There are only two days to go before the global launch of Monster Hunter Now on September 14, following five months of waiting since the AR mobile game’s reveal.
Niantic and Capcom have teamed up for the project, bringing an augmented reality twist to the next entry in the long-running franchise. And the anticipation is palpable: With only days to go, pre-registrations have officially surpassed 3 million.
A hunting party
When pre-registrations first opened for Monster Hunter Now this July, Niantic and Capcom revealed their ambitions to reach a 5 million pre-registration milestone by launch. They have incentivised this target by offering incremental rewards to pre-installers when the game finally does come out, with different items being made available to eager players depending on how many of them there are in total.
Currently at the 3 million mark, it looks unlikely that another 2 million players will pre-install in the next two days, but this isn’t out of the question. miHoYo’s latest game Honkai: Star Rail - the company’s first game since Genshin Impact - amassed 30 million pre-registrations in less than two weeks, after all.
A real-world promotional tactic fitting of Go-getter (yes, that’s a pun) Niantic may also help Monster Hunter Now’s pre-install numbers, with posters showing up in Tokyo around the Shibuya district
Even if the game doesn’t reach its 5 million target, 3 million remains an impressive amount in its own right, especially as an IP out of Japan - a country renowned for its slow uptake of mobile games. The 3 million mark also brings with it a broad set of rewards for players regardless, just not every reward. These are expected to be distributed sometime this month following a game update, given out to any player who starts the game within seven days of launch. Face Paint and the Founder Medal are included.
The official Monster Hunter Now launch trailer has released to coincide with the milestone, showing off more of the monsters that will appear in-game. Those confirmed so far come from across the franchise’s history, such as the Pukei-Pukei, Tobi-Kadachi, and the most famous of them all, the Rathalos.
Niantic's released a surprise AR game earlier this month, but less surprising is the company's high position in our Top 50 Game Makers list.
