Monster Hunter Wilds’ open beta is about to drop and Capcom is trying to keep fans informed about access.
The moment Monster Hunter fans have finally been waiting for is very nearly here. After agonizing months of tantalizing previews featuring new monsters, classic weapons, and franchise-first mechanics, players are about to get their hands on the next game in the series.
The Monster Hunter Wilds open beta is closer for some than it is for others thanks to some console exclusivity but there’s some confusion surrounding the hands-on experience. Not with the starting dates, but with who has access and who doesn’t.
Capcom has taken to X (via the official Monster Hunter account) to clarify some confusion surrounding whether or not you need to pre-order Monster Hunter Wilds to play its open beta. The company has assured players across all platforms that this is not the case.
“We’ve seen some comments wondering if you need to have pre-ordered Monster Hunter Wilds to access the Open Beta Test,” Capcom posted. “The answer is no, no pre-order is needed to play!”
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It’s not too farfetched to assume that a preorder might be necessary to play this beta version of the game. In recent years, early access periods are commonly gated behind a pre-purchase.
We’ve seen it in games like Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, Diablo 4, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. The purpose of Monster Hunter Wilds open beta however is to secure pre-orders, not reward them.
The beta launches on Monday, October 28, at 8:00 PM PT for PlayStation players with a PlayStation Plus account. For everyone else, it begins on Thursday, October 31, at 8:00 PM PT.
It’s a limited-time event that ends on Sunday, November 3, at 6:59 PM PT, and, once more, it won’t require a pre-order to access. “If you’d like to pre-order after playing the Open Beta Test, that’d be cool,” Capcom added as a caveat to their post.