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.

Recommended Videos

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.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

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

Topics

How-To Guides

Gaming

I played the first 5 hours of Monster Hunter Wilds and can’t wait to see more

Key art for Monster Hunter Wilds.

I’ve played the opening five hours of Monster Hunter Wilds and can’t wait to play more. That’s a massive change from how I’ve typically felt after playing previous games in the series.

Although I’ve attempted to get into games like Monster Hunter 4, Monster Hunter World, and Monster Hunter Rise, I’ve quickly dropped off each game. Hunts are very stressful and complex. While people adore this formula, I could never get over the initial learning curve in any Monster Hunter game I played. That changed when I got to go hands-on with Monster Hunter Wilds’ opening hours.

Gaming

Monster Hunter Outlanders is the most ambitious Monster Hunter mobile game yet

Key art for Monster Hunter Outlanders.

Capcom and TiMi Studio Group announced Monster Hunter Outlanders for iOS and Android today. Unlike previous Monster Hunter games for mobile, Outlanders will more closely emulate console games with a large 3D open world to explore, real-time gameplay and combat, and cooperative hunting.

Previous Monster Hunter mobile games include Monster Hunter Now, which applied the Pokémon Go formula to Capcom's long-running series, and the matching game Monster Hunter Puzzle: Felyne Isles. In 2022, the Tencent-owned TiMi Studio Group announced its partnership with Capcom and intention to create a new mobile game that would "reproduce the hunting actions that define the Monster Hunter series." TiMi developers have created mobile adaptations of franchises like Age of Empires and Call of Duty.

Gaming

Is Monster Hunter Wilds cross-platform?

Two hunters ride mounts in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Of all the genres that we think need to be on the list of cross-platform games, hunting games like Monster Hunter Wilds have to be near the top. These are a rather unique style of game compared to the likes of Fallout 76, Genshin Impact, or Stardew Valley. Each of those has cooperative or competitive elements to them that are enhanced by cross-platform support, but nothing like what Monster Hunter Wilds has going on. The game will allow you to call in NPCs to help you on the hunt, but these games are best when you get a group of real friends together and embark on an epic quest to slay a giant beast, scavenge it for parts, and return to camp victorious. Monster Hunter Rise eventually got cross-platform support once it was ported off the Switch, but will Monster Hunter Wilds launch with this feature? Here's what you need to know about cross-platform support in one of our most anticipated upcoming games.
Is Monster Hunter Wilds cross-platform?

Monster Hunter Wilds will only have partial cross-platform support. The good news is that the part that it will have is crossplay, meaning that you and friends on either PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC can all hunt together with no issues. This feature can be disabled if you wish, but will be enabled by default to make sure desperate hunters can always find some aid when in need.