Pokémon Go developer Niantic is collaborating with Capcom on an augmented reality (AR) version of the popular Monster Hunter RPG series for iOS and Android.
Capcom and Niantic have announced a new collaboration: Monster Hunter Now, a “real-world hunting action role-playing game” for mobile devices which combines an accessible version of classic Monster Hunter gameplay with the augmented reality framework familiar from Niantic’s smash hit, Pokémon Go. It’s due out in September on Android and iOS platforms, with a beta test beginning on April 25. Registration for the beta test is open at the Monster Hunter Now website.
Monster Hunter Now players will be able to find monsters and materials out in the real world as they walk around with their phones, team up with friends and strangers to hunt those monsters, and craft weapons and armor.
“The notion of majestic monsters roaming around city streets was extremely compelling as a real-world game,” Niantic’s chief product officer Kei Kawai said at an online briefing for press. The idea of an augmented reality Monster Hunter game was such a no-brainer that, Kawai boasted, Capcom accepted Niantic’s pitch at their first meeting. The game is being developed at Niantic’s Tokyo studio.
