Monster Hunter Outlanders (MHO) is a free-to-play mobile Monster Hunter. This page explains what kind of game it is and goes through its main features one by one: Aesoland and Radiant monsters, open-field exploration, gathering and building, adventurers and Buddies, 4-player co-op, short hunts and seasons.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 29, 2026 |
| Platforms | iOS / Android |
| Developer | TiMi Studio Group (licensed by Capcom) |
| Genre | Survival hunting action |
| Price | Free to play |
| Multiplayer | Solo or up to 4 players |
Outlanders Gameplay at a Glance
Monster Hunter Outlanders is a new Monster Hunter made for smartphones. TiMi Studio Group developed it under license from Capcom, and it launched on October 29, 2026. It's a survival hunting action game: you explore a large open field, gather and build, and hunt monsters with the classic Monster Hunter weapons.
See also: Release Date & Platforms
Is It Free? Is It a Gacha Game?
The game is free to play with in-app purchases. Is it a gacha game? Yes: you get adventurers and Buddies from contracts (the gacha). Weapons and armor aren't in the gacha; you craft them from monster materials, as in the main series. The separate Wish draw's top prizes are cosmetics such as layered armor.
See also: Gacha Rates & Pity / Wish Banner / F2P Guide / Best Purchases
Aesoland and Radiant Monsters
The adventure takes place on Aesoland, an island with its own ecosystem. Its signature monsters are Radiant monsters: monsters changed by the island's environment, with fiercer attacks and moves you won't see from their normal forms. Series favorites such as Rathalos, Diablos and Kushala Daora return, and many monsters also appear in Radiant form.
Outlanders also has a monster of its own: Ruger Aidal, a new monster classed with the Elder Dragons.
See also: Radiant Monsters / Monster List
Open-Field Exploration: Glide, Zip Line and Swim
Aesoland is made up of large fields, such as Giantwood Locale and Searing Plains, that you can roam freely. Besides gathering and hunting monsters as in the main series, the fields are full of minigames that give rewards.
You can glide through the air with the Glider, and you can swim and dive too (there's even a Breath-Holding Contest). Research upgrades for the Glider let you stay in the air longer.
Building makes getting around faster: ride a Zip Line, get lifted by a Wind Platform, launch yourself from a Catapult, and set up a Camp to create a fast-travel point.
The screenshots are from the Japanese version of the game.
See also: Interactive Map
Gathering, Crafting and Building
Gathering feeds everything else. You collect plants, ore, wood and fish in the field, and turn them into items, gear and buildings. Weapons and armor are made and upgraded with materials from the monsters you hunt, as in the main series.
Research unlocks new buildings and tools. The Build category unlocks the Camp, Zip Line, Wind Platform and Catapult, and the Gathering category unlocks the Plant Gatherer, Wood Gatherer and Ore Gatherer, which collect resources for you automatically. Each field has a build limit that goes up as you upgrade Watchtowers, and every building costs materials.
See also: Research List / Weapon Crafting / Hunger, Heat, Cold & Fainting
Adventurers, Squads and Buddies
You can play as the Fated Adventurer, the character you create, or as any adventurer you've recruited. The Fated Adventurer can use any weapon type, while each adventurer has a set weapon and their own skills, so the same weapon plays differently from character to character.
You hunt as a squad of four: the adventurer you control plus three squadmates. Adventurers come in three types (Assault, Disruptor and Support) and have elements, so building a squad that works well together is part of the strategy. Ultimates are powerful moves you charge up, and Squadmate Skills are follow-ups your squadmates make in response to your actions.
The screenshots are from the Japanese version of the game.
Buddies fight alongside your squad too. There are three kinds: Palico, Rutaco and Trillan.
See also: Character List / Character Tier List / Best Teams / Co-op, Squadmate & Ultimates / Buddy List
Up to 4-Player Co-op
You can hunt solo with your squad, or team up with other players in groups of up to four. In co-op hunts you can also use the Co-op Skill, a coordinated attack by the whole squad. Add friends to make it easier to hunt together.
See also: Multiplayer / Add Friends
Short Hunts Made for Phones
Quests have a time limit, and each hunt is a self-contained quest, so it's easy to play one in a short break.
There are 8 weapon types: Great Sword, Long Sword, Dual Blades, Lance, Hammer, Charge Blade, Heavy Bowgun, and Bow. Their core moves carry over from the series, adjusted to play well on a touchscreen.
There are two control modes. Adventure Mode chains combos for you and suits newcomers, while Classic Mode leaves every action up to you. Controllers work in combat and exploration, though some menus are easier with the touchscreen.
See also: Weapon Tier List / Controls / Controller Support
Seasons
Outlanders runs in seasons of about two months, starting with Season 0 at launch. Each season has season rank rewards, including contracts, and the Rumbling Furnace (battle pass) with its own rewards. Some packs are also sold only during a season.
See also: Free Pulls & Contracts / Best Purchases
How Outlanders Differs from Wilds and Mainline Monster Hunter
Compared with mainline games such as Monster Hunter Wilds, Outlanders is a free-to-play phone game, and you hunt as a squad of adventurers who each have their own skills. Exploring, gathering, crafting gear from monster materials and the classic weapons are still at its core.