Monster Hunter finally gets an MMO… in China

By Anthony John Agnello Published April 19, 2013

Monster Hunter Online — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Even with its global popularity, Monster Hunter can’t be played online on the scale some people may want. Capcom’s RPG is – even after nearly a decade of soaring popularity in Japan and a growing cult following in the US and Europe – still an intimate affair. Small groups can play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate online with one another on Wii U, Monster Hunter 3 on Wii, or even larger groups in Monster Hunter Frontier on Xbox 360 and PC, but that latter game is only available in Japan and Korea. When will the rest of the world get some sweet, massively multiplayer Monster Hunter?

China, at least, is about to get a Monster Hunter MMO. Capcom has teamed up with Chinese gaming giant Tencent to make Monster Hunter Online, a brand new MMO set in the Monster Hunter world that’s only planned for China as of now. The audience isn’t the only thing unusual about this particular Monster Hunter game. It will also be the first game in the series not built with Capcom’s own tools. It will be built on Crytek’s CryEngine 3, the same tech powering Crysis 3.

Recommended Videos

While there’s still no word on whether or not the game will be opened up to players around the world, the Chinese version will begin beta testing in June.

Monster Hunter Online is just the latest example of Tencent co-opting the premiere gaming franchise of a culture and adapting it for an online edition tailor made for the Chinese market. Activision announced a similar partnership with the company in July 2012 for the game Call of Duty Online. Developed by Raven Software and Activision Shanghai, the free-to-play spin off of the billion dollar shooter franchise remains a Chinese exclusive.

There’s a good reason that Tencent develops these wholly online versions of series popular in Japan and the US, though: That’s how to make money in the growing Chinese gaming market. “I think this year, the Chinese online game market will be about $8 billion,” said Tencent executive vice president David Wallerstein last summer, “And the global market for online games is about $15 billion. So it’s roughly half.”

Anthony John Agnello

Former Contributing Editor

Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…

Gaming

Well… at least God of War Laufey is getting a physical disc

Santa Monica Studio quietly confirmed the upcoming adventure won't be download-only.

God of War Laufey screenshot

Last week, Sony lit the gaming community on fire by announcing that all new PlayStation games released from January 2028 onwards would be digital-only, effectively bringing an end to physical discs for future releases. At the same time, the company also confirmed it would shut down the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita digital stores by July 2027, reinforcing concerns that digital storefronts and the games tied to them don't last forever. Unsurprisingly, the announcements triggered widespread backlash from collectors and long-time PlayStation fans. In the middle of all that, Santa Monica Studio offered a surprisingly comforting update: God of War Laufey will be available on disc. It's only one sentence, but it says a lot.

More than just a physical release

Gaming

Samsung has a new breed of OBLYX OLED panels and they should appear on your gaming laptops soon

Samsung's new OBLYX brand is all about OLED gaming laptops

Samsung Display’s Gaming-optimized OLED Products Showcased at COMPUTEX 2026

Samsung Display has introduced OBLYX, its first dedicated OLED brand for gaming laptops, as the company looks to strengthen its position in one of the fastest-growing segments of the PC market. The announcement was made at Bilibili World 2026 (BW2026) in Shanghai, marking Samsung Display's first appearance at China's largest gaming and anime convention.

Rather than unveiling a new display technology, Samsung is creating a recognizable identity for its gaming-focused OLED panels, much like established branding for processors or graphics cards. The move also hints at the company's ambitions in China, where demand for OLED-equipped gaming laptops is accelerating rapidly, according to a Digital Today report.

Gaming

Razer made a Cinnamoroll headset, and it is aggressively adorable

Razer launches a Cinnamoroll Edition Kraken Kitty V2 BT headset

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT Cinnamonroll themed gaming headphones

Razer’s Sanrio collaboration has already produced a full desk setup, and the final drop is now here. The company has launched the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT Cinnamoroll Edition, a wireless headset themed around one of Sanrio’s most recognizable characters.

Cinnamoroll is a white puppy from Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty and several other globally recognized character brands. He is known for his long floppy ears, blue eyes, curly tail, and soft cloud-like look. As per the Sanrio lore, he was born high above the clouds and can fly by flapping his big ears. Razer has leaned heavily into that identity for this headset, replacing the usual kitty look with Cinnamoroll’s floppy ears and a sky-blue color scheme.