Attending TGS for the second consecutive year, TiMi Studio's Monster Hunter Outlanders (hereafter MH Outlanders) is preparing for its global launch on October 29 across regions worldwide except mainland China. Having first revealed a playable demo at last year's TGS, MH Outlanders drew global fan attention by bringing Monster Hunter's signature action to mobile alongside a variety of original content. While inheriting core elements from the original series, it also featured title-specific mechanics such as companion Adventurers, unique skills, and ultimate abilities.
Naturally, there were points of criticism. Due to the nature of the mobile platform, controls were tricky for some, and critics pointed out that ultimate ability cutscenes interrupted the flow of the hunt. However, TiMi Studio actively embraced this feedback and incorporated it into actual development. Re-emerging at TGS 2026, MH Outlanders showcased a significantly polished experience, entering its final phase of refinement ahead of official release.
With launch just about a month away, it is time to look at what has changed throughout development and what preparations have been made. At TGS 2026, we spoke with Capcom producer Ichiro Kiyokawa and TiMi Studio producer Dong Huang to discuss how player feedback was applied to development and what lies ahead for MH Outlanders as it approaches official release.
Compared to previous Monster Hunter titles, playable characters seem to be the biggest point of differentiation. In previous entries, the protagonist was a 'Hunter,' but in this title, that has changed to an 'Adventurer.' Furthermore, companion Adventurers with unique appearances, weapons, and skills make an appearance. What was the reason behind introducing this concept of Adventurers?
Ichiro: This title is not directly developed by Capcom; Capcom handles supervision, while TiMi Studio leads development. In our discussions, we wanted to make full use of TiMi Studio's development capabilities by introducing original settings, which led to the concept of 'Adventurers'.
One key feature of MH Outlanders is that players can gather resources in the field and construct structures to assist in various ways, including traversal. As characters who perform tasks that traditional Hunters could not, we wanted to create characters with a slightly different role. These original settings are coming along smoothly in development.
Although it is developed by TiMi Studio and built for mobile, unlike other spin-offs, it stays close to the mainline formula. Could you explain what connections, story ties, or inherited elements exist from previous titles?
Dong Huang: In creating MH Outlanders, the game's world settings inherit those of the original series. Much of the technology level, character traits, and monster ecology were carried over from the original work.
However, the story and the crises and challenges that arise throughout it are original elements unique to MH Outlanders. You can think of it as a narrative unfolding in a new region along a new timeline.
The original series emphasizes the fun of theorycrafting builds by combining various equipment and decorations. MH Outlanders seems to focus more on the characters themselves rather than equipment. Why did you structure the game differently?
Dong Huang: In many previous Monster Hunter titles, the fun of crafting builds through gear combinations is central, and this title also features gear-based progression elements. As you mentioned, combining equipment to create builds remains a representative aspect.
However, by introducing character growth elements in this game, we focused on lowering the barrier to entry required for players to understand the game through the equipment system.
Rather than introducing an overly complex gear system, we designed it to be more accessible, retaining parts of the traditional gear system even when switching characters.
Weapon movesets seem to have changed compared to before. Having played Midori and a male character who both use the Long Sword, Midori felt closer to original animations, whereas the male character felt quite different, making the changes feel substantial and difficult. What was the reason for applying different animations and movesets while using the same Long Sword?
Dong Huang: Are you referring to the male character named Ryunosuke? The one with the meat-eating animation, right? Yes, that character is Ryunosuke.
When initially designed, Ryunosuke was built around the Long Sword's Spirit Gauge mechanic. The position we envisioned for Ryunosuke was a Long Sword user who supports the entire party, providing buffs to Buddy characters.
These concepts combined into a design where he eats meat to recover energy, buff Buddies, and support the party.
Since he has many meat-eating animations, we wanted to convey lighter, more playful movements, resulting in movesets that differ slightly from the traditional Long Sword.
This title feels quite unique even among the Monster Hunter series revealed so far. In collaborating with TiMi Studio, what core identity of Monster Hunter did Capcom feel was non-negotiable? Conversely, were there areas where TiMi Studio was given creative freedom, and could you provide examples?
Ichiro: Since this is a Monster Hunter game, players will encounter many monsters featured in previous titles.
During supervision, Capcom carefully checked whether any monster animations in MH Outlanders were difficult to align with the originals or contradicted the monster's ecology.
However, TiMi Studio also has many passionate Monster Hunter fans developing the game, so we trusted that handing certain aspects to them would not produce anything out of place.
Additionally, MH Outlanders features Radiant Species monsters. These are monsters stronger than their original counterparts, and we supervised them in the same manner. Some animations used different expressions from Capcom's, and we handled development by giving TiMi Studio a bit more freedom in those areas.
Even for game-original monsters like Radiant Species, there were cases where we issued rejections, but otherwise, development proceeded through open discussion with TiMi Studio.
In the original series, roles were not strictly categorized by weapon type, but Sword and Shield and Hunting Horn generally favored support, creating a perception that 'support means Sword and Shield or Hunting Horn.' In MH Outlanders, roles seem to be split into Assault, Disruptor, and Support regardless of weapon type. What inspired this system?
Dong Huang: First of all, we deeply respect the community perception that Sword and Shield and Hunting Horn are support-oriented in the original series, so we plan to reflect those elements in future updates for MH Outlanders as well.
However, because MH Outlanders is a live-service game intended for long-term operations, we are establishing long-term plans to ensure characters are broadly distributed. Accordingly, we are making sure that various weapon types, diverse Adventurers, and distinct roles are distributed evenly.
Another important factor was that not every player is guaranteed to find party members or roles that suit them at all times. If a party needs a Support role, players can flexibly adapt by bringing in a Support Adventurer. Moving forward, we also plan to design Adventurers that diverge from traditional weapon archetypes, and some have already been created this way.
Currently, 7 weapon types have been revealed for MH Outlanders. Will the remaining weapon types also be added? Also, are there plans to introduce original weapon types unique to MH Outlanders?
Dong Huang: All 14 weapon types from the original series will be added through seasonal updates.
Regarding original weapons, we had extensive discussions with Capcom, but concluded that the 14 existing weapon types in the Monster Hunter series already offer immense appeal and versatility. Therefore, we plan to fully showcase the charm of the original weapons and Adventurers first before reopening discussions on original weapon types.
New Monster Hunter titles continue to release, including console versions. In this landscape, what positioning do you hope MH Outlanders fills within the Monster Hunter IP? There could be several directions, such as attracting players who have never played Monster Hunter before or offering fresh fun to existing fans.
Ichiro: We want to capture both positions. For players who love the Monster Hunter IP, we combined the core decision-making during monster hunts and unique action of the original series with MH Outlanders' exclusive roles and cooperative skills, allowing even hardcore Monster Hunter players to enjoy a fresh take on the franchise. We believe this will deliver new excitement.
At the same time, we hope it serves as an entry point for new players to get into Monster Hunter. Capcom primarily develops games centered on PC and console platforms. While we do not avoid mobile game development entirely, TiMi Studio possesses vast experience in mobile game development, so we believed they could craft a higher-quality game on mobile.
As a result, even in the build being demonstrated, the action and overall quality came out exceptionally high for a landscape mobile game.
As a side note, MH Outlanders' Starter Mode is a very well-designed control scheme that I personally like. Because this mode allows players to execute a wide range of moves without difficult inputs, I think it makes the game extraordinarily well-suited for new players entering Monster Hunter.
In summary, we hope to establish a position that satisfies both veteran Monster Hunter fans and new players.
In tests conducted last year, there were ultimate ability cutscenes, but they seemed to be absent this time. We understand that test participants back then feedbacked that those cutscenes did not fit the Monster Hunter vibe. Were they removed in response to those opinions?
Dong Huang: First, thank you very much for experiencing MH Outlanders two years in a row.
Regarding your point, we certainly gave that thorough consideration. Our intention behind adding those presentations was to create moments and opportunities in the game to highlight flashy appeal—literally putting in ultimate cutscenes to showcase cool action.
Looking back, I think we misjudged. Monster Hunter is a game with countless critical moments during a hunt, so interrupting that flow is the absolute worst thing to do. In our eagerness to include flashy cutscenes, we overlooked that. As you noted, the majority of players in testing felt that rather than being cool, these presentations disrupted the flow of combat.
Based on that feedback, we created and tested three variations. The first was the classic cutscene format, the second briefly showed artwork, and the third was the camera-based presentation featured this time. In testing, the third format received the best response, so we made it the default setting.
However, our data showed that all three formats had distinct player preferences. Rather than keeping only one, we decided to use the camera presentation as default while including all three options in the actual live build so players can choose freely.
Companion Adventurers are so flashy in appearance, skills, and attack animations that there is concern the main playable Adventurer might be overshadowed. For instance, players saying, "I'm only using Midori for Long Sword". Are there specific elements designed to highlight the playable Adventurer's uniqueness?
Dong Huang: That is a great question. First, in the 3rd CBT, the playable Adventurer received substantial buffs to strengthen hunting power and progression growth.
Furthermore, the biggest charm of the main playable Adventurer is free customization. Following official launch, we plan to add many visual customization elements tailored to the new design.
In terms of scenario, the main Adventurer possesses an advantage no companion Adventurer has: being the protagonist of MH Outlanders. While other Adventurers have their own responsibilities and goals, the story is structured to unfold around the main protagonist.
To add to that, we are positioning the playable Adventurer as a versatile character usable across any challenge or content through customization that allows freely changing weapon types and roles, alongside stat growth.
In short, as a free character, the main playable Adventurer establishes the player's core gameplay foundation—a highly versatile base character that allows players to enjoy all content without spending money.
How are the post-launch update and content plans structured?
Dong Huang: It is still a bit early to reveal specific update frequencies and pacing. However, every version will introduce new equipment, new Adventurers, new monsters, Buddies, fields, scenarios, and novel gameplay mechanics.
Even as a mobile title, MH Outlanders offers detailed action mechanics reminiscent of PC or console games. However, controls on mobile devices can feel demanding. Dodging in particular felt tricky, likely because placing multiple fingers on screen at once is tough on mobile. Do you have plans to implement dodging via flick gestures?
Dong Huang: Implementing dodge with a flick gesture is an interesting idea. However, applying it to MH Outlanders poses a specific issue. While in other games the player constantly faces the monster, MH Outlanders features a wider combat space. Consequently, flick controls could clash with camera controls.
We take control difficulty very seriously. Therefore, we are currently addressing it in three ways.
The first is Starter Mode, mentioned earlier. The second is providing extensive UI customization, enabling players to freely adjust button sizes, positions, and function toggles.
The third is simplifying certain skill inputs. While some characters may feature technical controls, we aim to offer easier control options for other characters by consolidating multiple functions into single inputs.
Finally, do you have any message for Korean gamers?
Dong Huang: Monster Hunter Outlanders launches globally on October 29 in regions worldwide except mainland China.
What I want to say to Korean players is that because MH Outlanders is free-to-play, if you want to try a fresh, accessible Monster Hunter experience on mobile, we sincerely hope you give it a try. We hope you experience the fun that the Monster Hunter IP has to offer.
Ichiro: Ever since my university days, I spent countless hours playing Korean MMORPGs. Even now, Korean developers continue to create and release fantastic games, and many games I love were developed in Korea, so I feel a deep fondness for the country.
Because of that, bringing MH Outlanders to Korea for its official release is a huge joy. I hope Korean players dive into the world of MH Outlanders and thoroughly enjoy the experience it brings.
