After the game got a new trailer and a playable demo, Monster Hunter Outlanders developers (including representatives from Capcom and TiMi Studio Group) dived deep into the game’s development with members of the press. We got to attend the session, and there, we learned quite a bit about the game, including how the concept for it came about, along with the key considerations the team has made to bring the Monster Hunter experience to mobile devices.
In case you missed it, Monster Hunter Outlanders is an upcoming mobile game that’s being developed by TiMi Studio Group, under the supervision of Capcom. This game was announced late last year, and it promises to deliver a familiar experience to Monster Hunter fans, albeit one that streamlines various mechanics to make it a better fit on mobile devices. Players will have the choice of experiencing the game’s main story in solo mode, as well as participating in multiplayer hunts with up to four players per squad.
How Monster Hunter Outlanders’ concept came to be
For those wondering how the idea for a game came about, we learned from the developers that it all started with a proposal from TiMi Studio Group. This proposal laid out a direction for the game that includes not only signature combat mechanics from the mainline Monster Hunter games, but also the game’s focus on crafting.
This proposal was received well by Capcom, especially considering that they believed TiMi would be a great partner for this. After all, the studio has worked on plenty of popular mobile titles, including games like Pokémon Unite and Honor of Kings.
Aside from TiMi Studio Group’s experience, Capcom also liked the proposal given that the project’s goal is aligned with their vision for the series.
Capcom and TiMI Studio Group’s aim with Outlanders
Even back in the PS2 era, the Monster Hunter series had a dedicated following. Over the years, the game’s fanbase has continued to grow, but there is still a desire from its developers to make it even more accessible to other players.
This is one of the main aims of Capcom and TiMi Studio Group for Outlanders. As a mobile game, this Monster Hunter title is sure to be more accessible. After all, pretty much everyone has a smartphone these days, while not everyone is willing or able to invest in a console or a gaming PC.
Aside from the accessibility of the mobile platform, there’s also the fact that Outlanders, being a mobile game, means its mechanics are simplified to make it better fit a touch screen device.
The biggest challenge – Simplifying while keeping the series identity intact
Speaking of simplification, this is one of the biggest challenges that the developers are facing. Specifically, it’s how they can simplify the game’s systems and elements, all while still making the game a proper Monster Hunter experience.
One of the things the developers have to simplify is the UI. As a mobile phone’s screen is smaller, Outlanders needs to have more streamlined UI elements. Given this, the game’s interface has helpful things like recommended items pop-ups to make the game’s flow a bit faster.
Aside from this, Monster Hunter Outlanders also omits some things from the main series entries. These include the polishing animation. While polishing weapons is still a thing, players won’t have to sit through an animation as they would in the main games. The paintball mechanic is also removed in this game to make the hunting flow faster.
What weapon types can players expect?
For the game’s Tokyo Game Show 2025 demo, players can control the Fated Adventurer, the game’s default playable character. The demo also lets players try out five weapons: Great Sword, Long Sword, Dual Blades, Bow, and Heavy Bowgun.
These won’t be the only weapons players will have access to in the full release. According to the developers, more weapons will be released as the beta tests progress. Though the developers clarified that the game will not introduce all-new weapons. Instead, the weapons that will come will be based on the original 14 weapons in the Monster Hunter mainline titles.
As for weapons, what’s interesting here is that players can play as Adventurers with one of three classes: Assault, Disruptor, and Support. Unlike the Fated Adventurer, the game’s other Adventurers have specific weapons tied to them. This gives Outlanders a more class-based style compared with the other games.
To complement these, players can also get help from buddies. Not only Palicoes this time, as there will also be new buddy species: Rutaco and Trillan.
Monetization Plans
Given that Outlanders is a mobile game, the game is free-to-play with in-app purchases. When asked about monetization plans, it was mentioned that there will be cosmetic options for players to tweak their characters’ design.
Aside from these, the game’s monetization scheme is not set in stone yet. According to the developers, this will change depending on feedback from the upcoming tests. Hopefully, the monetization plan for this game will mainly be for character visuals instead of affecting gameplay too deeply. After all, this is often a key factor in a mobile game’s success.
Future Content Updates
Along with monetization, the game’s developers were also asked about their plans for future content updates. It was confirmed that there are lots of plans for the game’s future updates, but there are no set plans yet, especially given that the game is still early in development.
Updates are guaranteed though, meaning players will be happy to know that the long-term outlook for this game should be good after its launch. Plus, the developers confirmed that simulations are already being made regarding the future updates, with feedback from players also to be considered greatly for any content update.
Monster Hunter Outlanders is set to launch on Android and IOS devices, though there’s no word yet on an official release date. On the bright side, players who want to try it out ASAP will be happy to know that a closed beta test is starting in November 2025, with recruitment for the beta now ongoing via the game’s official website.