Niantic and Capcom to Launch Monster Hunter Now in September

The highly anticipated Monster Hunter Now, a location-based mobile game, is set to launch in September, marking a significant collaboration between Niantic and Capcom. Developed and published by Niantic, the game will be available on the iOS App Store and Google Play, with beta test registrations now open. Building upon the success of previous Niantic titles like Pokémon Go, Monster Hunter Now brings the beloved series to the real world, with monsters roaming neighborhoods and cities. According to Kei Kawai, Niantic's chief product officer, the series is a natural fit for the company's style of games, emphasizing social interaction, exploration, and collecting. With a development period of nearly four years, the game aims to differentiate itself from Pokémon Go through features like ecological zones and a Paintball item, allowing players to tag and battle monsters later. The game's design prioritizes accessibility, with intuitive "tap and flick" battle controls and a focus on multiplayer. While the game's monetization model has not been detailed, Niantic is confident in the title's potential, citing the Monster Hunter series' growing global popularity, with 90 million units sold worldwide. With the series' recent success in the West, Niantic believes Monster Hunter Now is poised for international success.