Monster Hunter fans will get a taste of next year’s game, Monster Hunter Wilds, with an open beta test later this month, Capcom announced Wednesday. In addition to giving players a crack at one of the game’s early hunts, the Monster Hunter Wilds beta will let players knock out a crucial and time-consuming task: character creation.
Capcom says that character creation data from the beta will be transferable to the full version of Monster Hunter Wilds upon release, which could conceivably save some of us hours of fiddling with our Hunter’s faces and Palicos. (The Monster Hunter-maker did something similar for Dragon’s Dogma 2.) Open beta players will also get a chance to familiarize themselves with Monster Hunter Wilds’ mechanics, as they’ll take part in a Doshaguma hunt and have the chance to try out cooperative multiplayer by using an SOS flare.
Open beta participants will also receive a special bonus for playing, including a decorative pendant for their weapons or Seikret mount, and a alongside a “helpful item pack” (potions, rations, etc.) for the full release of Monster Hunter Wilds.
Monster Hunter Wilds’ open beta will be available on PlayStation 5, Windows PC via Steam, and Xbox Series X. It will support cross-play on those platforms. Here’s when the open beta will be available for each platform:
Preload for the open beta will begin on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m PDT. PlayStation Plus subscribers can preload even earlier on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. PDT.
The full version of Monster Hunter Wilds will be released on Feb. 28, 2025. To tide you over, Capcom released a new trailer for the game, highlighting the Oilwell Basin and its deadly residents, the Brute Wyvern Rompopolo and the Fanged Beast Ajarakan. Beneath the basin resides a mysterious monster known as the Black Flame.