Monster Hunter Wilds’s open beta 2 provides another opportunity to test the next of Capcom’s action role-playing series before its launch later this month.
While previously there was a staggered rollout starting with PS5 owners, this time all platforms can play from the off, and for those who can’t play over the first set of dates, you can jump into a second test weekend one week later. In other words — this open beta just became more open.
For those who did check into the first beta, there’s an additional monster to hunt and new set of beta rewards as an incentive to revisit.
Here’s how to access the second Monster Hunter Wilds open beta on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC, including start and end times, as well as how it all works.
Monster Hunter Wilds beta 2 dates
The second Monster Hunter Wilds’s open beta takes place across two weekends in early February, and unlike the first test, is available on all platforms right away.
The Monster Hunter Wilds beta 2 dates in North America are as follows:
- Thursday, Feb. 6, to Sunday, Feb. 9
- Thursday, Feb. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 16
Since it’s a global launch, for those in Europe and Japan, add a day to the start and end dates listed above, and/or use the following times to know exactly when you can start playing in your region.
Monster Hunter Wilds beta 2 start time in your time zone
The second Monster Hunter Wilds open beta starts at the following times in your time zone:
- 7 p.m. PST for the west coast of North America (on Thursday, Feb. 6)
- 10 p.m. EST for the east coast of North America (on Thursday, Feb. 6)
- 4 a.m. CET for western Europe/Paris (the following day on Friday, Feb. 7)
- 3 a.m. GMT for the U.K. (the following day on Friday, Feb. 7)
- 12 p.m. JST in Japan/Tokyo (the following day on Friday, Feb. 7)
The above times are also when each period will end — so for those in North America, it’ll end on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. PST / 10 p.m. EST.
For those planning around the second weekend, the same times apply on Thursday, Feb. 13, in North America.
As with all betas, be patient when encountering any possible server issues, and also be aware what’s in the test may not be fully representative of the full game, something Capcom itself has been open about.
“Our entire development team is hard at work reviewing your valuable feedback and focusing on improving the full version of the game,” read a statement. “However, please bear in mind that these improvements, including performance, game balance, weapon mechanics, known issues and more will not be reflected in the OBT 2 build.”
How to access Monster Hunter Wilds’s open beta on PS5, Xbox, and PC
The start of the Monster Hunter Wilds’s open beta is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. On console, a subscription to PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass is not necessary.
You don’t need a pre-order, sign-up, or beta key to get access — simply head to your platform’s storefront and download the open beta client.
A pre-load will be available 24 hours ahead of each platform’s start time, meaning you can start playing as soon as the test begins.
What’s featured in the second Monster Hunter Wilds open beta?
The Monster Hunter Wilds open beta will feature the following:
- Opening of the story, including the opening Chatacabra tutorial hunt
- The Doshaguma hunt encounter
- The Gypceros hunt encounter (new to the second beta)
- The character and palico creator, which can be taken forward to the full game
- Multiplayer support through SOS flares, which works cross-platform
You can read more about this opening few hours of the game with our hands-on preview that made Polygon’s own Michael McWhertor “a believer in its ecosystem.” As well as the above, there are also rewards to unlock…
Monster Hunter Wilds second open beta rewards
By participating in the second open beta for Monster Hunter Wilds, you’ll claim two rewards to take into the full game upon release:
- “Stuffed Felyne Teddy” Pendant (cosmetic item — same reward as from the first open beta)
- Open Beta Test 2 Bonus Item Pack (featuring 10 Raw Meat, 3 Shock Trap, 3 Pitball Trap, 10 Tranq Bomb, 3 Large Barrel Bomb, 5 Armor Sphere, 10 Flash Pod, and 10 Large Dung Pod)
The requirement for unlocking these is simply creating a character, which is then imported into the full game — so provided you do that, regardless of how much you then play, the above rewards are yours. As such, an online connection is required for these elements to carry over.
If you played the first open beta, then you’ll also receive another bonus item pack when you start playing the full game.
