Capcom and TiMi Studio Group are bringing the hunt back to handhelds with Monster Hunter Outlanders, a full-fledged mobile adaptation of the iconic franchise designed with streamlined controls and an on-the-go mindset. After its rise during its PSP and 3DS era, Monster Hunter has continued to thrive on home consoles. Now, with Outlanders, the series returns to its portable roots, this time optimized for modern smartphones.

We went hands-on with the game at Tokyo Game Show 2025, as well as talked to Capcom producer Genki Sunano and TiMi Studio producer Huang Dong, and it’s clear that Outlanders is more than just a scaled-down spin-off. It’s a confident entry that retains the essence of the hunt while making smart concessions for mobile play.

Monster Hunter Outlanders Hands-on Preview

Right out of the gate, Monster Hunter Outlanders impresses with its visual fidelity. The world of Aesoland and its environments are vibrant, character models are detailed, and effects like glowing monster parts and dynamic lighting help the game punch above its weight for a mobile title. While the smaller screen size can make distant objects harder to spot, the overall presentation is crisp and immersive.

The performance was smooth throughout our demo, running on high-end iPhones without noticeable stuttering or frame drops. The game appears well-optimized, with responsive inputs and stable framerates even during intense combat sequences. This stems from the experience that TiMi Studio brings to the table, as they are well-versed in action titles and sought to create an approachable experience while maintaining the core pillars of the Monster Hunter series.

The Monster Hunter Outlanders demo featured several hunters, each tied to a specific weapon class. Players can choose from Pepe, a Heavy Bowgun user, Raya, a Dual Blades user, Madelyn, a Bow user, and even Midori, a Long Sword user. Each character falls under a main class: Assault specializes in DPS, Disruptor focuses on crowd control, and Support is designed for healing and rescue purposes.

Sunano states that while only five types of weapons are currently available, Monster Hunter fans can look forward to seeing more of the weapons they know and love as they update the game in the weeks and months to come.

One of the biggest challenges in adapting Monster Hunter to mobile is translating controls to a much smaller screen, which the game does pretty well. Movement is mapped to the left side of the screen, while camera control, attacks, and abilities sit on the right. Special moves and combos have dedicated buttons, and abilities pulse when they are ready to use.

Despite being a Bow/Hammer main in World and Wilds, we quickly adapted to the long sword thanks to intuitive controls and simplified mechanics. Combos are easy to execute, often requiring only a continuous press of the attack button. Mistakes were minimal, and the UI layout felt natural for mobile play. Huang mentioned that the team asked the question, “What is the most important thing at any given moment,” as their guiding principle for determining which UI elements to surface, which turned out to be a good decision.

Admittedly, this was a primary point of concern for TiMi Studio, as they cited the button layouts and camera controls as some of their most significant problems during development. Based on what we played, they’ve definitely struck a good balance between accessibility and depth.

Traversal in Monster Hunter Outlanders allows hunters to climb cliffs, glide from high ledges, and navigate varied terrain with ease. Targeting monsters is straightforward, and the game features auto-navigation tools, including quest markers and waypoints, to streamline exploration.

Our demo encounter featured a hybrid creature reminiscent of Pukei-Pukei and Kulu-Ya-Ku, complete with breakable, glowing parts and behavior such as fleeing to new areas when damaged. The battle felt authentic to the series’ core loop. Even the dreaded egg-carrying quest made an appearance, requiring stealth and timing as we snuck past patrolling monsters through tall grass.

A common theme with Monster Hunter Outlanders was streamlining certain aspects while maintaining the core formula. Stuff like the removal of polishing mid-battle was removed while keeping the sharpness aspect intact. These actions were simplified to improve playability, said Huang.

Monster Hunter Outlanders isn’t trying to replicate the entire console experience, but rather a reimagining of it for mobile, done with care. From visual polish to combat depth, TiMi Studio Group has made informed design choices that preserve the franchise’s identity while leveraging the platform’s strengths.

TiMi Studio Group has announced that the first Closed Beta for Monster Hunter Outlanders will begin in November, with recruitment now open via the official website.