Time to grab (toot?) your hunting horns! Devoted fans of the Monster Hunter series have been on tenterhooks, eagerly awaiting word of the next entry in the blockbuster franchise. Now, recent updates from Capcom are kindling hope for the imminent release of the next Monster Hunter game.
Capcom recently published its Investor Relations report for Q2 2023 and that’s what has subsequently fueled speculation that Monster Hunter 6 is coming in 2024. In the Q&A portion of the report, it was revealed that Capcom still plans to release two titles before the end of the current fiscal year. One of the titles is Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy while the other “major title” remains unknown.
The Ace Attorney Trilogy was announced earlier this year and has a release date of January 25, 2024. As for the other, un-named title, Capcom has said that it will sell “millions” and is coming before the end of the fiscal year which will be by March 2024.
When talking about a Capcom title with the potential to sell millions, only three titles come to mind: Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter. There’s a tiny chance that a well marketed new IP could also swing it, but that’s highly unlikely.
Fans have speculated that it will be a Monster Hunter title, as the game series will celebrate its 20th Anniversary in March 2024. Capcom has already released concept art for the milestone, gathering all the iconic armor sets and monsters from the series along with a clock made of the weapons in the game.
Aside from the 20th-anniversary celebration for Monster Hunter, Capcom also recently released Street Fighter 6 which rules out the fighting game series. It is highly unlikely that Capcom would release a new title in the series so close in proximity to Street Fighter 6. The developer may release a DLC but it doesn’t fit the description of a game that will sell millions.
Capcom also released the remake of Resident Evil 4 in the first half of this year. The remake sold well, shipping three million units within the first two days, and has sold over five million units in total. This continues the trend of the Resident Evil remakes generally performing exceptionally well – but we don’t believe another one is coming so soon.
We know that Capcom is working on the next mainline entry which is Resident Evil 9 but it isn’t coming anytime soon. The studio also announced the Separate Ways DLC for Resident Evil 4 which rules out a new title for the series at least until the end of 2024.
This only leaves Monster Hunter. We are sure that a mainline title is coming, the only question is when. Given how Capcom is confident that the unannounced game would sell millions and the fact that new Street Fighter and Resident Evil titles were recently released, it is almost certain that the mystery game is Monster Hunter.
The question now is will the next game be Monster Hunter 6? There are signs that it may not be the title we are hoping for. The Game Awards is the only big venue for a Monster Hunter announcement between now and March.
With the awards show being scheduled for December, it would leave Capcom with just three months to market the game. The company typically announces its flagship games six months before release which makes a Monster Hunter 6 reveal at the Game Awards unlikely should the company follow through with the March 2024 launch.
So, what does Capcom intend to release then? There is speculation that it may opt to reveal a remaster for one of the previous games at the Game Awards. This may be a filler game before the Monster Hunter 6 arrives within the year. A remaster will still sell millions and likely buy Capcom some more time to work on the next mainline Monster Hunter entry.
Do you think Capcom will announce Monster Hunter 6 soon? We hope so, but we aren’t holding our breaths.
