How to join the Monster Hunter Wilds open beta

By Jesse Lennox Published October 25, 2024

A hunter runs from a dust storm in Monster Hunter Wilds. — Capcom

The hunt is about to be on! Monster Hunter Wilds is arriving early in 2025, but Capcom wants to let you get an early taste of the action with an open beta, as well as the chance to earn a special reward to claim once the full game launches. This test will be available on all platforms, but one specific group can access it a little bit earlier than anyone else. Let’s sink our teeth into how you can join this beta, when it begins and what it contains, and what rewards you get for participating. Like all the best betas, you will be able to carry your progress into the main game.

How to join the Monster Hunter Wilds open beta

The beta times for Monster Hunter Wilds. — Capcom

The Monster Hunter Wilds open beta only requires you to be old enough to play the game based on the ratings in your country and to have either a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC capable of running the game on Steam.

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If you have that sorted, simply go to this website to find a link to each of the storefronts where you can download the beta once the preloads begin.

The official start for the beta on all platforms is 8 p.m. PT on October 31 and it will conclude at 7 p.m. PT on November 3. However, anyone with a PS Plus subscription can get early access to the beta starting on at 8 p.m. PT on October 28.

Once all platforms are able to access the beta, it will be fully crossplay enabled so you can hunt with friends on all consoles.

The beta will include the full character creator, a story trial for the opening hours of the game, and the Doshaguma Hunt.

Monster Hunter Wilds beta bonuses

A pendant in Monster Hunter Wilds. — Capcom

You can earn two bonuses for the full Monster Hunter Wilds game by playing in the beta.

They are a pendant of a fuzzy little monster and an item pack with a bunch of consumables.

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Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…

Gaming

Monster Hunter Wilds: release date, gameplay, preorder, and more

A hunter dodges a monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

It is time to sharpen your blades, stock up on potions, and eat a hearty meal because a new hunt is approaching. Monster Hunter Wilds was revealed at The Game Awards 2023, and it looks to be the biggest and baddest entry in the entire hunting genre.

Ever since the series hit it big with Monster Hunter: World, it has attracted fans the world over. Some were a little disappointed with the last entry, Monster Hunter Rise, due to it first coming to Switch before being ported to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles at a later date. This time, Capcom doesn't seem to be holding back, so let's follow the tracks and hunt down all the details about Monster Hunter Wilds.
Release date

Gaming

Monster Hunter Wilds gets a February release date in fierce new trailer

A hunter dodges a monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Capcom has treated us to another long look at Monster Hunter Wilds, including that all-important release date. The hunt is on beginning February 28, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The latest trailer for the next entry in the massively popular Monster Hunter franchise showed off a more personal side to the story, opening with a child fleeing the wrath of the White Wraith and introducing us to many of the characters we can look forward to bonding with while slaying giant beasts. The adorable Palicos are back in full force, helping with cooking and on the battlefield as they have in prior games. In one instance a hunter was knocked out and saved by a Palico dropping a health potion on them.

Gaming

I played Monster Hunter Wilds, and it’s already a thrill

A hunter runs through a lightning storm in Monster Hunter Wilds.

I've always seen Monster Hunter as a cinematic game, though perhaps not in the way that many gamers picture when they hear the word. I'm not talking about big-budget cutscenes. Rather, spectacle is baked into its world. There's no greater thrill than watching on as the titanic beast I'm tracking suddenly gets attacked by another creature. It's like watching a kaiju battle unfold organically.

With Monster Hunter Wilds, though, Capcom is upping the ante. In a 90-minute demo, I played through the upcoming action RPG's first two missions. They were standard hunts against towering beasts, but something was different this time. A larger emphasis on thrilling cutscenes and cinematic set pieces took center stage between my normal hacking and slashing. That makes for a sequel that takes Monster Hunter to the next level, unlocking its blockbuster potential.
More cinematic
When my demo begins, I'm sailing on an ocean of sand with a crew of ragtag characters. After getting briefed on a monster in the area, the dreaded White Wraithe, I'm treated to an action-packed sequence. I see sandworms chasing a character in the distance, as if I'm watching a scene out of Dune. My hero leaps from the side of the ship and lands on a Seikret and gives chase. As I gain control of my character, I'm suddenly in a chase sequence. Worms leap around me, and I have to knock them off my trail with my slingshot. It's positively dazzling.