Pokémon Go-like Monster Hunter Now surpasses 5m downloads in its first week

eurogamer.net:

Monster Hunter Now, the latest free-to-play Pokémon Go-style augmented reality creature-battler from developer Niantic, made in collaboration with Capcom, has officially surpassed 5m downloads in its first week of release on iOS and Android.

Monster Hunter Now, which was announced back in February and got its full launch on 21st September following a series of closed beta tests, employs a similar real-world exploration and interaction system to the ones seen in the likes of Niantic's Pokémon Go and Pikmin Bloom, albeit with an obvious Monster Hunter twist.

Here, players are able to gather useful resources and fight monsters they encounter while out on their real-world travels — including the Barroth, Tobi Kadachi, Jyuratodus, Paolumu, Anjanath, Rathian, Rathalos, and Diablos — then combine their spoils to create better equipment that'll enable them to take on tougher challenges.

It's a streamlined (and in-app purchase monetised) version of the formula that's remained a favourite since the original Monster Hunter's release on PlayStation 2 back in 2004, and one that's translated to a strong first week of downloads for Monster Hunter Now, which have now surpassed the 5m mark according to an official tally.

To put that into context, Pokémon Go was downloaded 10m times in its first week when it launched in July 2016 (according to mobile analytics site Sensor Tower), while Sensor Tower calculates Niantic's now-defunct Harry Potter: Wizards Unite saw 6.5m first-week downloads when it arrived in July 2019. As for the company's more recent collaboration with Nintendo, Pikmin Bloom, that saw 2m downloads in two weeks following its November 2021 release.

To celebrate Monster Hunter Now's 5m downloads milestone, Capcom is