Monster Hunter Now’s New Feature Keeps Me Engaged Daily to Connect with Friends

I find myself diving into Monster Hunter Now quite a lot. It’s probably the game I engage with most consistently, whether on my phone or another device. While I might not have the astronomical play hours to show for it—it’s crafted for brief sessions, after all—it’s rare for a day to go by without me at least starting it up.

I keep up with my daily tasks, track seasonal challenges, maintain my gear upgrades, and yes, occasionally, I throw some cash its way in the store. All these factors keep me hooked, but a newly introduced feature has made logging into the app an even more enticing part of my morning routine, even when I’m not in the mood to play.

Towards the end of last year, as Monster Hunter Now wrapped up its third season, the Season 4 update came out with a welcoming addition—the Friend Cheering feature. Every friend on your list now displays a heart on their profile. By pressing it, you cheer them on, giving their health a temporary boost for the day.

As soon as you log in, you can see whether anyone sent you a cheer while you were out. Each player receives a set number of free cheers daily, and you can easily tell whom you’ve already cheered today. Though the health boost is minimal and there’s a cap on how much it can increase from cheers, preventing any major advantages in battles, it’s a nice little touch.

Using Cheering is entirely optional and doesn’t interfere with your regular gameplay routine—you could ignore it altogether, and your experience with Monster Hunter Now would remain unchanged.

Cheers, everyone! | Image credit: Capcom/Niantic

I get that this feature is designed to enhance engagement levels. If Niantic can demonstrate to its investors that players are spending more time in the app, whether playing or not, it’s a positive showcase. I’m also aware that community features like these usually start off as freebies and might later become part of battle pass perks, or even transform into purchasable items.

Yet, the impact on me is quite clear. It feels akin to the thrill of getting a match on a dating app, even if you know there’s only a slim chance of it leading to a real date, and even less of it developing further.

I don’t think it’s really about the people on my friend list, either. There’s only one person I know personally; the rest are strangers picked up from Monster Hunter Now subreddits, where friend codes are shared freely for various quests. Despite the lack of a deeper emotional connection, I still find myself eager to cheer them every day.

Previously, checking the Daily Quests page was my go-to upon entering the game, but now that spot goes to the Friend List! I never fell into the Gacha game craze, but Monster Hunter Now just might be that kind of game for me. It may not offer the depth or vast worlds of other titles, nor is it as exploitative, but the joy it brings me outweighs any minor frustrations—and that’s something to appreciate these days.