'Monster Hunter: World' Not Coming To Nintendo Switch - Capcom

Fans of the Nintendo Switch won’t have any “Monster Hunter: World” in their future according to Capcom.

“Monster Hunter: World” is Capcom’s best-selling game of all time and was launched on the PS4 and Xbox One back in January 2018. It subsequently arrived on the PC in August of that year and there was hope among Switch fans that the title would grace their console of choice.

During a recent shareholder meeting, however, Video Games Chronicle reports that Capcom has cast those Switch dreams aside. “Currently, we are not planning to deploy Monster Hunter: World on the Nintendo Switch,” Capcom responded to a question about the topic (via Google translate).

In this action role-playing game, a player takes the role of a Hunter, tasked to hunt down and either kill or trap monsters that roam in one of several environmental spaces. The core loop of “Monster Hunter: World” has the player crafting appropriate gear to be able to hunt down more difficult monsters, which in turn provide parts that lead to more powerful gear.

“Monster Hunter: World” allows players to hunt alone or in a group of up to four players via the game's online multiplayer mode. As of March 2020, “Monster Hunter: World” has shipped 15.7 million units. Its expansion pack, “Monster Hunter World: Iceborne,” has shipped 5.2 million units.

Another question asked at the shareholders meeting asked if Capcom would once again release a “Monster Hunter” game that high school students can enjoy. “We are planning to develop a Monster Hunter that can be enjoyed by junior and senior high school students, and look forward to future developments,” the Japanese publisher said.

The first “Monster Hunter” was released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2004, with cumulative shipments exceeding 63 million units as of March 2020. The franchise ranks one place above “Street Fighter” with 44 million units in terms of Capcom’s lifetime shipments. At the top of the publisher’s franchise shipments is still “Resident Evil” at 100 million, notes Video Games Chronicle.

Capcom also announced that the fourth update for “Monster Hunter World: Iceborne” that was originally scheduled for May will instead arrive on July 9. It will introduce fan-favorite monster Alatreon. The reason for the delay was the coronavirus pandemic disrupting the production schedule.