Monster Hunter Rise was delayed to March 2021, as its development was suspended by a month due to COVID-19.
Monster Hunter Rise is a Switch-exclusive entry in the franchise. Monster Hunter World moved away from local play and focused on online multiplayer. Monster Hunter Rise is going to back to the series roots by focusing on local co-op. That’s the intention, but if lockdown continues into next year, then no one will be able to meet up to play Monster Hunter Rise.
Monster Hunter Rise is due to be released in March, but Capcom wanted it out the door earlier. Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto was recently interviewed by Nikkei (which was translated into English by Nintendo Everything) and he revealed information about the development of Monster Hunter Rise. According to Tsujimoto, the development of the game was suspended by a month due to COVID, and the release date was pushed back as a result.
It’s unclear whether Tsujimoto means that Monster Hunter Rise’s release date was originally meant to be February and it was pushed back, or whether it was meant to be released even earlier due to the delay. The gaming world was taken by surprise when COVID lockdowns started happening around the world, and many Japanese development studios had trouble shifting to telework. The second Fighters Pass for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been delayed by COVID, and that’s only individual DLC characters.
The Switch’s 2020 schedule was been bare and the only major title going into the holiday season is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. It’s possible that Monster Hunter Rise was intended to be one of the big titles that would close out the year, but COVID threw a wrench into Capcom and Nintendo’s plans. The delay is still a short one, and you won’t have to wait much longer than originally planned to go on the next great hunt.
Monster Hunter Rise is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2021.
