The next Monster Hunter game won’t be out in the wild until early 2025, but you have the chance to try it out the last week of October, with some players getting in on the fun a few days early. Monster Hunter Wild’s open beta period will only last for a few days, but that should be enough to get a good idea of roughly how the game feels to play. And as Capcom recently went out of its way to point out, you don’t have to spend a dime to join in.
Capcom previously announced that a Monster Hunter Wilds beta was coming soon, but it confirmed its open status in the week leading up to the event. Responding to questions it says it received from prospective players, Capcom confirmed on social media that you don’t need to pay for a pre-order of the game to get access to the open beta — which is no longer a given as more games have begun making beta tests available only to people who have already paid in advance.
When Does the Monster Hunter Wilds Open Beta Start?
The most important thing to know is that the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds beta is available on all of the game’s platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. No matter what platform you play on, you’ll be experiencing the same game content, and you’ll get a chance to pre-load the beta before it officially begins.
The Monster Hunter Wilds open beta begins on all platforms on October 31 at 11 p.m. Eastern and runs through November 3 at 10 p.m. Eastern. To make sure you don’t waste any time downloading files while the beta is already live, you can begin pre-loading on October 30 at 11 p.m. Eastern. Just head to the game’s page on the PlayStation Store, Xbox, or Steam any time after that and you’ll have the option to download the game.
While the main beta period is open to everyone, PS5 players who are also subscribed to PlayStation Plus will have considerably more time to play. Before the all-platform beta, an exclusive PS Plus early access period runs from October 28 at 11 p.m. Eastern to October 30 at 11 p.m. Eastern. That gives PS Plus subscribers an additional two days to play, though they’ll still have a 24 hour pause between the early access period and the beginning of the full beta. Files for this version of the beta can also be pre-loaded, starting on October 27 at 11 p.m. Eastern.
Does Progress Carry Over to Monster Hunter Wilds From the Beta?
The Monster Hunter Wilds open beta consists of character creation and two monster hunts, and most of the progress you make won’t carry over. You won’t keep any experience or items gained while fighting the Chatacabra or Doshaguma monsters. But fortunately, you will be able to save your data from the character creator portion and import it into the full game.
That’s similar to how Dragon’s Dogma 2 offered a dedicated character creator before the game came out to let you craft your in-game persona early. Monster Hunter Wilds has the benefit of being able to actually try the game on top of it.
Are There Any Rewards for Playing the Monster Hunter Wilds Beta?
Your progress may not carry over to the full game, but that doesn’t mean you’ll walk about from the beta empty handed. Anyone who participates in the open beta will receive a pack of useful in-game items like potions, and more importantly, a ridiculously adorable Palico pendant to hang on your gear in the full game.
To claim your rewards, you just have to play Monster Hunter Wilds on the same platform that you played the beta on and import your beta save data to the full game.
We won’t get our hands on the full version of Monster Hunter Wilds until February 28, 2025, but until then, the open beta is the best chance to experience its vicious monsters and huge open world for yourself. Even if you don’t plan on playing too much of the beta, it’s well worth it to get your character sorted out early and nab an incredibly cute bonus while you’re at it.
