If you’re a long-time Monster Hunter fan who’s been refreshing Capcom’s news page for years, you already know the open beta test Monster Hunter Wilds is one of the most anticipated pre-launch events for the franchise in the last decade. Unlike past beta tests that only offered 2 or 3 low-rank hunts, this one is packed with content that even carries over to the full game if you meet certain milestones. I’ve put 12 hours into the open beta test Monster Hunter Wilds so far, and I’ve made all the mistakes so you don’t have to, from blowing all your consumables on a weak Great Jagras to forgetting to set up your radial menu before a 4-player co-op hunt.
What Content Is Included in the Open Beta Test Monster Hunter Wilds?
If you’re worried you’ll run out of things to do in the two-week test window, don’t be. The open beta test Monster Hunter Wilds runs for two full weeks, so you have plenty of time to unlock all the carryover rewards even if you only play a few hours a day. You get full access to the first two regions of the game’s map, the sun-scorched Blazing Steppe and the mist-shrouded Ancient Rainforest, each with their own unique monsters, environmental hazards, and hidden collectibles. 3 playable hunt ranks are available: low rank for new players, mid rank for players who have experience with past Monster Hunter games, and high rank for veteran players looking for a real challenge. 11 unique monsters are available to hunt, including fan favorites like Rathalos and Anjanath, plus three brand new monsters that have never appeared in any other Monster Hunter title before. The best part? A number of rewards you earn in the beta carry over directly to the full game when it launches, so you’re not just wasting time playing early.
- The Beta Pioneer layered armor set for all 14 weapon types, unlocked by clearing 5 high-rank hunts
- A permanent head start of 5 extra inventory slots, unlocked by collecting 10 different monster materials
- Exclusive beta title cards that show off your early participation, unlocked by beating the beta’s secret elder dragon hunt
You don’t have to grind all these rewards in one sitting either. The beta saves your progress even if you log off and come back a week later, so you can take your time working through each hunt at your own pace.
How to Optimize Your Loadout Before Your First Beta Hunt
It’s tempting to jump straight into your first hunt as soon as you create your character, but spending 10 minutes setting up your loadout will save you hours of frustration later. First, head to the training area to test out all 14 weapon types, even if you’ve mained one weapon for the last three Monster Hunter games. Every weapon has at least two new moves in Wilds, and some like the longsword and hunting horn have had complete overhauls to their core mechanics. The open beta test Monster Hunter Wilds lets you swap your loadout for free at any camp, so you can test different weapons as much as you want without penalty.
Customize your radial menu before every hunt to put your most used items like potions, traps, and dung pods within one click. I spent my first two hunts fumbling through the item menu to find a shock trap, and by the time I pulled it out the Anjanath had already downed two of my teammates. Don’t make that mistake. You also don’t need to hoard consumables in the beta. The camp gives you unlimited free restocks of all basic items, so you can bring as many potions, traps, and buffs as you want without worrying about wasting resources. If you’re playing a support role, stock up on life powders and armor skins to keep your whole team alive during tough high-rank hunts.
Co-Op Play Tips for the Wilds Beta
One of the biggest draws of the open beta test Monster Hunter Wilds is the full cross-play support across all platforms, so you can team up with friends no matter if they play on PC, PlayStation, or Xbox. Before you join a public co-op hunt, there are a few rules you should follow to make the experience fun for everyone. First, 4-player hunts scale monster health by 2.6x, so you don’t want to bring four players all using heavy weapons like the greatsword that have long windup times. Mixing roles makes hunts far faster and smoother.
Assign roles before you launch a hunt if you’re playing with a pre-made group: one person uses a status weapon for paralysis and sleep, one brings support items to heal the team, one uses a fast weapon to mount the monster and knock it over, and one uses a heavy damage weapon to deal burst damage when the monster is stunned. If you’re joining a public hunt, always check the hunt description first. Some groups are specifically farming for a certain material, so they might ask that you don’t carve the monster before everyone gets their kill credit. Also, don’t join a high-rank hunt if you’ve only ever played low rank, unless the host explicitly says they’re okay with new players. There’s no shame in sticking to lower ranks until you get the hang of the new mechanics.
Common Beta Mistakes to Avoid Wasting Your Play Time
I’ve put 12 hours into the beta so far, and I’ve made almost every mistake you can think of, so I know exactly what pitfalls to warn you about. First, don’t skip the traversal mechanics tutorial when you first log in. Wilds has a brand new glider system and rideable small monsters that let you cross the huge map far faster than running on foot. Mastering the glider lets you cut travel time across the map by 70%, so spending two minutes learning how to use it properly will save you so much time running between hunts. The open beta test Monster Hunter Wilds has a lot of new systems to learn, so it’s okay to take it slow.
Second, don’t ignore the new environmental interaction prompts. You can knock over giant trees to stun monsters, trigger landslides that deal huge damage, and even lure monsters into rival monster territories to make them fight each other. On my first Rathalos hunt, I triggered a wildfire that dealt 20% of the Rathalos’ health for me, so I didn’t have to spend 10 extra minutes whittling it down. Third, don’t forget to claim your daily beta rewards. Every day you log in, you get free items like rare attack buffs and exclusive beta cosmetics, and you can only claim them once per day. I missed the first day’s reward because I didn’t check the notice board, and now I’m missing a rare title card that I can’t get back. Finally, don’t stress too much about getting perfect hunts. The beta is for testing, so it’s okay if you cart a few times while you learn the new monster attack patterns.
At the end of the day, the open beta test Monster Hunter Wilds is designed to let you have fun and get familiar with the game’s new systems before launch, so don’t stress too much about clearing every piece of content in your first session. Take time to experiment with weapons, mess around with the new traversal tools, and team up with other hunters to take down the bigger monsters. Any progress you make now will give you a solid leg up when the full game drops, so log in and start hunting when you get the chance. Even if you’ve never played a Monster Hunter game before, the open beta test Monster Hunter Wilds is a great place to start, with plenty of tutorials to walk you through the basics.