Monster Hunter: World PC release date – all the latest details on the new Monster Hunter on PC

monster hunter world release date

When is the Monster Hunter World PC release date? Will there be a beta? Will it be different from the console version? We put Capcom’s behemoth-slaying beast in our sight and take a look at everything we know about Monster Hunter World on PC.  

Monster Hunter: World on PC is a tantalising proposition. The series has been running for more than a decade, but never has PC been the home of a core Monster Hunter game. For anyone without a Nintendo or PlayStation console, Monster Hunter: World is the first chance for PC players to see what the excitement is all about. We have gathered news, gameplay trailers, and even played the game ourselves to bring you everything you all the details about this huge new game.

Check out all the biggest upcoming PC games.  

Never played a Monster Hunter game before? Well, this PC version is the perfect place to start. Monster Hunter: World is the most ambitious and polished of the entire series; not only does it have gorgeous, high-fidelity graphics, but its set in huge hub worlds that allow you to explore, track you prey, and fight in dynamic and creative ways. There are few games like it, and based on the critical and player praise the console version garnered, it’s something worth paying attention to.  

Monster Hunter: World PC release date

The Monster Hunter: World PC release date is August 9, 2018. That may come as a surprise; we were previously told Autumn 2018, meaning we get it a touch earlier.

Not that this isn’t a delay, of course. Well, of sorts. That is because the PC version will release significantly behind the console launch, which happened back in January.

So why the delay? “This is our first PC title, and it’s something we want to make sure we get right,” Ryozo Tsujimoto, the game’s producer, explains during a chat with GamesRadar. He also explains that the online infrastructure required more work on PC, with the matchmaking being easier on console thanks to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

When talking to VG247 about the PC delay, Tsujimoto noted that it related to “a resources and manpower issue,” emphasising that the team wanted to deliver a fine-tuned version for PC.

Monster Hunter: World PC beta

A Monster Hunter: World PC beta has yet to be announced, but with Capcom looking to deliver a fine-tuned PC version – especially after they have identified matchmaking as part of the reason for a delay – we hope to see a PC beta in the weeks preluding its autumn release.

The PlayStation 4 version of the game had a beta betweenJanuary 18-22, with the game then releasing the week after. Considering Monster Hunter has not previously been available on PC, if nothing else, a beta would allow you to see if Monster Hunter is your kind of thing.

Monster Hunter: World gameplay

Monster Hunter is, as the title would suggest, a game about tracking down and slaying monsters. Rather than beasts making up the enemy rosters and the campaign revolving around a character-led, save-the-world narrative, your entire focus is on individual hunts. Each quest tasks you with finding a huge, boss-style beast and defeating it through lengthy, challenging combat encounters.

The reason for killing these monsters is twofold: not only does it provide the bulk of the moment-to-moment gameplay, but progression through Monster Hunter relies on the loot dropped by defeated beasts. Yes, Monster Hunter: World is a loot and gear-driven game in a similar vein to Diablo and Destiny, although the package it comes in could not be more dissimilar.

You choose the monsters you wish to hunt based on the gear you are looking to craft. A specific weapon may require items procured from a specific monster’s skull, and so you will head into battle with the intention of picking up that loot. Upon slaying the beast, the physical location you harvest from will dictate what you find, so if it is skull pieces that you require you had best bury your hunting knife in the beast’s head.

Monster Hunter: World is not purely a solo experience. While you can happily jump in and explore its zones on your lonesome, the hunts become notably more involving when played as part of a team of four in co-op. This allows you to combine a variety of approaches in order to trap and defeat your quarry.

Monster Hunter: World weapons

Defeating huge creatures requires an equally huge blade and so Monster Hunter: World has plenty of weapons on offer, both big and even bigger. There are 14 categories of killing implements available that each come with a variety of unique styles. Weapons range from the practical to the ostentatious, with simple twin dagger arrangements standing side-by-side with swords that transform into axes and crossbows that fire barrages of lightning shells.

Weapons deal specific types of damage that are useful in varying situations. For more information about dealing cutting, blunt, and ammo-based damage, check out our Monster Hunter: World weapons guide.

Monster Hunter: World monsters

Monster Hunter: World battle

The monsters are, understandably, the star of the show in Monster Hunter: World. There are 53 beasts, 26 of which are large monsters – the huge boss-style creatures that are your primary objective, while the remaining 19 are smaller animals that will be part of the world’s ecosystem.

The PS4 beta and the build we went hands-on with featured four large monsters: the Great Jagras, Barroth, Anjanath, and Nergigante, with each representing a jump in difficulty. The Great Jagras is a somewhat docile lizard creature that does not pose too much of a threat, while the Nergigante is a spiny dragon with a ferocious temper that will prove a terrifying challenge for all but the most veteran hunter parties.

Unlike many traditional videogame boss fights, battling large monsters does not display a health bar on the HUD that you must whittle down. Instead, you need to pay attention to the monster’s behaviour to judge how far through the fight you are. Over time they will become increasingly exhausted and injured, causing them to stumble and allow hunters wider windows of attack. As your quarry’s behaviour alters, your team can adjust their tactics to ensure a final victory.

Monster Hunter: World loot boxes

Despite having a fight-and-loot gameplay loop, Monster Hunter: World does not feature loot boxes. Any armour or weapons will have to be crafted in-game, without the need for any form of microtransaction.

“We want you to go in and, through gameplay, find out what’s causing you to hit this hurdle and figure it out,” game director Ryozo Tsujimoto says when explaining why Monster Hunter: World will not include loot boxes in an interview with Trusted Reviews. “Whenever you get over that hurdle by yourself, it’s such a great feeling, why would we let you skip that just to make a bit of extra money? It doesn’t make any sense. There’s no way we would interrupt that flow.”

Monster Hunter: World trailers

Get a good look at the game in action with these Monster Hunter: World gameplay trailers.

Monster Hunter: World PC system requirements

Minimum (30fps at 1080p on low graphics settings):

  • Intel i5-4460 at 3.20 GHz or an AMD FX-6300 (or better)
  • GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon R7 260x with 2GB VRAM or more
  • 8 GB of RAM; 20 GB of storage
  • DirectX version 11
  • Windows 7 or above (64-bit required).

Recommended (30fps at 1080p on high graphics settings):

  • GTX 1060 (VRAM 3GB) or Radeon RX 570X (VRAM 4GB)
  • Intel i3 8350 at 4GHz, or an Intel i7 3770 at 3.4GHz, or an AMD Ryzen 5
  • 8 GB of RAM; 20 GB of storage
  • DirectX version 11
  • Windows 7 or above (64-bit required)