Monster Hunter NOW Taps Niantic for Pokémon GO-Style AR Game

 

The Monster Hunter series is looking to bring its hunt to the real world with a new AR game called Monster Hunter NOW. Fittingly, Capcom is teaming up with Pokémon GO develop Niantic to make this happen, and Monster Hunter NOW is set to launch on mobile devices this September. Ahead of the full game’s arrival, a closed beta test is currently planned for April 25, and you can apply now at the official website.

 

As the concept implies, Monster Hunter NOW brings the popular series to life and puts the hunt right in your backyard, on the streets of your neighborhood and beyond. The game is built on Niantic’s Lightship platform, which uses location-based technology and AR that, as Niantic’s announcement says, “overlays the real world with fantastical and fierce creatures.”

 

Check out the teaser trailer:

 

 

Hunt monsters in the real world in Monster Hunter NOW, a new mobile #MonsterHunter game from Niantic and Capcom, launching September 2023!

Try the closed beta test starting on April 25, and follow @MH_Now_EN for the latest info.

Apply here:https://t.co/OZp4tqdbwh pic.twitter.com/bnpZqkL2Vx

— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) April 18, 2023

 

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Here’s how Niantic describes Monster Hunter NOW:

 

For anyone who’s ever dreamed of hunting monsters in the real world, Monster Hunter Now brings that fantasy to life. Taking the role of a hunter, players will venture forth and team up with fellow players in order to take down the fiercest monsters in the world, adding a social element to the thrilling experience. Since Monster Hunter Now can be played on smartphones, you can easily invite your friends to join.

 

Monster Hunter is Capcom’s most popular video game franchise with more than 90 million units sold globally, and is one of the most popular action role-playing game series of all time.

 

Monster Hunter Now is designed for everyone to enjoy at their own pace, whether you are a long-time Monster Hunter player, someone who hasn’t played for a while, or even a newcomer to the series. You can also play when and where you want. For instance, in Monster Hunter Now, there’s an item called the Paintball. By using a Paintball on a monster that you encounter, you can bring the monster back home and hunt it alone or with someone else. And even when you’re walking around without playing the game, your companion can mark any monsters you pass by with the Paintball, so you can enjoy hunting them even after returning home.

 

Source: Niantic

 

 

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his comics at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.