Monster Hunter Outlanders aims to bring a true mainline Monster Hunter experience to smartphones, as demonstrated by new details revealed at Tokyo Game Show 2025. The developers talked about classic elements like quests and crafting, while also discussing accessibility-focused adjustments.These adjustments are implemented to streamline the formula for a mobile audience without compromising the core identity that defines the franchise.
Monster Hunter Outlanders Looks to Bring MH's Core Experience to Mobile Devices
Not Just Boss Battles, But Exploration Too
Monster Hunter Outlanders (MHO), the series' 2nd mobile spinoff, was first revealed to the public in a surprise trailer back in November 13, 2024. Developed by TiMi Studio Group, a studio well-known for successfully adapting major franchises for mobile platforms (e.g., Pokémon Unite and Call of Duty: Mobile) in collaboration with Capcom, the trailer showed off large monsters, various biomes to explore, and promises of bringing the exploration experience of the mainline games to smartphones. However, it also teased a few new mechanics that hadn’t been seen in the series before.
After that reveal, though, was 10 months of news drought. Fans had to rely on small details and hints pulled from the trailer or interviews. It wasn’t until Tokyo Game Show 2025 that Capcom and TiMi finally returned with more information about the game.
Another Whole New World
This Time, in Aesoland
MHO follows the formula of many of the other titles before it: players are dispatched to an uncharted area to investigate the lands and its ecology. This time around, it'll be to unravel the mysteries of an island called Aesoland.
On this island of regions with widely varying terrain and climate exists a rare mineral named Radiantite. Its effects are wide: it reshapes the terrain, influences the culture and beliefs of the natives, and affects the creatures on the island.
Whereas previous iterations had players become Hunters, MHO will have them be Adventurers instead. The difference between the two isn't really explained, and perhaps there isn't any other than a difference in name; Adventurers still use large weapons to take down larger enemies.
Storywise, there is one thing that separates you from the other Adventurers, and that is your title as the Fated Adventurer, the main protagonist of the story. While that will be your usual customizable main character, it looks like you will also be able to choose from and play as preset Adventurers as well.
The game has already introduced a few of these named Adventurers, each representing a combat role and monster set. For instance, we know of Madelyn, who takes a support role in Pukei-Pukei armor, and Midori, an Assault type wearing Rathian gear. There are also Raya and Pepe, both Disruptors, using Kulu-Ya-Ku and Paolumu armor, respectively. Each of them not only has their own combat role or playstyle but also tied to specific weapons, and it seems as though the game wants players to think about character choice alongside weapon choice.
Monster Hunter Outlanders Prioritizes Adapting Weapons to Mobile
Only Five Revealed So Far
One of the biggest questions fans had about Monster Hunter Outlanders after its first trailer was about weapons. Many of the recent games, such as Monster Hunter: World, Monster Hunter Rise, and the latest entry, Monster Hunter Wilds, all feature the 14 weapon types. Because of this, it was natural for people to wonder if Outlanders would follow suit.
From what has been shared so far for Outlanders, there are currently five featured weapon types: Great Sword, Long Sword, Dual Blades, Bow, and Heavy Bowgun. This group of five weapons is the precise lineup that was playable in the demo at the Tokyo Game Show, but notably absent here are Light Bowgun and Lance; weapons the developers have confirmed in November of last year to appear in the game. These are also the weapons expected to be available during the upcoming Closed Beta Test. The developers clarified during the press event that they want to expand the selection over time, though they didn’t commit to stating exactly how many will be available at launch. They stressed that their focus is on adapting existing weapons from past games so that they work well on smartphones.
They also warned that players should not expect completely new weapon types. The idea is not to reinvent the wheel but to make sure the weapons that do appear feel natural to use on a touchscreen. That alone is a big challenge, since Monster Hunter’s combat has always relied on various inputs and combos. Whether or not the full 14 eventually make it in, fans can find solace in knowing that the team is looking to provide quality over quantity.
Balancing Combat and Controls
MHO features a single player mode and a four-person multiplayer mode. For single-player modes, up to three AI-controlled Adventurers will join you to assist you, bringing unique abilities that will allow them to play one of three specific roles: Assault, a DPS role; Disruptor, a Control role; or Support, a healer/buffer role.
Multiplayer mode, on the other hand, will allow up to four player squads to communicate and coordinate through quick chat or voice chat to take down monsters.
Adventurers will be accompanied by Buddies with trainable skills. Alongside the classic feline Palico as an Assault role support Buddy are two other new kinds: a Rutaco, which is a monkey-like Buddy for Disruptor roles; and a Trillan, an owl-like Buddy for Support roles. Choosing the right buddies for the right roles will increase efficiency during hunts.
Unlike in previous iterations, where attacks included precise button sequences or several buttons pushed in tandem, combat in MHO will be more based on a main button with several "skill" buttons surrounding it that become available under certain conditions.
Translating core combat to touchscreens proved to be challenging. TiMi drew on its action-game pedigree to recreate responsive controls while working to balance difficulty and combat satisfaction.
Despite their extensive experience, the studio acknowledged that there is ongoing work to tune encounters so fights feel rewarding on mobile, regardless of if players prefer solo play or coordinated team play.
Accessibility-First Design While Retaining Core Systems
Allowing for More One-Touch Access to Key Functions
Monster Hunter has long thrived on deep preparation, deliberate combat and co-op play since the series’ 2004 debut. MHO has the immense task of bringing those things along with the immersive feel of the mainline series and shrinking it to make sense for smartphones.
While fans may expect certain legacy gameplay features to remain meaningful, the goal for the developers with this title is to create a more casual experience that could bring in a wider audience that might have been intimidated from entering the series previously.
Therefore, the mobile adaptation prioritizes accessibility: familiar hunting actions will be mapped to simplified, single-button controls while preserving hallmark mechanics.
Some actions have been streamlined to be more in line with how modern mobile games are played. The UI will also prioritize core choices, where items and tooltips appear contextually to allow the user to make choices without having to dig deep into the controls.
For example, weapon polishing will no longer be required, but Sharpness as a system, its effects and relevance to hunts remain intact. Another example comes in the form of something akin to an Ultimate Skill in many mobile games, where a cinematic plays before dealing major damage.
Another area that will be a major change for long-time players is session lengths. While a hunting session in a mainline game can easily take 10 or even the full 50 minutes, this doesn't make as much sense in the context of a smartphone game, where many people may be playing during their commute or during some downtime in a lunch hour.
The hunting sessions will be shortened, with the demo showing a hunt taking just about 3 minutes. This should allow for more people to enjoy the core experience of a hunt without needing to invest a large amount of time. How quest objectives and hunts will be balanced around this is currently unknown.
It is understandable that veteran players might worry that simplifying controls and shortening hunts for a mobile game will somehow ruin the core Monster Hunter experience. However, Capcom points out that adapting and removing familiar aspects of the game to keep up with the times is not new to the series.
An example given during the press event was the use of paintballs. In older titles, if you didn’t throw a paintball at your target, you had no idea where it was on the map once it left the area. Newer, mainline entries like Monster Hunter: World and Monster Hunter: Wilds have completely changed this. Once a monster has been adequately tracked (by picking up enough footprints or using the new tracking systems like Scoutflies), its location is visible on the map permanently or for long periods. The need to carry and constantly apply paintballs is practically non-existent.
Even with the goal of creating a more accessible experience, the game may not necessarily lose the complex identity that defines Monster Hunter. Although hunt sessions are shortened and controls are streamlined for the mobile screen, the developers have stated that many hallmark mechanics will remain and run alongside new ones.
Crafting, Base Building, and Survival Elements
A Series' First
A major pillar of Outlanders will be crafting, presented as a more prominent and convenient system than in previous titles. In fact, it was the addition of crafting to use with the Monster Hunter IP in TiMi’s proposal that led to the project being greenlit.
Crafting will be used not only for equipment or tools, but also for base building as well as field item placements, aiding players in preparing for hunts and reducing stress by making commonly needed actions quicker.
Base building will allow for various conveniences and gimmicks to let players customize and manage a hub on the go. Players can create bases, cannons during fights, and platforms you can use to gain vertical height and glide from, but the extent of which these can go have yet to be specified.
Newly added survival mechanics also aim to add a new dimension not yet seen in previous entries, such as influences from weather. How exactly these are being implemented wasn't apparent from the interview, but we did get a glimpse of it from the TGS trailer, where Adventurers are seen chopping down trees to gather a resource. Those resources will likely be used to fuel the aforementioned crafting system.
Monetization Model Remains Undecided
Regardless of What People May Think
As a free-to-play game, many are leery about the game's monetization model. With a game that thrives on having different weapons, adventurers, buddies and basebuilding items to obtain, as well as a conveniently new resource, Radiantite, being introduced, many players are expecting it to release as a gacha game.
However, TiMi emphasized that there is no final decision yet on an exact monetization model, though cosmetic changes to character designs are being considered as a primary avenue. Their content plans for future updates were also not specified.
The studio mentions that it will listen closely to feedback from upcoming closed beta tests (recruitment for a November test in select regions starts now) before locking down monetization details or post-launch update cadence, meaning this may be the opportunity for interested players to express how they feel the game should make its money.
Monster Hunter Outlanders Closed Beta Test in November
Now Open for Pre-Registration
If you like the idea of Monster Hunter on a phone, but still expect the familiar weight of weapon choice and monster encounters, Outlanders looks like it could hit that sweet spot. Just don’t expect every classic action to survive the trip unchanged; some have been simplified, but the hunt’s heart seems intact.
Monster Hunter Outlanders doesn't have a solid release date yet, but players can watch the new TGS trailer and find gameplay videos of the TGS demo from the game’s official YouTube channel.
Monster Hunter Outlanders is currently looking for players to join its upcoming closed beta in November. Sign-ups are open now on the official Monster Hunter Outlanders website, so anyone curious can pre-register for a chance to test it out. This beta will be the first look for most players at how the game feels outside of trailers and controlled demos, and it should give a clearer idea of how well the series’ formula holds up on mobile.
To stay up-to-date with the latest news and playtest opportunities, you can check out our Monster Hunter Outlanders page below.
