Monster Hunter: World Guide#
Monster Hunter: World (Japanese: モンスターハンター：ワールド) was developed and published by CAPCOM CO., LTD. as the fifth mainline entry in the Monster Hunter series, in the action role-playing (ARPG) genre.
This hub compiles the 14 weapons, the monster list, hub mechanics, and Iceborne content from verified sources. Where we have no verified information — such as cross-platform play or per-monster weakness data — we say so rather than guess.
Game Overview#
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Game name | Monster Hunter: World (Japanese: モンスターハンター：ワールド) |
| Developer / Publisher | CAPCOM CO., LTD. |
| Series position | Fifth mainline entry in the Monster Hunter series |
| Genre | Action role-playing (ARPG) |
| Game engine | MT Framework |
| Director | Yuya Tokuda |
| Producers | Hironobu Takeshita / Shingo Izumi / Kazunori Inoue |
| Platforms | PS4, Xbox One, PC (Microsoft Windows / Steam) |
| Modes | Single-player + multiplayer, hunting parties of up to 4 |
| Online features | First entry in the series with cross-region online multiplayer |
| Major expansion | Monster Hunter: World: Iceborne |
Release and Sales#
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 26, 2018 | PS4 / Xbox One release |
| March 5, 2018 | Sales passed 7.5 million copies, overtaking Resident Evil 5’s 7.3 million |
| August 9, 2018 | PC (Microsoft Windows / Steam) release |
| September 6, 2019 | Console release of the major expansion Iceborne |
| January 10, 2020 | Iceborne PC release (the Steam store separately lists a DLC release date of March 11, 2020 — the date it went live on that platform) |
| As of December 31, 2024 | Combined sales on all platforms passed 28.3 million copies, topping Capcom’s “Million Sellers” list |
| News of June 8, 2026 | Global cumulative sales passed 30 million copies |
Awards include The Game Awards (TGA) “Best Role Playing Game”, the PlayStation Awards “Four Platinum Prize” and “Users’ Choice Grand Award”, among others.
Core Gameplay Loop#
The player joins the Fifth Fleet of the Research Commission and travels to the New Continent; the Commission’s headquarters base is Astera. The gameplay mainline revolves around the Commission’s quests:
- Create your own hunter and a Palico companion;
- The Research Commission issues hunters quests to hunt or capture monsters;
- Defeating or capturing a monster yields monster parts;
- Parts are used to craft and upgrade equipment.
The Smithy produces and upgrades equipment, consuming monster parts or ores; some weapons can be downgraded, refunding their upgrade materials.
The 14 Weapons#
The game has 14 weapons, split into a melee class and a ranged class:
| Category | Weapons | Class trait |
|---|---|---|
| Melee (11) | Great Sword, Sword & Shield, Dual Blades, Long Sword, Hammer, Hunting Horn, Lance, Gunlance, Switch Axe, Charge Blade, Insect Glaive | Reduce physical damage |
| Ranged (3) | Bow, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun | Reduce elemental damage |
Melee weapons steadily lose sharpness through repeated attacks; once sharpness drops, attacking hard body parts (non-weak spots) makes the blade bounce and leaves you staggered — restore sharpness with a whetstone. Ranged weapons can swap the ammo / coatings they fire to change power and effects, and lose power outside their effective range; bowguns are left exposed while reloading, while the Bow needs no reloading but consumes stamina with every shot.
Verified official positioning notes:
- The Great Sword demands precise positioning and charged-attack timing;
- The Insect Glaive provides aerial combat and mounting finishers;
- The Charge Blade can switch between sword-and-shield form and great-axe form, storing phials and then detonating them (this description comes from third-party sources; in-game mechanic names follow what the game actually displays).
Hubs and Camps#
The main hub is Astera, the nerve center of the Research Commission, where players craft armor and weapons, buy supplies, and take on quests. Hub facilities include the Supply Depot, the Smithy, the Weapon Shop, the Canteen, the Ecological Research Center, the Resource Center, the Botanical Research Center, mysterious alchemy, the Trade Ship, the Tailraider Safari, player rooms, the beast-tribe observation records office, and the Gathering Hub — where up to 16 players can meet at once.
Each region has fixed camps unlocked through exploration, and every camp provides five functions: a tent, a supply box, a quest counter, attendants, and a dining area. Compared with earlier entries, the region maps here are far larger and support seamless exploration across zones with no loading screens.
Mechanics at a Glance#
| Mechanic | Verified description |
|---|---|
| Slinger | A wrist-mounted slingshot that can fire a grapple for movement and interaction and throw items such as stones; a new piece of equipment in this entry that can also serve as a weapon |
| Track following | Special tools exist for following monster tracks |
| Mantles | Newly introduced cape-type gear that grants buff effects; four are verified — Ghillie Mantle, Glider Mantle, Rocksteady Mantle, and Challenger Mantle |
| Dynamic mounting | You can move along a monster’s body and deal part damage |
| Day-night cycle | The game has a dynamic day-night cycle |
| Environmental destruction | Monster attacks can destroy scenery objects and change the environment |
| Territory system | The large monsters of each region hold their own territories; in some situations you must lure other threats into them |
| Attack system | Weapon attacks fall into three types — severing, blunt, and ammunition — whose effectiveness differs by monster and body part |
| Elements and statuses | Damage elements are fire, thunder, water, ice, and dragon; status ailments are poison, paralysis, sleep, and blast — the higher the status value, the easier to trigger |
| Armor and upgrades | Armor consists of 5 pieces, some with negative elemental resistances; only 1 charm can be equipped; decorations use jewel slots; series skills trigger a normal effect at 2 pieces and switch to a special effect at 3; Armor Spheres raise armor levels |
Multiplayer and Palicoes#
- Up to 4 players can form an online multiplayer team;
- Multiplayer quest payouts are split evenly among quest members; the amount varies with elapsed time (the longer you stay online, the lower it gets) but is independent of the final member count;
- When a quest has 3-4 members, you cannot bring your Palico; if members join or leave mid-quest, the Palico comes and goes with them;
- Some quests cannot be played in multiplayer;
- Collaboration quests exist (cross-title crossover content).
Iceborne Expansion#
Monster Hunter: World: Iceborne is this game’s major expansion:
- Release dates: consoles September 6, 2019; PC January 10, 2020;
- Adds the Hoarfrost Reach region and Master Rank difficulty;
- Requires the base game, Monster Hunter: World;
- The PC version needs 52 GB of storage space.
PC System Requirements (per the Steam store page)#
| Item | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | GTX 760 / GTX 1050 / R7 260x / RX 560 | GTX 1060 / RX 570 |
| Memory | 8 GB | 8 GB |
For fuller configuration details, defer to the official store page listing.
FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is this game multiplayer? | It supports single-player, and you can also form 4-player online teams — the first entry in the series with cross-region online play |
| What is Iceborne? | The major expansion, released September 6, 2019 on consoles and January 10, 2020 on PC; the base game is required |
| What is the player cap? | Multiplayer quests support up to 4 players; up to 16 players can meet in the Gathering Hub |
| How have sales been? | Over 28.3 million copies on all platforms as of December 31, 2024; news on June 8, 2026 put the global cumulative total above 30 million |
| Is cross-platform play supported? | This site has no verified cross-platform information on record; defer to official announcements |
| Where can I check each monster’s weaknesses and hitzones? | The monster bestiary page compiles the verified roster and key ecology lore; detailed weakness and hitzone data is not included, and we do not speculate |
Related Games#
- Monster Hunter Wilds — the newest entry in the same hunting series, built on the same hunt-and-craft loop
- Elden Ring — an action RPG where preparation, pattern reading, and gear decisions decide the big hunts
- Sekiro — precise, commitment-based action combat against single powerful foes
- The Witcher 3 — an open-world RPG centered on tracking down and preparing for monster hunts
- Dark Souls 3 — methodical, boss-focused action combat with deep weapon and build variety
Related Rankings#
Best RPGs · Best Co-Op Games · Hardest Bosses
Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, the 14 weapons (with dedicated Great Sword, Long Sword, Dual Blades, and Charge Blade pages), the monster bestiary, elder dragons, maps and camps, multiplayer, the Iceborne expansion, armor, decorations, quests, items, the Palico, achievements, gathering, the canteen, and hunting tips — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Monster Hunter: World section.
If you read Chinese, the elder-dragon guide there adds the verified roster and story background for each of them, and the weapons sub-guide expands on the shared melee and ranged mechanics behind the table above.