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As pre-order culture swells, Monster Hunter Wilds reminds players the upcoming beta really is free: 'No pre-order is needed to play!'
Monster Hunter Wilds' open beta is free for everyone on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC starting October 31, with early access for PS Plus subscribers on PS5. While pre-ordering isn't required to play the beta, Capcom offers exclusive armor cosmetics and a talisman for those who do.
Pre-order bonuses nowadays aren't quite as aggressive as they used to be - anyone remember the silly Deus Ex: Mankind Divided tiers? - but everything from exclusive cosmetics to early access entry are still used to lure excited players into buying the game before release. So, the Monster Hunter Wilds team has had to remind folks once again that, yes, the upcoming beta is really, really free.
Capcom had already announced that its upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds beta wouldn't be paywalled behind pre-orders, but it seems like not enough people got the memo, and I wouldn't blame them since even the likes of this year's Concord and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 had betas exclusively for pre-orderers.
"Hunters, we've seen some comments wondering if you need to have pre-ordered Monster Hunter Wilds to access the Open Beta Test," the game's social media account tweeted. "The answer is no, no pre-order is needed to play! However, if you'd like to pre-order after playing the Open Beta Test, that'd be cool!" Probably the most polite pre-order request I've ever seen.
That open beta will be available to everyone on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC starting from October 31 until November 3 - check out the full details here - and PlayStation Plus subscribers get to enjoy the test a little early on PS5 as the beta will go live tomorrow on October 28 at 8pm PT / October 29 at 3am GMT.
If you'd like to pre-order the big-beast-basher anyway, Capcom has thrown some goodies into the mix. None of the extras are, ahem, wild enough to place among the most baffling pre-order bonuses ever, but an exclusive armor cosmetic and an in-game talisman are nice enough.