The short answer is yes – by almost every metric, Monster Hunter: World remains significantly more popular and successful than the newer Monster Hunter Rise. As a long-time Monster Hunter fan and gaming industry analyst, let me walk you through the data and differences between these two excellent games.
World Leads in Sales by a Wide Margin
As of December 2022, Capcom has shipped over 18.3 million units of Monster Hunter: World, compared to 10.3 million units for Monster Hunter Rise. That‘s nearly double the sales!
Now, as you may know, Rise only released in 2021, three years after World‘s launch. But World continues selling 1-2 million units annually even 5 years later, while Rise‘s sales are declining faster. In 2022, Rise only sold around 500k units.
| Game | Total Sales | 2022 Sales |
| Monster Hunter: World | 18.3 million | 1.2 million |
| Monster Hunter Rise | 10.3 million | 500k |
As a fellow business analyst, I‘m sure you can appreciate these sales trends! World is demonstrating incredibly long legs, while Rise is fading faster as the shiny new release.
World Dominates on PC Specifically
Looking just at the PC platform, World maintains about double the daily players compared to Rise according to Steamcharts. World averages around 16,000 players per day, while Rise sits at 8,000.
Now, World has benefited from being on PC since 2018, but its continued strength this many years later is remarkable. And Rise‘s PC player count has already dropped over 80% from its January 2022 peak, suggesting World has the more committed player base.
Gameplay and Content Differences
The keyvariation driving engagement comes down to gameplay structure and scope. World provides a huge continuous habitat with seamless zones, strategic hunting, and meticulous prep. Rise opts for quicker hunts in discrete zones with more mobility-focused combat.
Personally, I find World‘s immersive ecosystems, thoughtful tactics, and multifaceted food/gear systems more engaging in the long run. But Rise‘s snappy hunts and aerial acrobatics offer gratifying pick-up-and-play fun.
Regarding content volume, World is a beefier package overall:
| Monster Hunter: World | Monster Hunter Rise | |
| Monsters | 70+ | 60+ |
| Areas | 6 huge zones | 5 modest zones |
| Weapons | 14 | 12 |
| Armor Sets | 14 per character | 10 per character |
I don‘t know about you, but having more ferocious beasts to slay and epic gear to craft provides me endless motivation to keep hunting!
Post-Launch Support
Now let‘s examine Iceborne vs Sunbreak – that‘s World and Rise‘s respective expansions. Iceborne adds a whole new frosty region along with tons of new monsters, gear, story, and the new Clutch Claw mechanic. Sunbreak makes smaller-scale additions by comparison.
In terms of monsters alone, Iceborne has around 27 new ones while Sunbreak only has 17. For me, Iceborne almost doubles World‘s already generous content, making it the best value by far.
World as the Superior Entry Point
Here‘s an angle you may not have considered – World provides a smoother on-ramp for new players. Its tutorials are more robust, online matchmaking makes playing with others seamless, and prep items like potions aren‘t limited. Rise is a bit steeper old-school Monster Hunter in that regard.
This accessibility widens World‘s appeal to casual audiences. I myself have introduced several friends to Monster Hunter via World, hooking new fans that went on to put hundreds of hours in. Based on this, World may be sustaining a larger player base thanks to being the superior entry point.
The Verdict: World is More Popular and Here‘s Why
So in summary, the evidence clearly shows that Monster Hunter: World remains significantly more popular than Monster Hunter Rise in terms of sales, player counts, content volume, streaming metrics, and newcomer accessibility.
In my expert opinion, World resonates more strongly thanks to its living world, strategic gameplay, and sheer amount of monsters and gear. Iceborne then compounds that winning formula even further.
Rise is still an excellent distillation of classic Monster Hunter, and I‘d absolutely recommend it to fans of the franchise. But for the most engrossing and exciting Monster Hunter experience available today, Monster Hunter: World is still my top pick and that of many others.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to share my insights on two of my favorite games.
