Monster Hunter: World introduces a living, breathing ecosystem in which players take on the role of a hunter that seeks and slays ferocious beasts in heart-pounding battles that unfold across the vast ever-changing terrain. Venture on quests alone or with up to three hunters in a newly designed online drop-in multiplayer system which allows cross-region cooperative play between Japan and the west, uniting the player base for the first time ever.

Retaining the series’ skill based progression and robust crafting system, players gear up to venture on quests to seek and slay monsters, progressively improving their skills to become the ultimate hunter. Loot collected from fallen foes can be used to create new equipment and armor upgrades styled after the monsters they’ve slain, allowing hunters to survive the elements and defeat the tougher opponents that await them.

Monster Hunter: World delivers a seamless gameplay experience allowing players to move freely across map areas that comprise the living ecosystems and dynamically transition from day to night. The landscape and its diverse inhabitants play a critical role in each quest as players strategically use the surrounding environment including terrain, vegetation and wildlife to their advantage in battle or become hindered by the hazards they present. Hunters must use their cunning and abilities to track and maneuver their targets throughout the intense, evolving battles.

Back in early March, Capcom announced that Monster Hunter: World had shipped 7.5 million units worldwide (including digital download sales), and number that has since increased to 7.9 million according to Capcom's latest financial results.

During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, in Capcom's core Digital Contents business, Monster Hunter: World was a massive, record-setting success, becoming the best-selling title in company history, while Nintendo Switch titles such as Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) Nintendo Switch Ver. and Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers enjoyed hit status as well. Meanwhile, in its Amusement Equipments business, the impact of recent changes in model-testing methods has worsened market conditions, presenting Capcom with a challenging situation; nevertheless, the strong performance from its Digital Contents business has more than offset this, delivering sales and profit growth in the company's consolidated results. As a result, Capcom has achieved five consecutive years of operating income growth, with all profitability figures from operating income down setting record highs.

Operating results for the fiscal year under review

During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, our industry saw major growth in the market for home video games due to the strong performance of both hardware and software. In addition, “esports” (Electronic Sports), which are becoming increasingly popular in Europe, the U.S., China, South Korea and other overseas markets, are raising hopes for further market growth. This is driven by games coming to be recognized as a new sport, following esports’ adoption as an official event at the 2022 Asian Games. Furthermore, opportunities to develop this new business domain in Japan, a region that trails other countries, have been building, as evidenced by the overwhelming audience response for Street Fighter V, one of the Company’s popular titles, at the esports event held during the Tokyo Game Show 2017.

Under these circumstances, the Company’s flagship title Monster Hunter: World (for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One), which was released worldwide in January 2018, significantly contributed to the Company’s performance after garnering immense popularity for its near-flawless execution and shipping more than 7.5 million units worldwide, a landmark achievement that made it the bestselling game in the Company’s history. Of particular note is that the worldwide expansion of the user base due to the game’s tremendous success overseas—in addition to its established domestic popularity—has marked the start of a new era for the brand, and that this international recognition has served to energize the Company’s global operations. The Company has made strategic preparations for a full-scale entry into the esports business in Japan, which include the establishment of the Capcom Esports Club at the Plaza Capcom arcade in Kichijoji (Tokyo). Additionally, the Company strove to bolster its management structure, enhance its development team and improve its development environment, enabling it to focus on home video game software development, which is the source of its competitiveness.

Further, in addition to one-time physical product sales, the Company concentrated its efforts on expanding its digital offerings, which promise recurring revenues. At the same time, in an effort to shore up its stagnant mobile contents performance, the Company made organizational reforms and developed appealing titles, aiming to increase customer satisfaction

Digital Contents business

In this business, the record-breaking success of Monster Hunter: World (for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) drove the increase in sales and contributed greatly to improved profit. Furthermore, in addition to Resident Evil 7 biohazard (for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC) and Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) Nintendo Switch Ver.  (for Nintendo Switch) giving strong performances, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (for Nintendo Switch) became a smash hit.

Meanwhile, sales of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC), which was launched in September 2017 targeting the US and European markets, tended to be soft.

With flexible online multiplayer options and an accessible quest structure, players can tackle challenges alone or join up to three other hunters online for cooperative play. For the first time in the Monster Hunter series, players from Japan and the west can play together online, providing an expanded base of cooperative hunting companions. With the new online drop-in functionality, solo players can hail for assistance from the worldwide group during quests when their opponents are too daunting to take on single-handedly.

Monster Hunter: World is currently available for PS4 and Xbox One, with a PC release to follow in Fall 2018.