Monster Hunter Rise launched on the Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2021, and by 2026 it has become a cornerstone of Capcom's portable-friendly hunting era. But before the game ever reached players' hands, one behind-the-scenes revelation caught the attention of music fans: Satoshi Hori, the composer who had unnerved players in Resident Evil 7, was named lead composer for Rise's original soundtrack. The news, originally shared through the game's official Japanese Twitter account and relayed by community figure Gaijinhunter, painted a picture of a project that was not content to simply reuse old hunting horns. According to a Facebook interview referenced by that account, every song—including pre-existing Monster Hunter tracks—would receive a chorus. Talk about a tonal shift.

Hori's résumé made the announcement even more intriguing. A relative newcomer to the industry, his first video game credit was for Tsukuren H, an Android and iOS title published by Capcom. Resident Evil 7 counted as his first major project of note, and its score did not merely play; it crept through the walls of the Baker house and tapped players on the shoulder. That music knew how to make a quiet room feel wrong. Moving from that kind of horror to Monster Hunter's bright, boisterous world was a creative leap. Hori did not return to craft music for Resident Evil Village, which made his Rise assignment feel like a full-scale genre pivot.

For Monster Hunter faithful, the composer news landed alongside plenty of other excitement. Capcom had announced Rise during a September Nintendo Direct, and the game's subtitle came from an all-new wall-climbing mechanic. That mechanic added a healthy helping of verticality to the experience, and the soundtrack was expected to match it. The chorus plan was especially ambitious. All songs, including pre-existing Monster Hunter tracks, would receive a chorus, giving old themes a fresh set of lungs. The music, in a sense, learned to climb alongside the hunters. It stretched its wings, embraced a more theatrical scale, and invited players to hear familiar melodies as if they were being performed by a village choir at the top of a cliff.

At The Game Awards 2020, Capcom showed a lengthy gameplay trailer and confirmed that a free demo for Monster Hunter Rise would go live on the Nintendo Switch the following month. At the time, the publisher had not confirmed whether the free trial would be available only for a limited period. Capcom also stayed silent about a supposed PC version. That particular detail had surfaced because of leaked Capcom documents suggesting a PC port was in the works. In 2026, those questions are settled. The demo came and went, the PC version arrived in January 2022, and the Sunbreak expansion followed in June 2022. Fans were understandably pumped when the original news broke, and the passage of time has only made the soundtrack's choral ambition more interesting to revisit.

The decision to give every track a chorus was unusual for the series. Monster Hunter music often relies on rousing horns, tribal drums, and soaring melodies. A chorus can make a track feel like a communal ritual before a hunt. It can also make familiar themes from earlier games feel ceremonial. In 2026, listening back, that choice helps Rise stand apart from Monster Hunter World and Iceborne. The music does not just accompany the hunt; it grabs a seat at the campfire. That was no small feat, especially for a composer whose previous major credit was designed to make players dread every hallway.

Hori's path from horror to hunting remains a notable case study in versatility. Resident Evil 7 was a claustrophobic, first-person nightmare, and its score knew when to whisper and when to shriek. Monster Hunter Rise is outdoorsy, agile, and colorful. A composer who can move between those worlds is not common. Hori's work on Rise proved he could swap dread for discovery without losing atmosphere. The soundtrack's chorus idea also gave Capcom a way to honor the past while pushing the series forward. Legacy tracks were not merely remixed; they were reimagined with voices, as if the old hunting songs had gathered new travelers around the fire.

For fans in 2026, the original announcement is a reminder that game music news can be as exciting as gameplay reveals. The free demo, the leaked PC port, the March 2021 launch, and the later Sunbreak era are all part of the story now. What remains most lasting is the soundtrack, a choral-enhanced collection that gave Monster Hunter Rise its own voice. If a hunt is a dance, Hori made sure players had a song worth dancing to. 🎵🐉🎮