Monster Hunter: World passes 20 million units shipped

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On October 19, 2021, Capcom announced that Monster Hunter: World had passed 20 million units shipped worldwide, also counting the Iceborne Master Edition, the bundle that combines the base game and the expansion. It was an all-time record for the company.

One important detail: Capcom speaks of “shipped” units, that is, units shipped to stores and sold in digital format, not necessarily bought by players. This is the standard the company uses in its reports.

According to the statement, World took the series to global brand status. It was the first Monster Hunter with a simultaneous worldwide release, backed by an international campaign, and became the best-selling game in Capcom’s history less than a month after reaching stores. The company also credited the long-term performance to digital sales and the Iceborne expansion.

The dates: World came out on January 26, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and reached PC on August 9, 2018. The Iceborne expansion arrived on consoles on September 6, 2019 and on PC on January 9, 2020.

The success carries historic weight. The series was born on the PlayStation 2, in 2004, but gained strength on handhelds, such as the PSP and Nintendo’s consoles. There were those who doubted it would work the same way on home consoles and in the West, and World answered that doubt. In the same statement, Capcom said Monster Hunter Rise already totaled 7.5 million units on Switch and would arrive on PC in January 2022, with the Sunbreak expansion planned for mid-2022.

What came next

World kept selling and passed 30 million shipped copies in 2026, still Capcom’s best-selling game. Its direct successor, Monster Hunter Wilds, came out on February 28, 2025 and sold more than 8 million copies in three days.