A year removed from its 20th anniversary, Capcom’s monster-hunting franchise returns in 2025 with Monster Hunter Wilds. This prolific series has spanned several generations of home and portable consoles, achieving new heights with 2018’s Monster Hunter World and 2021’s Monster Hunter Rise—the series' best-selling games to date and Capcom’s two best-selling games of all time.
With Monster Hunter Wilds set to launch on February 28, we’re taking a nostalgic journey through the franchise's history, presenting a chronological list of the series’ most significant games.
How Many Monster Hunter Games Are There?
There are over 25 Monster Hunter games when you include all base games, spinoffs, mobile entries, and enhanced versions. However, for this list, we've selected the 12 most relevant Monster Hunter games. We've omitted mobile- and arcade-exclusive titles (such as Monster Hunter i, Monster Hunter Spirits), previously discontinued MMOs (like Monster Hunter Frontier, Monster Hunter Online), and the Japan-exclusive, FromSoftware-developed game that resembles Animal Crossing, Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village.
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Which Monster Hunter Game Should You Play First?
The Monster Hunter franchise does not have a continuous storyline, allowing you to choose any game to start with. If you're entering the world of Monster Hunter in 2025, you might want to wait and see the reactions to the latest game, Monster Hunter Wilds, which is due out on February 28. If you're eager to dive in before Wilds, we recommend starting with Monster Hunter World or Monster Hunter Rise. World is ideal for those who enjoy exploration and immersion, while Rise is tailored for those who prefer speed and fluid gameplay.
Out February 28
Monster Hunter Wilds - Standard Edition
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Every Monster Hunter Game in Release Order
Monster Hunter (2004)
Monster Hunter, developed alongside Auto Modellista and Resident Evil: Outbreak, was part of Capcom's strategy to explore the PS2's online capabilities, as revealed by Capcom's Ryozo Tsujimoto in a 2014 interview with Eurogamer.
This inaugural Monster Hunter game established the franchise's core mechanics. Players undertake quests to hunt monsters, using harvested materials to craft and upgrade weapons and armor, preparing them for battles against even stronger foes.
An expanded version, Monster Hunter G, was released exclusively in Japan the following year.
Monster HunterCapcom Production Studio 1
Monster Hunter Freedom (2005)
In 2005, the series found a new home on portable consoles with Monster Hunter Freedom, an enhanced port of Monster Hunter G adapted for single-player on the PSP. This entry sold over a million copies, marking the beginning of a trend where Monster Hunter's portable versions outsold their home console counterparts—a trend that continued until the success of Monster Hunter World in 2018.
Monster Hunter FreedomCapcom Production Studio 1
Monster Hunter 2 (2006)
Capcom returned to the home console for the series' second main entry, Monster Hunter 2 (also known as Monster Hunter Dos), released exclusively in Japan for the PS2. Monster Hunter 2 introduced a day-night cycle and gems, expanding options for weapon and armor customization.
Monster Hunter 2Capcom Production Studio 1
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (2007)
Monster Hunter Freedom 2, the second handheld entry, took the essence of its home console counterpart (MH2) and enhanced it with new content and a focus on single-player gameplay. This was further expanded in 2008 with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, which introduced new monsters, missions, maps, and the ability to have a Felyne fighter join the player in battle.
Monster Hunter Freedom 2Capcom Production Studio 1
Monster Hunter 3 (2009)
Monster Hunter 3, also known as Monster Hunter Tri, was first released in Japan in 2009 and internationally in 2010. Initially developed for the PS3, it was ultimately released as a Wii exclusive. Alongside new monsters, weapons, and locations, it introduced the series' short-lived underwater combat feature.
Later, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was released for Wii U and 3DS, featuring new monsters, a revamped single-player experience, updated graphics, and a new multiplayer area.
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Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (2010)
Similar to its predecessors, Monster Hunter 3 was adapted and released for the PSP as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. Unlike earlier portable versions, this game also saw a console release on the PS3 as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Ver.
Despite not being released in the West, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd became the best-selling handheld-exclusive Monster Hunter game, with 4.9 million copies sold.
Monster Hunter Portable 3rdCapcom Production Studio 1
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