everwild, it’s faced concern over the years after the aforementioned reboot rumor, which Microsoft has denied, and the exit of creative director Simon Woodroffe in 2020. Rare filled the director’s chair with veteran designer Gregg Mayles, who previously worked on Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Pinata, and Sea of Thieves.
But what is Everwilds? Reports have indicated it’s a third-person adventure game with god game elements, but given how long it’s been in development, that may have changed. The last Everwilds trailer, released in July 2020, carried the following description: “Everwild is a brand new IP from Rare. A unique and unforgettable experience await in a natural and magical world.”
Microsoft has a long list of in-development games, including the Perfect Dark reboot, the next Halo, and Playground’s new Fable game. Meanwhile, Bethesda is working on The Elder Scrolls 6, and Activision is of course working on this year’s Call of Duty. In the shorter term, id Software’s Doom: The Dark Ages launches in May.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Composer Jack Wall has discussed why he failed to return for Mass Effect 3 having created the much-loved music for the first two games in the series.
Wall worked with developer BioWare to create the 80s sci-fi music-styled soundtracks for Mass Effect, released in 2007, and its sequel, 2010’s Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect 2 in particular is often cited as one of the greatest action role-playing games ever made, and Wall’s soundtrack, which includes the rousing ‘Suicide Mission,’ is considered a series high-point by fans.
But Wall failed to return for 2012’s Mass Effect 3, which came as a shock to fans. Now, in a new interview with The Guardian, Wall discussed why, pointing to a falling out with then Mass Effect development chief Casey Hudson.
“Casey was not particularly happy with me at the end,” Wall said. “But I’m so proud of that score. It got nominated for a Bafta, and it did really well … [even if] it didn’t go as well as Casey wanted.”
The Guardian suggested a “creative tension” between Wall and Hudson, but Wall remained vague. “Fallouts like that happen, it’s just part of the deal,” he added. “It’s one of the few times in my career that’s happened, and it was a tough time, but it is what it is.”
Wall did, however, go into a bit more detail on the challenges he and BioWare faced getting Mass Effect 2 out the door and Suicide Mission into the finished product, which may provide some insight into Wall and Hudson’s relationship at the end of the project.
“It was the biggest mind-f***ing thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” Wall said. “And there was no one available to walk me through it, because they were all freaking out trying to finish the game. I handed it in, and they had to do a lot of massaging on their end in order to get it to work, but they did it… and the result is still one of the best ending sequences to a game that I’ve ever played. It was worth all that effort.”
After Mass Effect 2, Wall went on to make music for Call of Duty games, most recently composing the soundtrack for Black Ops 6. BioWare, meanwhile, is currently working on the next Mass Effect game following the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. BioWare is yet to announce the composer.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Ubisoft has teased a significant evolution of Rainbow Six Siege, promising to unveil what it calls Siege X in March.
Siege X is described as “the biggest transformation in the game’s history, including new tactical gameplay, graphical and audio upgrades, and more.” This is not Rainbow Six Siege 2, rather a significant change for Rainbow Six Siege designed to set the competitive multiplayer game for its second decade of live service.
A major evolution is coming.
📍 Watch the R6 Siege X Showcase live – March 13th.
Rainbow Six Siege struggled when it launched in December 2015, but Ubisoft’s work to improve the game is seen as one of the most dramatic turnarounds in video game history alongside Final Fantasy 14 and No Man’s Sky.
In the last decade, Rainbow Six Siege has proven a reliable money-spinner even when Ubisoft’s other attempts at live service have fallen by the wayside. In recent years, when Ubisoft has found the going particularly tough, Rainbow Six Siege has helped prop up those financial reports. Now, there’s even more pressure on Siege X, given Ubisoft’s high-profile troubles.
10 years is a long time for any video game to remain relevant and financially stable, and so it makes sense that Ubisoft would want to refresh Rainbow Six Siege with a headline-grabbing evolution. Ubisoft will announce more on March 13 at the Siege X Showcase.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Sunday, February 16, below:
Kirby and the Forgotten Land for $39.99
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is still one of the best Nintendo Switch games. Forgotten Land marks the first full 3D game in the entire series, with a massive amount of new gameplay mechanics and offerings compared to its 2D counterparts. The game also has an amazing soundtrack, which perfectly accompanies the fun and engaging environments. If you’ve yet to play Kirby and the Forgotten Land, pick the game up for a discount this weekend!
Rise of the Ronin for $39.97
Rise of the Ronin is one of the biggest 2024 PlayStation 5 exclusives to release, with the gamecoming from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo. Set in 1863 Japan, you play as the Ronin and take down those coming from the West. This action epic offers well over 70 hours of content, with an excellent dive into a history somewhat unexplored in modern gaming.
LEGO Roses for $10.79
Who doesn’t need a pair of LEGO Roses in their life? If you’re searching for a late Valentine’s Day gift, this pair of LEGO Roses can be a great option. It’s the perfect gift to build with that special someone.
Preorder Elden Ring: Nightreign at Best Buy, Get $10 Gift Card
Elden Ring Nightreign, a new multiplayer game from FromSoftware, is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30. You can explore the world and take on bosses with two other friends, making for a unique experience that’s sure to stay engaging. Best Buy has opened pre-orders for Elden Ring Nightreign, and you can score a free $10 Best Buy gift card with any pre-order for a limited time.
Fantasian Neo Dimension for $39.99
Fantasian Neo Dimension is on sale for the first time since launch! Both the PS5 and Switch versions are available for $39.99, and this is one of the best turn-based RPGs you can buy right now. With a story by Hironobu Sakaguchi and music by Nobuo Uematsu, this is one experience any RPG fan does not want to miss.
LEGO Infinity Gauntlet for $51.19
The Infinity Gauntlet is one of the most recognizable items from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you can take it home in LEGO form at a discount this weekend! This 590 piece set includes a stand to hold up and display the Infinity Gauntlet, with each of the six Infinity Stones on display. Don’t miss out on your chance to save on this LEGO set!
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for $39.99
The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection has hit a new all-time low at Woot, priced at just $39.99. The first six Final Fantasy games paved the way for the series as we see it today. Many fans still regard both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI as some of the best that Final Fantasy has to offer, with gripping narratives and engaging gameplay. This package includes all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, which feature updated graphics, soundtracks, font, and more.
Pikmin 4 for $39.99
This weekend at Best Buy, you can save on Pikmin 4, with copies available for just $39.99. As the latest game in the Pikmin series, Pikmin 4 brings loads of new features for fans, new and old alike, to discover. In our 9/10 review, we stated, “Pikmin 4 adds variety to the series’ traditional gameplay by offering options other than the grab-and-throw formula of the past, and brings an extra helping of top-tier levels after the credits roll.”
LEGO Star Wars Mos ESPA Podrace Set for $54.39
The Mos Espa Podrace scene in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is one of the most iconic in all of Star Wars, and we’ve seen it recreated in multiple LEGO Star Wars games ever since. As part of the 25th Anniversary celebration for The Phantom Menace, LEGO released this diorama set of the Mos Espa Podrace scene. This set includes both Anakin Skywalker’s Podracer and Sebulba’s Podracer.
Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99
Amazon has the Apple AirPods 4 on sale for $99.99 today. These earbuds feature Spatial Audio, up to five hours of listening time per charge, and so much more. Apple AirPods 5 likely won’t be out for a good bit, so now is the perfect time to pick up a pair of new AirPods if your old ones are giving out.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $39.99
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time, and you can score a PS5 copy for $39.99. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you’re still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms!
Splatoon 3 for $39.99
Splatoon 3 is one of the best multiplayer games available on Nintendo Switch, with all kinds of content available across single player and multiplayer modes. It’s no secret that Splatoon is incredibly popular, and this game is no exception. At $39.99, you’ll be challenged to find a better multiplayer game at this price.
Viktor Antonov, visionary art director of games such as Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, has died aged 52.
Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw confirmed the news in an automatically deleted Instagram Stories post. “Brilliant and original,” Laidlaw said of Antonov. “Made everything better.”
According to a recent social media post by Marc Laidlaw, Viktor Antonov – Half-Life 2’s visionary art director – has passed away.
Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios and current president and creative director of WolfEye Studios, tweeted to say “You were instrumental to the success of Arkane Studios and an inspiration to many of us, also a friend with whom I have many fond memories.”
RIP Viktor Antonov. I wish I told you how much admiration I had for you but we get caught in our lives until a surprise lime this hits us. You were instrumental to the success of Arkane Studios and an inspiration to many of us, also a friend with whom I have many fond memories pic.twitter.com/phdnVH3Scy
Antonov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and moved to Paris before entering the world of video game development in the mid-90s at Xatrix Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based studio that became Gray Matter Studios. He went on to become one of the chief creatives behind the world of Half-Life 2 for Valve, where he most famously designed Half-Life 2’s iconic City 17.
Later, Antonov worked on the influential Dishonored as visual design director at Arkane Studios, co-creating Dunwall. Outside of video games, Antonov was co-author on animated movies Renaissance and The Prodigies, and worked at an indie production company called Darewise Entertainment.
In a Reddit AMA held eight years ago, Antonov discussed his early career leading into video game development.
I was formed and started my career as a transportation designer. Then I worked in advertisement, but both of those industries were very established and didn’t offer me much choice for creative risk taking. As a designer, I was very lucky to find a brand new industry that could use my skills. At this time, the video game industry did not have clearly define positions and an artist could create entire worlds. So I joined the gaming industry relatively early: my first game was Redneck Rampage, a crazy funny experience in which I was able to create a big part of the art & world, before moving to more “serious” projects.
Antonov based the Orwellian City 17 on his childhood city of Sofia, mixing elements from Belgrade and St. Petersburg. “I wanted to capture this specific atmosphere of Eastern and Northern Europe,” Antonov said.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Saturday, February 15, below:
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $38.23
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time, and you can score a PS5 copy for a new all-time low of $38.23. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you’re still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms!
LEGO Roses for $10.79
Who doesn’t need a pair of LEGO Roses in their life? If you’re searching for a late Valentine’s Day gift, this pair of LEGO Roses can be a great option. It’s the perfect gift to build with that special someone.
Preorder Elden Ring: Nightreign at Best Buy, Get $10 Gift Card
Elden Ring Nightreign, a new multiplayer game from FromSoftware, is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30. You can explore the world and take on bosses with two other friends, making for a unique experience that’s sure to stay engaging. Best Buy has opened pre-orders for Elden Ring Nightreign, and you can score a free $10 Best Buy gift card with any pre-order for a limited time.
Fantasian Neo Dimension for $39.99
Fantasian Neo Dimension is on sale for the first time since launch! Both the PS5 and Switch versions are available for $39.99, and this is one of the best turn-based RPGs you can buy right now. With a story by Hironobu Sakaguchi and music by Nobuo Uematsu, this is one experience any RPG fan does not want to miss.
LEGO Infinity Gauntlet for $51.19
The Infinity Gauntlet is one of the most recognizable items from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you can take it home in LEGO form at a discount this weekend! This 590 piece set includes a stand to hold up and display the Infinity Gauntlet, with each of the six Infinity Stones on display. Don’t miss out on your chance to save on this LEGO set!
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for $39.99
The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection has hit a new all-time low at Woot, priced at just $39.99. The first six Final Fantasy titles paved the way for the series as we see it today. Many fans still regard both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI as some of the best that Final Fantasy has to offer, with gripping narratives and engaging gameplay. This package includes all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, which feature updated graphics, soundtracks, font, and more.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble for $19.99
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is the return to form many Monkey Ball fans have waited years for. You’ve got over 200 courses, tons of guest characters, and all sorts of modes—what’s not to love? In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a brilliant return to form. Monkey Ball has finally found its way home again with a set of 200 fantastic courses that range from delightfully charming to devilishly challenging, backed up by tight mechanics and predictable physics that put me in total control of my monkey’s fate.”
LEGO Star Wars Mos ESPA Podrace Set for $54.39
The Mos Espa Podrace scene in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is one of the most iconic in all of Star Wars, and we’ve seen it recreated in multiple LEGO Star Wars games ever since. As part of the 25th Anniversary celebration for The Phantom Menace, LEGO released this diorama set of the Mos Espa Podrace scene. This set includes both Anakin Skywalker’s Podracer and Sebulba’s Podracer.
Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99
Amazon has the Apple AirPods 4 on sale for $99.99 today. These earbuds feature Spatial Audio, up to five hours of listening time per charge, and so much more. Apple AirPods 5 likely won’t be out for a good bit, so now is the perfect time to pick up a pair of new AirPods if your old ones are giving out.
A year removed from its 20th anniversary, Capcom’s monster-hunting franchise returns in 2025 with Monster Hunter Wilds. The prolific series has lived through several generations of home and portable consoles, reaching new peaks with 2018’s Monster Hunter World and 2021’s Monster Hunter Rise — the series’ best-selling games to date and Capcom’s two best-selling games of all time.
With Monster Hunter Wilds out on February 28, we’re looking back on the franchise’s history with a list of the series’ most important games, ordered chronologically by release date.
How Many Monster Hunter Games Are There?
There are upwards of 25 Monster Hunter games when considering all base games, spinoffs, mobile entries, and enhanced versions. However, for this list, we’ve compiled the 12 most relevant Monster Hunter games. Our list excludes mobile- and arcade-exclusive games (Monster Hunter i, Monster Hunter Spirits, etc.); previously shuttered MMOs (Monster Hunter Frontier, Monster Hunter Online); and the FromSoftware-developed, Japan-exclusive, Animal Crossing-like game Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village.
Which Monster Hunter Game Should You Play First?
There is no continuous story throughout the Monster Hunter franchise, so you can take your pick of which game to start with. If you’re jumping into the world of Monster Hunter in 2025, you might want to wait and and see reactions to the latest game, Monster Hunter Wilds, which will be released on February 28. If you’re eager to try the series before investing in Wilds, we recommend Monster Hunter World or Monster Hunter Rise. World should appeal more to those who value exploration and immersion; Rise is better suited for those who put a higher value on speed and fluidity.
Every Monster Hunter Game in Release Order
Monster Hunter (2004)
Monster Hunter, alongside Auto Modellista and Resident Evil: Outbreak, was developed as part of a three-game plan to explore the market potential of the PS2’s online network, Capcom’s Ryozo Tsujimoto told Eurogamer in 2014.
The first Monster Hunter laid the foundation for the franchise, introducing many of the series’ defining systems. Players, on their own or with others online, are given quests to hunt monsters, after which they use materials harvested from the world and the monster’s remains to craft and upgrade weapons and armor before embarking to fight, well, stronger monsters.
An expanded version called Monster Hunter G was released exclusively in Japan the following year.
Monster Hunter Freedom (2005)
The series found its home on portable consoles in 2005 with Monster Hunter Freedom, an enhanced port of Monster Hunter G tuned for single-player play on the PSP. This first portable entry in the franchise sold over a million copies, according to Capcom, beginning a trend in which Monster Hunter’s portable versions handily outsold its home console counterparts — a trend that held until the breakout success of Monster Hunter World in 2018.
Monster Hunter 2 (2006)
Capcom returned to home console for the series’ second proper entry, Monster Hunter 2 (aka Monster Hunter Dos). It was released exclusively in Japan for PS2. Monster Hunter 2 introduced a day-night cycle and gems, further enhancing your opportunities for weapons and armor customization.
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (2007)
The second handheld game in the series, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 again took the core of its home console counterpart (MH2) and built upon it with new content and a single-player focus. The game was expanded further in 2008’s Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, which added new monsters, missions, maps, and the ability to have a Felyne fighter join the player in battle.
Monster Hunter 3 (2009)
Monster Hunter 3 (aka Monster Hunter Tri) debuted in Japan in 2009, before being released internationally in 2010. The third mainline MH game was initially in development for the PS3, though it would eventually be released as a Wii exclusive. In addition to new monsters, weapons, and locations, Monster Hunter 3 introduced the series’ short-lived underwater combat.
It later came to Wii U and 3DS as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate with new monsters, a reworked single-player experience, updated graphics, and a new multiplayer area.
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (2010)
Like the two mainline entries before it, Monster Hunter 3 was tweaked and ported to PSP as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. Unlike the two portable versions before it, this game also got a console release on PS3 as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Ver.
Despite never being released in the West, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is the best-selling game among Capcom’s handheld-exclusive Monster Hunters with 4.9 million copies sold.
Monster Hunter 4 (2013)
Monster Hunter 4 was originally released exclusively for 3DS, exclusively in Japan. Only the enhanced edition, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Monster Hunter 4G in Japan), was released globally as a launch game for New Nintendo 3DS. This generation of Monster Hunter games most notably improved traversal by pairing increased verticality with more fluid player movement. It also improved the single-player experience with a deeper story and more NPCs.
Monster Hunter Generations (2015)
Capcom followed up MH4 with Monster Hunter Generations (Monster Hunter X in Japan), another installment released exclusively for 3DS. Generations had, as our review stated, “the appeal of a greatest hits album,” blending old and (at the time) new mechanics from the series’ then-10-year history. Most notably, Generations featured new wrinkles to customization and combat through Hunting Styles and Arts.
Generations later received an enhanced edition, known as Monster Hunter Generations XX in Japan and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate internationally. It was the first Monster Hunter game released on Nintendo Switch.
Monster Hunter Stories (2016)
Monster Hunter Stories is a spinoff that takes the action series into the world of RPGs. True to the genre, Stories trades in the real-time action of the mainline games for a turn-based combat system and puts more emphasis on story and exploration.
It was originally released for 3DS, though it’s since come to PS4, Switch, PC, and mobile.
Monster Hunter World (2018)
Monster Hunter World is, to date, the series’ high point from both a critical and commercial perspective. With 27 million copies sold, it’s the series’ (and Capcom’s) best-selling game, and with a Metascore of 90, it’s also the series’ best-reviewed game.
With World, Capcom moved the primary development of Monster Hunter back to home consoles, specifically PS4 and Xbox One. For the first time, it made a concerted effort to reach a wider Western audience by moving to a more seamless open-world design, reducing the learning curve of the series’ intricate systems, fully supporting online play with global servers, and releasing simultaneously across all regions.
A massive expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, was released the following year. Similar to the Ultimate versions of past games, Iceborne added new monsters and mechanics to the base game, as well as an all-new story that rivals the size of the campaign in World.
Monster Hunter Rise (2021)
Monster Hunter Rise is the series’ second best-performing game, ranking only behind World in terms of sales and Metascore. As the subtitle ‘World’ denotes the previous game’s more global approach, ‘Rise’ indicates a greater focus on verticality, a design decision supported by the introduction of the Wirebug, a new mechanic that enabled wall-climbing and overall more fluid traversal.
Rise builds off of the previous Switch entry, Generations Ultimate, as much as it does World, given World and Rise were, for a time, being developed in tandem. As stated in our review, “much of the streamlining World did has been carried forward” in Rise, while “other things like separate Village and Hub questlines for single- and multiplayer and the ability to tweak a weapon’s playstyle a bit return from older Monster Hunter games.”
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak was released the following year. The expansion includes a new 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 like turn-based combat, character customization, and an emphasis on story. Stories 2 again lets you fight alongside monsters (aka Monsties) instead of strictly hunting them, creating a party system that should be familiar to anyone who’s played a Pokemon RPG.
Monster Hunter Wilds (2025)
Monster Hunter Wilds will be the latest game in the series when it’s released on February 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Wilds is a mainline Monster Hunter game that builds on the design principles of World and Rise. It boasts “dynamic, ever-changing environments” and the series’ “most evolved action and improved immersion,” according to Capcom.
As noted in our 2024 Monster Hunter Wilds preview, it’s shaping up to be “a Monster Hunter that embraces the parts of Rise that made it so much more inviting but also doesn’t shy away from the larger scale and spectacle that helped make World the more enduring entry.”
Upcoming Monster Hunter Games
Next up for the franchise is the aforementioned Monster Hunter Wilds, due out February 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. You can read up on all we know about Wilds through our extensive IGN First coverage:
Capcom is also working alongside TiMi Studio Group (Call of Duty Mobile, Pokemon Unite) on Monster Hunter Outlanders, a free-to-play mobile game with multiplayer hunters and “a massive open world.” A release window for Outlanders has not yet been announced.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
Though Marvel Rivals is still a relatively new game, players are already dreaming of big additions. Recently, rumors have spread of a potential PvE boss fight, leading some to speculate that a PvE mode is right around the corner. Unfortunately, NetEase recently clarified that it doesn’t have plans for such a mode…yet.
We spoke to Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas this week, and asked him about any plans for a PvE mode. This was his response:
“For now we don’t have any kind of a PvE plan, but our development team is continuously experimenting with new game play modes. So if we found that a new specific game mode is entertaining enough, fun enough, we would of course bring it to our audience.”
After he said this, Marvel Games executive producer Danny Koo hopped in to ask if I wanted a PvE mode in Marvel Rivals, and I told him I did. Wu continued:
“Yeah, we believe there are some of our audience that would like the PvE mode. But also, you can see that if we come up with a hardcore PvE experience, that will be totally a different distinctive experience from what we have right now. So our development team has been continuously experimenting with different approaches to achieve that goal, maybe a lighter mode, in a lighter sense of that, and to see what would work best for our game.”
So for now, it sounds like there are no concrete plans for PvE, but Wu does seem to be suggesting that NetEase is playing around with ideas for a “lighter” game mode of some kind, perhaps like a one-off event or something similar. For now, NetEase isn’t saying much more.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
