How to Play the Monster Hunter Games in Order

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

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

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)

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)

Capcom followed up MH4 with

Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest game in the series, 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 IGN’s review, “Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the traditionally rough edges of the series in smart ways, reducing as much friction as possible that could get in the way of you grabbing any of its exceptionally fun weapons and planting them firmly in a monster’s hide.”

Upcoming Monster Hunter Games

The newest addition to the franchise is the aforementioned Monster Hunter Wilds. In terms of future releases, 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.” No release window has been announced.

At the most recent Nintendo Direct, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection was announced as an upcoming game for the Nintendo Switch 2 as well as Xbox, PC, and PS5. The game, releasing in 2026, will follow the heir to Azuria and the princess of Vermeil as they work together to stop a “crystal encroachment” from destroying their nations.

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