Monster Fantasy is in a limited-time playtest that opened September 23 at 0:00 JST, following a trailer and advance guide released September 21. Developer Jotoyo has a spring 2027 demo and summer 2027 completion target.
Monster Fantasy appeared first as a playable demo at the Bilibili First Look event in Shanghai in June 2026. The game from Chinese studio Jotoyo combines hunting action against large monsters with life simulation, drawing inspiration from Monster Hunter and Animal Crossing. The demo shown then had four classes, Warrior, Ranger, Ronin, and Mage, and three monster types, with a final version planned to include around 50. The Mage combines four elemental orbs to cast spells. The Ronin uses an iai stance and can enter a demon mode. In-game time syncs with real time, and monsters change behavior with time of day and weather. Players can delegate hunting and gathering to NPC villagers. The village can host up to 10 NPCs out of several dozen types. Music is by Claude Ruelle, who worked on Monster Hunter Rise. Producer Fei Ling said a fifth class and romantic relationships with NPCs are under consideration.
By July, Jotoyo published an FAQ responding to comparisons with Monster Hunter. The developer acknowledged Monster Hunter as an inspiration while pointing to the blend of hunting, village building, life simulation, and multiplayer. The FAQ states the game is buy-to-play, uses no AI assets, launches on PC and consoles, and has a Kickstarter campaign.
In September, Jotoyo announced a limited-time playtest starting September 22, with sign-ups on Steam. The team described hunting actions against roughly 50 large monsters, plus fishing, logging, mining, cooking, and crafting, four jobs, and about 100 villagers. A subsequent trailer and playtest advance guide released September 21 moved the playtest opening to September 23 at 0:00 JST. Four classes are in place for the test: Samurai, Warrior, Mage, and Archer. The guide names three bosses: the Squirrel Bear, which spits poison and flash acorns and has a breakable tail; the Beetle Turtle, which is covered in rock and yields horn materials after its head armor breaks; and the Griffin, which is hard to hit until it crashes, with a stronger Flame Griffin appearing at certain times of day. The plan is a spring 2027 demo and summer 2027 completion.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Release
- game · 2026-09-21 · 2026-10-03
- Release
- game · upcoming · 2026-06-24
- Release
- game · TBA · worldwide · 2026-07-08
- Announced
- playtest opens September 23 at 0:00 JST · 2026-10-03
- Announced
- limited-time playtest starting September 22, with sign-ups open on Steam and test contents to be detailed later (playtest) · 2026-09-15
- Announced
- a spring 2027 demo · 2026-09-15
- Announced
- summer 2027 completion · 2026-09-15
- Announced
- playable demo shown at Bilibili First Look · 2026-06-24
- Noted
- The game combines hunting action against large monsters with a slow-life simulation set in the Kingdom of Eldras · 2026-10-03
- Noted
- the player is a hero who has lost their memories and spends time fishing, cooking, and talking with villagers · 2026-10-03
- Noted
- Four classes are in place for the test: Samurai, Warrior, Mage, and Archer · 2026-10-03
- Noted
- The guide names three bosses: the Squirrel Bear, the Beetle Turtle, and the Griffin · 2026-10-03
- Noted
- combines hardcore hunting action with life simulation elements, drawing inspiration from Monster Hunter and Animal Crossing · 2026-06-24
Connections
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Oct 3
Jotoyo released a new trailer and a playtest advance guide for Monster Fantasy on September 21, 2026, ahead of a playtest that opens September 23 at 0:00 JST. The game combines hunting action against large monsters with a slow-life simulation set in the Kingdom of Eldras, where the player is a hero who has lost their memories and spends time fishing, cooking, and talking with villagers. Four classes are in place for the test: Samurai, Warrior, Mage, and Archer. The trailer shows Mage guarding, Samurai swinging a katana, Warrior using a charged slash, and Archer breaking monster parts. The guide names three bosses: the Squirrel Bear, which spits poison and flash acorns and has a breakable tail; the Beetle Turtle, which is covered in rock and yields horn materials after its head armor breaks; and the Griffin, which is hard to hit until it crashes, with a stronger Flame Griffin appearing at certain times of day.
Sep 15
Jotoyo will hold a limited-time playtest for its hunting life simulation Monster Fantasy starting September 22, with sign-ups open on Steam and test contents to be detailed later. The game pairs hunting actions against roughly 50 large monsters with fishing, logging, mining, cooking, and crafting, plus four jobs and about 100 villagers. The team says Monster Hunter is one inspiration.
Jul 8
Jotoyo published an FAQ for its in-development hunting life simulation game Monster Fantasy, responding to user comparisons with Monster Hunter. The developer acknowledged Monster Hunter as an inspiration but emphasized the game's unique blend of hunting, village building, life simulation, and multiplayer features. The game will be buy-to-play, use no AI assets, and launch on PC and consoles with a Kickstarter campaign.
Jun 24
Chinese studio JOTOYO showed a playable demo of its upcoming game MONSTER FANTASY at the Bilibili First Look event in Shanghai. The game combines hardcore hunting action with life simulation elements, drawing inspiration from Monster Hunter and Animal Crossing. Players choose from four classes-Warrior, Ranger, Ronin, and Mage-each with distinct mechanics. The Mage, for example, combines four elemental orbs to cast spells, while the Ronin uses an iai stance and can enter a demon mode. The demo featured three monster types, with a final version planned to include around 50. The in-game time syncs with real time, and monsters' behavior changes with time of day and weather. Players can delegate hunting and gathering to NPC villagers, who have their own daily routines and favorability systems. The village can host up to 10 NPCs out of several dozen types. The game is single-player with multiplayer features. Development began in earnest about four months before the demo, though the team spent years on preparation. Music is by Claude Ruelle, who worked on Monster Hunter Rise. The producer, Fei Ling, stated that a fifth class and romantic relationships with NPCs are under consideration.