Early Monster Hunter games sold well in Japan and other Asian countries, popularized by the series' use of ad hoc multiplayer features on portable consoles, and became a cultural phenomenon.

However, with Monster Hunter: World (2018), Capcom aimed to attract a global audience using the power of advanced home gaming consoles and computers and released the title simultaneously worldwide.

The player can equip weapons, armor, and items most beneficial towards completing a given mission, and if successful, the Hunter is awarded in both in-game money ("zenny") and loot representing parts from the monster.

Weapons and armor have intrinsic bonuses or penalties towards certain types of elemental or physical damages, and may provide special skills which can be fine-tuned through the mix-and-matching of equipment pieces.

[3] Each weapon class has a unique set of combat maneuvers and reflect a number of different play styles based on speed of attack, damage strength, range and the application of buffs and debuffs to monsters and allies.

Once completed, the game opens up with new "High Rank" or "Gathering Hall" quests, featuring stronger versions of monsters they have previously faced, as well as new monsters not yet seen and unique variants of these foes, all of which provide better components for more powerful weapons and armor sets, providing hundreds of hours of potential gameplay following the main quest.

[10][3] The first Monster Hunter game was one of three titles Capcom had developed to take advantage of the processing power and online capabilities of the PlayStation 2, which according to Ryozo Tsujimoto, who has been the series' producer since Monster Hunter Freedom 2, had begun to match arcade games in capabilities; the other two such titles were Auto Modellista and Resident Evil Outbreak.

[11] He also felt that the game was intended for such cooperative play so that players of any skill level, working with others, could feel accomplished in taking down giant creatures.

[13] Handheld systems are generally more popular in Japan and due to the country's high population density, it was easy to find players to hunt cooperatively with, making it a phenomenon there.

[13] While Monster Hunter had been successful in Japan, its popularity in Western markets (primarily North America and Europe) languished.

In contrast to the Japanese culture, Western markets favored home consoles and computers during the mid-2000s and because of a thinner population density, most players relied on Internet-based gaming rather than local ad hoc networking.

[16] The series had little popularity in the West until the release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the Nintendo 3DS, a console that had gained a sizable foothold in Western markets.

The game also features a stage called "Valkanda", which combines Val Habar from the fourth installment with Wakanda from the Marvel universe.

Rathalos and Tigrex, two of the series' flagship monsters, make a cameo appearance in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on hunting missions.

[45] In 2018, Rathalos also appeared as a boss character and a summonable Assist Trophy in the crossover fighting game, Super Smash Bros.

Ultimate,[46] while several Mii Fighter costumes based on Monster Hunter were added post-launch in March 2021 a few weeks ahead of Rise's release.

[48] In 2023, Rathalos made an appearance as a limited-time boss in the mobile game Arknights, as part of the latter's Monster Hunter crossover event titled A Flurry to the Flame.

For example, Monster Hunter World has had promotional events that include Resident Evil,[49] Mega Man,[50] Assassin's Creed,[51] and The Witcher series.

[52] A series of anime shorts titled MonHun Nikki Girigiri Airū-mura Airū Kiki Ippatsu (ja:モンハン日記 ぎりぎりアイルー村) was broadcast beginning August 10, 2010.

[56] In 2014, a Mega Man crossover toy was released,[57] a set of Felyne-themed 3DS XL accessories,[58] as well as a 24 karat gold Felyne statue that cost almost $30,000 to celebrate the series' 10-year anniversary.

[62] In 2022, merchandise featuring the characters was utilized in a public safety promotion as part of an ongoing partnership between Capcom and local Japanese police.

[8][74] The Palicoes in Monster Hunter: World received a great deal of social media publicity when their vocalizations attracted the attention of real-life cats of players.