Monster Hunter World

MHW Iceborne Campaign Launch & Exclusive Kickstarter Partnership Announced

Hunters, the Kickstarter for Monster Hunter World Iceborne: The Board Game is now LIVE!

Go check it out!

Pledge now to grab the free massive monster expansion and (for returning backers) the free Turf Wars Upgrade Deck that brings turf wars to your MHW board game! 

Wondering whether Iceborne is for you? We played in person with a bunch of awesome creators. Watch the video below to hear their thoughts on the game:

There’s also a full playthrough now live on our YouTube, plus a 5-minute gameplay summary (if you’re short on time), AND we’ve just released the digital demo so you can try the game out for yourself!

Click here to try the demo

And that’s STILL not all. As well as today’s Iceborne launch, we’re also announcing an exclusive partnership with Kickstarter!

Steamforged x Kickstarter Partnership

As well as running our next four crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter, we’ll be collaborating with them on educational content for other tabletop game creators.

Our CEO and co-founder, Rich Loxam, says: 

“We’re incredibly excited to have launched Monster Hunter World Iceborne: The Board Game on Kickstarter, and to partner exclusively with the platform for our next four crowdfunding campaigns.

“Kickstarter has been key to the making of Steamforged and is a big part of how we’ve gotten where we are today. We believe it’s the best platform for creators to bring their ideas to life and reach their audience. It’s an incredible way to build passionate communities, and provides a fantastic space where those communities can engage with us directly and even influence the final game. The thriving Monster Hunter: World board game community is a prime example of that, and we can’t wait to see where this incredible tabletop world could lead.”

Kickstarter’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jon Leland, adds, “There’s a common misconception that creators need to ‘graduate’ from Kickstarter but, especially in the tabletop industry, that isn’t the case. This partnership with one of our biggest tabletop games publishers is a testament to the fact that Kickstarter can be part of an ongoing business model that works beyond initial success.”

Kickstarter’s research has even shown big projects can help to boost projects from smaller creators. When a big project runs on Kickstarter, the amount of money going to other projects increases, creating a halo effect that benefits the entire community. 

The 30,000 first-time backers Steamforged has brought to Kickstarter have made an additional 230,000 pledges, totalling more than $18.5 million to more than 30,000 other campaigns on Kickstarter.

You’ll find the full, official press release below. 

Monster Hunter World Iceborne: The Board Game Kickstarter will run for 14 days, ending on June 1 at 21:00 BST / 16:00 ET, with plenty of unlocks and reveals along the way.  Visit the Kickstarter now to check it out and join the hunting party!

Steamforged Launches Monster Hunter World Iceborne™: The Board Game, Announces Exclusive Crowdfunding Partnership with Kickstarter

Manchester, United Kingdom - May 18, 2023 - Steamforged Games, the UK’s leading creator and publisher of licensed tabletop games, have just launched their latest Kickstarter campaign for a brand new board game based on the popular video game expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne™. It’s one of four upcoming projects that will be crowdfunded on Kickstarter through Steamforged’s exclusive partnership with the platform, also announced today. 

Live now on Kickstarter, Monster Hunter World Iceborne: The Board Game is the follow-up to Steamforged’s highly-rated Monster Hunter: World™ board game, which raised £3.4 million and gained 20,000 backers on Kickstarter in 2021. Sharing DNA with World and introducing exciting new mechanics, the Iceborne board game will plunge players into a wintry experience with a whole new line-up of massive monsters to hunt. Together, 1-4 players will track numerous beasts across the frozen tundra and engage in strategic, card-driven combat, equipped with giant weapons and the infamous Iceborne Clutch Claw, while facing the ever-present possibility of ground-shaking monster turf wars.

“We’re incredibly excited to have launched Monster Hunter World Iceborne: The Board Game on Kickstarter, and to partner exclusively with the platform for our next four crowdfunding campaigns,” said Steamforged Games CEO and co-founder, Rich Loxam. “Kickstarter has been key to the making of Steamforged and is a big part of how we’ve gotten where we are today. We believe it’s the best platform for creators to bring their ideas to life and reach their audience. It’s an incredible way to build passionate communities, and provides a fantastic space where those communities can engage with us directly and even influence the final game. The thriving Monster Hunter: World board game community is a prime example of that, and we can’t wait to see where this incredible tabletop world could lead.”

Under the partnership, Steamforged and Kickstarter will also be collaborating on educational content for emerging games creators as a way to support the next generation of tabletop publishers. 

Kickstarter’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jon Leland, added, “There’s a common misconception that creators need to ‘graduate’ from Kickstarter but, especially in the tabletop industry, that isn’t the case. This partnership with one of our biggest tabletop games publishers is a testament to the fact that Kickstarter can be part of an ongoing business model that works beyond initial success.”

Kickstarter’s research has shown that big projects like the ones from Steamforged even help to boost projects from smaller creators. When a big project runs on Kickstarter, the amount of money going to other projects increases, creating a halo effect that benefits the entire Kickstarter community. The 30,000 first-time backers Steamforged has brought to Kickstarter have made an additional 230,000 pledges, totalling more than $18.5 million to more than 30,000 other campaigns on Kickstarter.

The Monster Hunter World Iceborne: The Board Game Kickstarter will run for 14 days, ending on June 1 at 21:00 BST / 16:00 ET.  For updates on this and other upcoming Steamforged projects, sign up to the Steamforged newsletter or visit the Kickstarter page

Monster Hunter™ & © Capcom Co., Ltd.

- Ends -


About Steamforged Games Ltd

Founded in 2014 in the corner of a hobby gaming store in Manchester, UK, Steamforged Games has gone on to create tabletop adaptations of some of the biggest video games around. In 2019, Steamforged received a £5million investment to continue growing the business from private equity firm, Foresight Group, on the strength of an “excellent track record in creating, developing, and launching games” and a “strong product pipeline”. 

The company’s history of adaptations began with the wildly successful DARK SOULS™ board game. Steamforged took the game to Kickstarter back in 2016, where it raised a record-breaking £3.7million followed by significant success at retail. Now, Steamforged’s DARK SOULS™ tabletop range has a combined retail value of almost $40 million with more than half a million units sold. 

Since 2016, Steamforged’s catalogue has grown to include popular board game versions of triple-A video games such as Monster Hunter: World, Resident Evil™ 1, 2, and 3, Horizon Zero Dawn™, and more, all well-received as authentic experiences true to the brand DNA. Steamforged has also seen significant success with original IP such as Bardsung, Epic Encounters, and Animal Adventures, and has successfully fulfilled more than eleven tabletop game crowdfunding campaigns. 

Now the UK’s leading developer and publisher of licensed tabletop games with over fifteen tabletop ranges, Steamforged is led by a love of the craft, a collective pride in what they create, and a mission to deliver compelling tabletop experiences that capture the emotions and inspire the imaginations of players around the world.

About Capcom

Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including groundbreaking franchises Resident Evil™, Monster Hunter™, Street Fighter™, Mega Man™, Devil May Cry™ and Ace Attorney™. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Tokyo, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com  or news.capcomusa.com

Capcom, and the Capcom logo are registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. in the U.S. or other countries. Ace Attorney, Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Monster Hunter, Resident Evil and Street Fighter are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries, in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.


For further information or enquiries, please contact:

Steamforged Games

Press Relations

Email: press@steamforged.com