During Sony's State of Play this past week, Capcom announced a February 28, 2025 release date for Monster Hunter Wilds, while opening up pre-orders for the next installment in the action RPG franchise. The release date was announced alongside a new trailer that provides a swath of details regarding the title's flagship monster, Arkveld.
Like other games in the series, players take on the role of a customizable Hunter character who travels to the "Forbidden Lands" in order to locate a missing expedition party. Monster Hunter Wilds features a large open-world environment with several biomes that players are free to explore and seamlessly move between. Of course, on their journey, they'll come across all sorts of dangerous monsters. In the latest trailer, Capcom provided a more in-depth story synopsis, which reads:
The mysterious monster Arkveld hails from a species long thought to be extinct, and bears uniquely shaped, chain-like wings. After rescuing the young boy Nata on the border of the Forbidden Lands, the Hunter’s Guild gathers its resources and forms the Forbidden Lands Research Commission to investigate the mysterious “White Wraith” that attacked Nata’s home. In order to properly explore the Forbidden Lands, the Research Commission dispatches multiple units to the area. These include the Avis Unit made up of Alma, Gemma, the player’s Hunter, and their Palico, as well as the Astrum unit, which includes the veteran hunter Olivia, who can join players as a Support Hunter, alongside her Palico Athos, the biologist Erik, and Werner the engineer.
The trailer also gives us a look at the environmental changes the Scarlet Forest experiences as it goes through its periods of Fallow, Inclemency, and Plenty alongside the various lifeforms that reside in this region.
During the Fallow, the Scarlet Forest is defined by the distinctive red-tinted rivers for which it’s named coursing through dense vegetation. Times of Inclemency cause a chaotic Downpour that drastically reduces visibility and leads to surging water levels and raging currents. After the storm breaks, the Plenty gives rise to a colorful ecosystem teeming with monsters, plant life, and sun dappled streams that reflect the vibrant blue of the clear sky. These clear waters allow visiting hunters to easily engage in the relaxing pastime of fishing or explore the region’s abundant waters and rubble by swinging from nearby Wedge Beetles or riding on the backs of their trusty Seikret mount. As they explore, hunters may even encounter the local tribe of Lynians, known as Wudwuds, who have successfully adapted their lives and hideout to suit the ever-changing environment.
This sort of ever-changing environment was showcased in a previous trailer when we got to see Windward Plains in its various stages of Fallow and Inclemency. In Windward Plains, Inclemency is a rolling sandstorm with thunder known as the Sandtide, and it's when players have a chance to see the locale's apex predator, the Flying Wyvern.
In Scarlet Forest, you'll find the leviathan monster Uth Duna, which surfaces during the Inclemency as well. This apex predator cloaks itself in a veil of water using ponderous secretions from its body.
The hunt begins when Monster Hunter Wilds launches on February 28, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The game is available for pre-order with the following options:
- Standard Edition ($69.99)
- Deluxe Edition ($89.99): Features the base game and Deluxe Pack, which includes a variety of cosmetic DLC such as Hunter Layered Armor and sticker sets
- Premium Deluxe ($109.99): Includes everything in the Deluxe Edition plus a Premium Bonus available upon launch, a Cosmetic DLC Pack 1 coming in Spring 2025, and a Cosmetic DLC pack 2 planned for Summer 2025
Pre-ordering any edition of the game will get you the bonus Guild Knight Set hunter layered armor and Hop Charm Talisman. Anyone who pre-orders through the PlayStation Store will also receive a Digital Mini Art Book.