I find myself playing Monster Hunter Now almost every day. It’s the one game I keep coming back to, more than any other, whether we’re talking mobile or otherwise. While my hour count might not show massive playtime – it is a mobile game designed for quick sessions after all – it’s rare that a day ends without me launching the app at least once.
I make sure to complete my daily tasks, stay on top of seasonal challenges, continuously upgrade my gear, and on occasion, I even find myself spending a bit of cash in the store. Suffice it to say, the game keeps me pretty engaged without much persuasion. Yet, a new feature has made me even more enthusiastic about checking in every morning, even on days when I’m not really in the mood to play.
Around late last year, right as the third season of Monster Hunter Now was winding down, the Season 4 update rolled out a new feature called the Friend Cheering function. This update introduced hearts on each friend’s card. By clicking on it, you can cheer them on, which temporarily boosts their health for that day.
Each time I log in, the app lets me know if someone sent me a cheer while I was away. Everyone gets a set amount of free cheers daily, and you can easily see which friends you’ve already cheered on. Although the health boost is minor and capped to prevent any unfair advantage, it’s not substantial enough to alter the outcome of a fight.
Cheering might be a free feature and doesn’t need to be part of your daily routine, so you can ignore it without impacting your experience with the game.
I totally get that this is a tactic to drive engagement. If Niantic can present data to their investors showing that users are spending more time in the app, it’s beneficial for them whether players are actively gaming or not. I’m also aware that such community features often start as free perks before possibly being tied to battle pass incentives or converted into purchasable items.
Nevertheless, I can’t deny its effect. It feels similar to the rush of getting a match on a dating app, despite knowing the odds of it going anywhere are slim.
Interestingly, my friends list doesn’t heavily influence this feeling. There’s only one person on there whom I know personally; the rest is a collection of connections made on Reddit, where folks share their friend codes for assistance with Friend Quests and more. So, while I may not have an emotional link to these individuals, I still find myself eager to cheer them on whenever I can.
Initially, my go-to page when launching the game was the Daily Quests. Now, my interest has shifted to the Friend List! I’ve never been bitten by the Gacha anime bug, but Monster Hunter Now is quickly becoming my equivalent. Its gameplay may not be as intricate, its world not as expansive, and it’s far from exploitative, yet it brings consistent joy that outweighs any frustration I may encounter – and in today’s world, that means a lot.
