The Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) Expansion Pack is a higher tier for the subscription service which primarily allows Switch users to access online multiplayer. It was announced during the September 2021 Nintendo Direct with the promise of N64 and Sega Genesis libraries being added for users. However, it was later revealed this tier will cost around $50 USD for individuals and $80 for a family plan per year; a huge increase from the base subscription's $20/$35 split. Another perk justifying its price is access to Animal Crossing: New Horizon's paid DLC, which begs the question if more DLC such as Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak could also be roped in.

This Expansion Pack's price point has been contentious, particularly for those who subscribe to NSO by themselves. With a full family plan of eight members, adding a growing library of N64 games and New Horizon's Happy Home Paradise DLC for just $10 a year is reasonable. It's much less reasonable for $50, especially when Happy Home Paradise costs $24.99 to purchase outright if someone is inclined. More DLC being added over time could help sweeten the pot, and Monster Hunter Rise's success on Switch suggests its action-focused expansion would be a good complement to Animal Crossing's casual appeal.

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Monster Hunter Rise as a Nintendo Switch Staple

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Monster Hunter has become a largely Nintendo-centric franchise over the years, even if 2018's Monster Hunter World broke the pattern by releasing on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Monster Hunter Tri released on Wii, with its ultimate edition coming to Wii U and 3DS. Monster Hunter 4 and 4 Ultimate also released on 3DS alongside Generations, with Generations Ultimate then releasing on Switch in 2018 (somewhat making up for the lack of World).

When Monster Hunter Rise came out this March, it was a Switch exclusive - and a successful one at that, having shipped 7.5 million copies worldwide as of September 24. This number will undoubtedly balloon when Rise's PC port drops on January 12, 2022, especially considering there will be no cross-play support. While it pales in comparison to Animal Crossing: New Horizons selling over 31 million copies in its first year, Monster Hunter Rise's sales numbers make it a massive success for Capcom, to the extent it may be willing to join the NSO Expansion Pack come Sunbreak's summer 2022 launch if Nintendo wants to continue expanding its scope.

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Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Could Make NSO a Crossover Juggernaut

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Like Animal Crossing, Monster Hunter is a series which thrives by the strength of its online community. Nintendo's major competitors Sony and Microsoft have proven the benefits of dropping large multiplayer experiences onto services with huge installed bases; Marvel's Avengers coming to Xbox Game Pass being a recent example. It's clear Nintendo understands this given Happy Home Paradise's inclusion in the Expansion Pack, as well as the addition of online multiplayer to retro titles.

Including Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak in the overall package could help keep its Switch fanbase coming back, even if some will undoubtedly migrate to the PC port. Given Sega Genesis games are part of NSO's Expansion Pack already, it seems Nintendo is willing to strike deals with other companies. This may be a key to the service's success going forward. Much like Xbox Game Pass's first-party day one release strategy is bolstered by a steady stream of third-party games, Switch Online's legacy collections could be bolstered by weaving in DLC and more from its development partners.

Nintendo added SNES games to NSO well after the service launched, so it's not farfetched to imagine the Expansion Pack will get this same treatment. Any new additions, be they libraries for Game Boy and GBA titles or DLC beyond Animal Crossing: New Horizons, will bring its contentious price closer to something reasonable for a lot of fans.

Monster Hunter Rise is available now on Switch, with a PC port releasing January 12, 2022. Sunbreak releases summer 2022.

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