Interview With Ryozo Tsujimoto, Kaname Fujioka, and Yuya Tokuda at Monster Hunter Festa '26! “When Is the Next Event?” “Why Choose Nu Udra?” “Any Behind-the-Scenes Stories About the Ichiran Collaboration?”

A: There were circumstances where we stopped doing it following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Afterward, while dealing with issues of timing and scale, we talked about making it a size that would truly please people. Even with hurdles like securing the venue, we were able to hold it with a lot of cooperation from staff outside of development.

Ryozo Tsujimoto: Since it was the first time in six years, I was very worried about whether people would come or if it would be exciting.
But when it actually opened, truly more people than we expected came.
It was really great that the staff could feel the passion of the Monster Hunter users at an event like this.
Both Monster Hunter Festa and the Championship were held for the first time in a while, and I think it was a truly good event where you could feel the history.

Yuya Tokuda: From a development perspective, we set up the weapon types assuming that various tactics could be formed.
However, I am very happy that we saw more ways of using various weapons than we had expected.
Among those, we saw plays and times that in a way exceeded our expectations.
I was especially surprised that they achieved such incredibly good times, like theoretical values, on the final stage.

Yuya Tokuda: Yes, I had a feeling that the Hunting Horn might make it into the semifinals after all, but there were also parts where I couldn't imagine exactly what combinations they would build up.
I think it was good that more combinations appeared than predicted.

Yuya Tokuda: Since we were prepared so that it could be done in truly various patterns, we had several assumptions.
As one of those, we were talking about how combinations like Great Sword and Hammer, or Long Sword and Hammer, might produce good times in addition to Light Bowgun and Hammer.
The winning team was Hammer and Light Bowgun, so it was a possible combination, but to think they would set a personal best time during the actual performance... (laughs)

Ryozo Tsujimoto: It was completely different from the Rompopolo we played on stage, so I think people were able to understand the range of the Hammer.
Like you can play however you want, and you can do fun things like that (laughs).
It is certainly a risky weapon, so even in the final match, they were taking damage when they took it, right?
Even so, being able to perform such skillful positioning makes me think their player skill is amazing, and some people might have thought the Hammer is amazing.

Kaname Fujioka: I wanted many people to experience Monster Hunter Bridge, but I think the people who could come to the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai were limited.
In that situation, since the end of the Expo, I had been discussing whether we could “bring at least something to interact with Palicoes,” and I was very happy that people were able to experience the interaction, even if only for a short time.

Yuya Tokuda: For me, being able to see everyone playing in the qualifier area was the biggest content.
However, what was unexpected and made me very happy was that Ichiran prepared a food truck.
In entering the collaboration, we had various discussions and presentations with Ichiran, but I was very surprised and happy that they provided that kind of response.

Ryozo Tsujimoto: For me, it's the sculptures, including the balloons.
You can't display these unless you have a certain amount of space, and it's also the best part of a live event.
I wanted people to experience that kind of impact, like wanting them to at least take a photo and go home since they came all this way, so I like them in the sense that they can only be done because it's an event like this.

Kaname Fujioka: It's because it seemed like it would be amazing as a balloon and would look good as a balloon (laughs).
After actually making it, I thought that balloons that can express that kind of feeling at that size are really good.
It can show presence through impact rather than delicate details, and they made it mainly with lighting, such as the tentacles and eyes glowing, so I'm glad I chose it.

Kaname Fujioka: We had the designers visit for a quite long time, and we also exchanged 3D data in advance.
The exact period doesn't come to mind immediately, but we have been producing it since before the release of Monster Hunter Wilds.

Ryozo Tsujimoto: There were also issues like how to display the hands of Nu Udra in that shape and whether there truly were no space issues.
Since the exhibition space isn't decided until the location is decided, we have been creating it while taking time in that sense as well.

Kaname Fujioka: There was an opinion to draw Nu Yaya (Nu Udra's juvenile form) on balloons and fly them, but when we tried it, the paint was too heavy and the balloons wouldn't float, so we gave up (laughs).

Ryozo Tsujimoto: When we reached out to Ichiran from our side, they were very enthusiastic and talked to us about planning and development.
We created it while exchanging ideas like “Wouldn't this be good?” or “Wouldn't that be good?”
They have stores not only in Japan but also overseas, so I think they also wanted more people overseas to know about them.

Yuya Tokuda: We also proposed several ideas for the skill names, and the other party also made proposals, which we then finalized.

Ryozo Tsujimoto: Among the companies that cooperated this time, such as SUUMO, thankfully there were many people on their side who love Monster Hunter.
Therefore, it was also a characteristic that interesting ideas were coming up one after another.

Ryozo Tsujimoto: For this, I can't say right now (laughs).
Of course I have the desire to do it, and one of the reasons we were able to hold it this time is that not only ourselves but many companies cooperated.
While continuing Monster Hunter as a brand that various companies can feel “I'm interested” or “I'd like to cooperate a little,” I do want to hold events like this.
Today, people of a wide range of ages came and enjoyed themselves, but originally Monster Hunter Festa itself was intended to create a one-day-only theme park, and the Championship was held with an image like a hero show within it.
If possible, I would like to continue Monster Hunter Festa in the future.