Play Order (Release = Chronological)Recommended
0 / 18 playedEvery generation in release order, compact but complete. Newcomers can jump straight to World, Rise or Wilds.
First generation
- 1 Monster Hunter
- 2 Monster Hunter Freedom PSP take on the original.
Second generation
- 3 Monster Hunter 2 Japan only.
- 4 Monster Hunter Freedom 2
- 5 Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Expanded Freedom 2; the one to play.
Third generation
- 6 Monster Hunter Tri Wii entry with underwater combat.
- 7 Monster Hunter Portable 3rd Japan only PSP entry.
- 8 Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Expanded Tri for 3DS and Wii U.
Fourth generation
- 9 Monster Hunter 4 Japan only 3DS original.
- 10 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Expanded 4, released worldwide.
- 11 Monster Hunter Generations Anniversary crossover of past content.
- 12 Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate Expanded Generations on Switch.
Fifth generation
- 13 Monster Hunter: World Best modern entry point.
- 14 Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Massive expansion. Needs World.
- 15 Monster Hunter Rise Faster hunts; started on Switch.
- 16 Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Expansion. Needs Rise.
Sixth generation
- 17 Monster Hunter Wilds Latest mainline release, February 28, 2025.
- 18 Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance Massive expansion announced June 2026. Needs Wilds.
About Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is Capcom's co-op action RPG series about tracking and hunting big monsters to forge better gear. It runs in generations: numbered console entries plus expanded portable versions, from the 2004 original to Wilds (2025). Plots are thin and standalone, so release order is the play order. New hunters should start with World, Rise or Wilds rather than the old handheld games.
This list covers generations one through six compactly, pairing each base game with its expansion or revision. Iceborne needs World and Sunbreak needs Rise, while Ascendance (2027) will need Wilds. The Stories games are separate turn-based RPGs and sit outside the list.
Good to know
Years below use first release, often Japan, since early entries launched months apart by region. Freedom Unite folds in Freedom 2 and 4 Ultimate folds in 4, so few players need the base versions. Monster Hunter 2 and Portable 3rd never left Japan.
Stories released in 2016, Stories 2 in 2021 and Stories 3 in March 2026; all three are optional. Capcom announced the Ascendance expansion in June 2026 for a 2027 launch.
