Chronological Guide to Embarking on the Epic Monster Hunter Saga

Capcom's Monster Hunter franchise, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024, roars back in 2025 with Monster Hunter Wilds. This prolific series, spanning generations of consoles, reached new heights with Monster Hunter World (2018) and Monster Hunter Rise (2021), Capcom's two best-selling games ever.

With Monster Hunter Wilds launching February 28th, let's explore the franchise's history through its most impactful titles.

The Monster Hunter Universe: A Vast Landscape

While over 25 Monster Hunter games exist (including base games, spin-offs, and mobile titles), this list focuses on the 12 most significant entries. Excluded are mobile and arcade-only releases (Monster Hunter i, Monster Hunter Spirits), defunct MMOs (Monster Hunter Frontier, Monster Hunter Online), and the Japan-exclusive Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village.

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Starting Your Monster Hunter Journey

The Monster Hunter series lacks a continuous narrative; choose any entry as your starting point. For newcomers in 2025, consider waiting for Monster Hunter Wilds reviews (February 28th release). Otherwise, Monster Hunter World (exploration focus) or Monster Hunter Rise (speed and fluidity) are excellent choices.

Out February 28th### Monster Hunter Wilds - Standard Edition

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A Chronological Hunt: Every Monster Hunter Game

Monster Hunter (2004)

Initially conceived to test the PS2's online capabilities (Eurogamer, 2014), the original Monster Hunter established core gameplay: players hunt monsters, gather materials, craft equipment, and tackle progressively tougher foes, solo or online. Monster Hunter G, an enhanced Japanese-only version, followed.

Monster HunterCapcom Production Studio 1Mar 11, 2004

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Monster Hunter Freedom (2005)

The PSP's Monster Hunter Freedom, a refined Monster Hunter G port, initiated the series' portable dominance, selling over a million copies. This single-player focus established a trend of portable versions outselling console counterparts, until Monster Hunter World's release.

Monster Hunter FreedomCapcom Production Studio 1Dec 1, 2005

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(The remaining entries will follow a similar format, condensing descriptions for brevity while maintaining key information and image placement.)

Monster Hunter 2 (2006)

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (2007) & Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (2008)

Monster Hunter 3 (2009) & Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (2011)

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (2010)

Monster Hunter 4 (2013) & Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (2015)

Monster Hunter Generations (2015) & Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (2017)

Monster Hunter Stories (2016)

Monster Hunter World (2018) & Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (2019)

Monster Hunter Rise (2021) & Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (2022)

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (2021)

Monster Hunter Wilds (2025)

The Future of the Hunt

Beyond Monster Hunter Wilds (releasing February 28th for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), Capcom and TiMi Studio Group are developing Monster Hunter Outlanders, a free-to-play mobile game featuring multiplayer hunts and a vast open world. A release date is yet to be announced. Further details on Monster Hunter Wilds can be found through IGN First coverage.