Monster Hunter World is due out January 26 on PS4 and Xbox One but not the Switch. According to the game’s directors that’s because it was in development well before Nintendo’s handheld had been revealed.
The Monster Hunter series is a familiar sight on portable consoles, including Nintendo’s starting with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the 3DS. Not Monster Hunter World, however. In an era where everything people can think of seems to be getting ported to the Switch, so far Capcom doesn’t have any plans to bring its latest loot-based JRPG to the platform.
As World‘s directors Kaname Fujioka and Yuya Tokuda told IGN in a recent interview, they didn’t think the Switch was good place to try and achieve their overall vision for the game.
Here’s what they said in full:
“We don’t have any plans for the Switch at the moment. Part of the reason is that the title has been in development for almost 4 years. At the time we had to commit to our hardware choices, we decided on using the most powerful current generation consoles available at the time, which was Playstation 4 and Xbox One. So [the decision was made] before the Switch was even announced or on sale.
It’s also because for every title we decide what the best fit for hardware is for the concept. We don’t just look at everything. It’s more like ‘if we want to achieve this kind of game concept, where’s the best place to achieve that?’ and for this title the Playstation 4 and Xbox One were the best fit for us.”
While they don’t say specifically what in the game they think would be undermined by the lack of power on the Switch, Monster Hunter World is aimed at larger, more dynamic hunts with bigger monsters and more complicated fights than some of the earlier games — at least that’s the picture Capcom’s been trying to paint ever since the game was shown off at last year’s E3.
In the same way Square Enix has been cagey but not completely dismissive of the idea trying to put Final Fantasy XV on the Switch, porting World would likely be no small undertaking.
And even if Capcom was aware of the Switch’s existence long before Nintendo officially announced it, the publisher, like most people, probably didn’t plan on it becoming so popular so quickly.
Switch players would probably be more understanding of this reality if it weren’t for the fact that Monster Hunter XX, an expanded version of the 3DS’s Monster Hunter Generations built for the Switch, were releasing outside of Japan.
Last year, Capcom told Gamespot the port wouldn’t be localised before backtracking and telling Polygon it simply hadn’t “announced any plans” at the time. After years of Monster Hunter on the 3DS, its absence on the Switch sticks out like a sore thumb, especially at a time when the series is making moves but none of them are planned for Nintendo’s handheld.
Monster Hunter World will, however, be making its way to PC in the second half of this year.
Comments
20 responses to “The Directors Of Monster Hunter World Try To Explain Why It’s Not Coming To The Nintendo Switch ”
Probably the same reason that the Vita never got a new Monster Hunter. Sony and Nintendo fighting over one of the industry’s most popular properties.
Yeah, handheld is THE market for MH, and there’s literally no other game in town for that. MH has to end up on the switch or they’re pissing away money, and the shareholders wouldn’t appreciate that.
Sony doesn’t have the money to stop it.
I thought the Nintendo had the rights for the 3DS. I thought that was the reason we hadnt seen a MH since the PSP.
It’ll come eventually i think . Not announced seems to be industry speak for not sacrificing potential sales when a game is about to be released by waiting for another version.
Sounds like they don’t think the hardware is up to it, which is a fairly familiar theme when it comes to third party support for Nintendo.
More likely we’ll see 2 separate streams of MH games – one for the couch-based hardware ie PS4 / XB1 / PC, and a separate line of games tailored to the portable hardware ie Switch.
That use to be the case but not anymore. Plenty of third party support with lots of games coming to the switch and with the number consoles selling, its capcoms loss
Sounds like a mistake! But Capcom are known for those these days, so no shock there.
It’s a handheld series at this point like Pokemon. The idea of playing it on my PS4/TV isn’t doing it for me and will probs make me want to go back to a 3DS title.
I’ll skip this one!
Dif strokes. Now that Pokemon is coming to the switch im finally interested again so I can play it on the TV, and now that Monster Hunter is on consoles (rather than handhelds) im finally interested and will buy this week.
Yeah look, you’re absolutely right! This will make it easier for peeps like yourself to get onboard with the series, and that is a wonderful thing.
Also, as it’s a MH game, we’ll no doubt get a handheld remake that adds all the DLC and so forth 18 months from now.
Just give me a localised Monster Hunter XX and all will be forgiven.
MHW looks to be a completely different game compared to previous offerings. At some point, technical limitations will exist.
That being said, won’t be surprised if more mobile friendly MH gets released soon.
I’m glad to be seeing MH come back to a proper console but MH has a solid tradition of being on handhelds.
Seems little backwards to not localize XX and get it out to the Western Market, especially with World being used to get the Western market on board.
If they had XX coming out in the west it could confuse people outside of the fan base.
“I want to play Monster Hunter World but i heard it’s a switch exclusive”
“No that’s Monster Hunter Generations X, Monster Hunter World is on PS4 and xbox”
“Generations X is the switch version of Monster Hunter World”
“No it’s actually drastically different to World”
“Why does a PS4 game look like it’s using PS2 models?”
“No That’s the Switch Version”
You need strong focused advertising, there’s no point splitting it between two games that look so differently, but are in the same series.
i could see them maybe a little while after World is out going “Hey switch fans, missing out on World? here’s Monster Hunter Generations Classic, it plays like the older games!” but otherwise i think they are most likely going to ignore its existence.
MY GOD these nintendrone tears are DELICIOUS
As a lover of Monster Hunter wish Nintendo and Capcom would make a deal to see a Monster Hunter game on Switch.
Just wait for the inevitable Monster Hunter World XX
They must be itching something fierce to get an MH release out on Switch as fast as they can without looking like a rumble of shit Cs.
I’d like to give World a crack – not loading between areas and clambering over wyverns looks rad – but I have no interest in PS4, Xbone, or upgrading my PC. Which I guess makes me a Homer because they just lost themselves a customer.
Considering unit numbers in Japan alone, Capcom are definitely scrambling for a Switch solution. Market forces simply dictate that they must answer. I mean, I’ll likely buy on PC but reality is, most their sales will be from PS4 which limits their potential sales especially in Japan. A new game on Switch would sell a disgusting number of units.
Seems pretty obvious really. Cant handle it.
the hardwahere cant hadle it nivida are pretty shit when comes to consoles, guess what inside a nintendo