Monster Hunter fans will soon be able to explore the Forbidden Lands. While Capcom's latest adventure, Monster Hunter Wilds, doesn't release until next year, the developer announced plans to host an open beta test for the game next week.
Announced during the Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase, the Open Beta Test will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam with cross-play supported across all platforms. The test will include three separate experiences from the full game: the complete character creation tool with character creation data that will be transferable to the full game upon release, a Story Trial, and the free-roaming Doshaguma Hunt.
In the Story Trial, players can experience the opening cutscene of the game along with basic tutorials while hunting a Chatacabra, while in the Doshaguma Hunt, players can pursue the Alpha of a Doshaguma pack or explore the Windward Plains. Both the Story Trial and Doshaguma Hunt can be experienced solo, or players can use an SOS flare to create a party of up to four players online or call in assistance from NPC Support Hunters.
The Monster Hunter Wilds Open Beta Test will first be available through PlayStation Plus Early Access, beginning October 28th at 8:00 p.m. PT and running until October 30th at 7:59 p.m. PT. Non-Playstation Plus subscribers can begin playing along with Xbox Series X|S and PC players from October 31st at 8:00 p.m. through November 3rd at 6:59 p.m. PT.
In addition to the Open Beta test, this week's Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase also included a new trailer for the action RPG. The new footage takes us to the Oilwell Basic ecosystem, the third locale in the Forbidden Lands. This dangerous territory is defined by the bubbling oil wells for which it is named and is known to erupt into raging flames during a period of Inclemency known as the Firespring.
The trailer showcases reveals the Brute Wyvern Rompopolo that roams the areas blanketed in a deep oil silt. The Brute Wyvern Rompopolo expels a toxic gas from its tongue, weakening its prey before using its tail to inject gas into the tar blanketing the ground and causing bubbling eruptions.
"Rompopolo often finds itself battling for territory against roaming Ajarakan, another previously unseen monster that calls this region home," Capcom detailed. "This red-hot Fanged Beast rubs its thick shell to cover itself in a sweltering armor."
That's not the only threat you'll come across in the Oilwell Basin. Lurking deep beneath the basin is a mysterious monster known to the locals in the craftsman village of Azuz as the "Black Flame."
Monster Hunter Wilds is slated to release on February 28, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. All of the pre-order information can be read here.