- Special desert palico costume: unlocked if you help 10 other players complete quests via multiplayer, this cute cactus-themed outfit for your cat companion is only available for beta 2 players
Gameplay Tweaks You Need to Adjust to Right Away
There are a lot of small, unannounced changes in this beta that Capcom didn’t list in the official patch notes, and learning them early will make your hunts way smoother. The first big one is the reworked stamina system: you no longer lose stamina when you walk while your weapon is drawn, which is a huge quality of life change for heavy weapon users. I main greatsword, and I used to spend half my hunt sheathing and unsheathing my weapon to save stamina, but now I can walk around with it drawn waiting for a monster to make a move without wasting any energy.
The new desert map also has environmental traps you can trigger to turn the tide of a fight. If you hit the large crystal formations scattered around the dunes, you’ll trigger a localized sandstorm that disorients any large monster caught inside. 30% attack speed reduction from sandstorm traps lasts for 90 seconds, which is more than enough time to land a full combo or set up a trap to capture the monster. But be careful: if you get caught in the sandstorm too, your visibility drops by 70%, so you need to position yourself on the edge of the storm before triggering it.
Palamute mounts also got a major rework. You can now use any item while riding your mount, including potions, traps, and even attack items like bombs. I kept stopping to chug mega potions during my first few hunts out of habit, until I realized I could drink them while galloping after a fleeing Rathian, which saved me from fainting at least three times. You can also jump straight from your mount into a weapon attack, which lets you start a fight with a powerful opening combo before the monster even notices you.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Monster Hunter Wilds Open Beta 2
Even veteran Monster Hunter players are falling for these common mistakes in the beta, so avoiding them will make your playtime way less frustrating. The first big one is ignoring the new traversal tool. A lot of players who are used to Rise’s wirebug or World’s slinger stick to running or riding their palamute everywhere, but the new swing tool lets you cross the map twice as fast as a palamute, and you can use it to climb straight up steep cliffs without wasting stamina. It takes 10 minutes to get used to the controls, but it’s worth the effort.
Another common mistake is hoarding items. All items are automatically refilled after every quest, so you can use as many traps, bombs, and potions as you want without worrying about running out. I’ve seen so many players skip using traps because they’re used to saving them for tough fights in the full game, but you can use 10 traps per quest if you want, they’ll all be back in your inventory the second you return to the hub.
Don’t skip multiplayer, either. Cross-play works almost flawlessly in this beta, and hunting with other players cuts quest time by almost half, plus it’s the only way to earn the exclusive palico costume. If you’re new to Monster Hunter, join lower difficulty quests first to get used to the controls before jumping into the 5 star elder dragon fight. It’s way harder than any monster in Rise’s base game, and going in alone without practice will almost always end with you fainting three times and failing the quest.
The beta is only running for a short window, so don’t stress about completing every single piece of content if you don’t have time. Even if you only play for a couple of hours, you can unlock the layered armor set and test out the new weapons to see what you want to main when the full game launches. Whether you’re a veteran hunter or trying the series for the first time, Monster Hunter Wilds Open Beta 2 is the perfect chance to test out the next entry in the franchise before launch, and earn exclusive rewards you can’t get anywhere else. I’m already planning to spend the rest of the beta weekend grinding for that palico costume, so I might see you in a quest lobby sometime. Happy hunting.