Xbox could get its own take on Monster Hunter from a long-time Halo support studio

Monster Hunter World — (Image credit: Capcom)

A title inspired by Monster Hunter is reportedly in the works for Xbox, and is being developed by a former Halo support studio.

Earlier this week, Venturebeat reporter Jeff Grubb spoke about a new project from support studio Certain Affinity on his Grubbsnax podcast. Those claims have now been corroborated by Windows Central, which suggests that the game, codename Project Suerte, is "a 'Monster Hunter' inspired game, implying big monster battles with multiplayer gameplay."

Details are scarce, but Windows Central says that the project has been in development since the summer of 2020, "and is likely slated for a 2023 reveal and 2024 release", although those dates are subject to change.

Founded in 2006 by former Bungie developer Max Hoberman, Certain Affinity has worked closely with Microsoft since the days of the Xbox 360. Since 2007, it's contributed to the development of multiple Halo games, as well as a handful of Call of Duty titles, 2016's Doom, and even Left 4 Dead. The studio has also developed its own games; 2008 RTS Age of Booty (for which a mobile follow-up was released in 2014), and 2011 ARPG Crimson Alliance. It's currently working on Transformers Online and another game, Last Expedition.

That last title is an original FPS, which Polygon described as "a four-play co-op game set on a hellish alien world." It's not clear whether there are any links between Last Expedition and Project Suerte, but the multiplayer and otherworldly aspects do suggest some common threads with contemporary Monster Hunter.

While even the reveal of Project Suerte is thought to be at least a year away, its apparent existence is another sign of Microsoft's building strength - there's no word on whether this is planned as an exclusive Xbox title, but given Creative Affinity's history with the platform, it could another weapon in the console's gradually-developing arsenal.

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