Capcom is a legacy developer known for some of the most iconic franchises in the industry: Mega Man, Street Fighter, and Resident Evil among them. Another lucrative name in its catalog is Monster Hunter, which debuted on PlayStation 2 in 2004. Modern Monster Hunter games are consistent bestsellers for Capcom, and its 2021 entry Monster Hunter Rise is primed to become an even bigger success by launching on Sony and Microsoft consoles next year - including availability through Xbox Game Pass.
Monster Hunter Rise was a Nintendo Switch exclusive that came to PC this January, a few months prior to the "massive" Sunbreak expansion. Sunbreak's free Title Updates are ongoing, with last month's third update adding Chaotic Gore Magala and more Risen-class Elder Dragons. Only the base game will release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 20, with Sunbreak set to follow in spring 2023. Even so, Xbox Game Pass will undoubtedly give Rise its third wind despite lacking cross-play functionality.
Rise is Monster Hunter's Latest Sales Juggernaut
Resident Evil is likely the first Capcom franchise many will think of considering its steady clip of new releases like Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition and upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake, but recent Monster Hunter ventures often outsell the series. Statistics from Capcom's Investor Relations show Monster Hunter World is the company's top-selling game as of September 30, 2022, having pushed 18.5 million units (not including the Iceborne expansion, which alone sits at fifth place). The runner-up is Resident Evil 7, with latest projections pointing to 11.3 million units sold.
Five of the 10 best-selling titles are Resident Evil games, and two are from Street Fighter. Yet Monster Hunter Rise is the third entry based on PC and Switch sales, nearly overtaking Resident Evil 7 at 11.2 million units (the Sunbreak expansion currently sits at 16th place with 4.4 million sales in just four months). World and Rise contribute to over a quarter of the series' 88 million total units shipped as of September 30, and that's before Monster Hunter Rise hits PlayStation and Xbox.
With this in mind, it's no wonder Monster Hunter continues to evolve not just through mainline releases, but auxiliary media such as a live-action film in 2020 and a board game based on World. It has also experimented with titles like the MMORPG Monster Hunter Frontier, and last month Capcom announced a mobile game co-developed by Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studio Group - also responsible for Call of Duty: Mobile, Pokemon Unite, and more.
What Xbox Game Pass can Bring to Monster Hunter Rise
The announcement of Monster Hunter Rise coming to Sony and Microsoft consoles is significant because it marks the first time Capcom's series is available on all major systems. Typical entries have been locked to single skews like the PlayStation 2 or Nintendo 3DS, and Monster Hunter World was so graphically intensive that it likely never could have made the jump to Switch without Cloud support. This makes Monster Hunter Rise the franchise's definitive experience, one that's all the more accessible as a day-one Xbox Game Pass title.
Microsoft's subscription service is well-regarded for offering new AAA and indie experiences alongside a deep catalog of titles from Xbox Game Studios, Ubisoft, EA, and more. Monster Hunter World was available through Game Pass until June 2021, a perfect arrangement considering the series' encounters are best experienced with a team of four hunters wielding a variety of the main 18 weapon types. It's just as important for Monster Hunter Rise to find a thriving playerbase by curious Game Pass subscribers as other multiplayer experiences like Marvel's Avengers.
Unlike Marvel's Avengers, which had an underwhelming reception at launch, Monster Hunter Rise is coming to Xbox Game Pass riding positive word-of-mouth, already substantial sales numbers, and the promise of additional updates through the Sunbreak expansion. It is a shame that Capcom did not work out cross-play or cross-save functionality, but Rise's PC and Switch skews show how successful each individual silo can be. With 2023 bringing the game to two new ecosystems, it's not hard to imagine Monster Hunter World losing its crown.
Monster Hunter Rise is available now for PC and Switch, with PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X versions launching January 20, 2023.
Source: Capcom IR