Monster Hunter Wilds launched worldwide on February 28, 2025. Steam unlocked everywhere at one simultaneous time—9:00 p.m. Pacific on February 27, or 5:00 a.m. GMT on February 28—while console editions unlocked at midnight local time in the regions shown on Capcom’s launch map. The launch has passed; these are the historical release times.
When did Monster Hunter Wilds release?
Capcom announced February 28, 2025, as the worldwide release date for Monster Hunter Wilds. The game launched for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Capcom’s product information also describes crossplay as allowing players to play together regardless of platform. Capcom’s release announcement
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What time did it unlock on Steam and consoles?
Steam used a single worldwide unlock rather than a midnight release in every time zone: 9:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Thursday, February 27, which was 5:00 a.m. GMT on Friday, February 28. Capcom’s official Steam announcement gives both times. Capcom Community Team’s Steam announcement, January 8, 2025
The Tool Desk
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#1 Best Overall
- Wild New Adventure – Monster Hunter Wilds follows the story of a special Research Commission investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the hunter is joined in their journey by a colorful cast of characters, including a Palico partner, Guild-appointed Handler Alma, trusty smithy Gemma, and the mysterious child Nata. Together, the team ventures into an unexplored new frontier where surprises await around every corner.
- A Living World – The Forbidden Lands spans multiple biomes with dynamic identities, such as the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, where the ecosystems shift between vibrant seasons brimming with life, and unforgiving climates where monsters fight over limited resources. Changes in the landscape will impact the creatures that live there and push hunters to adapt as well.
- New Monsters and Wildlife – Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors.
- Players can also now ride atop the Seikret, an agile new mount enabling hunters to traverse difficult terrain, perform actions like sharpening weapons on the move, and switch between two weapons while out on hunts!
- Evolved Hunting Action – The series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever! Hunters can look forward to tracking down monsters with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. The action also now flows seamlessly from cutscenes to gameplay, resulting in a new level of immersion.
Regional launch-time examples
These examples show how the console midnight schedule differed from Steam’s simultaneous release. Times and dates below reflect the published 2025 launch schedule.
| Region | Console release | Steam release |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, USA — Thursday, February 27 | 9:00 p.m. PST | 9:00 p.m. PST |
| New York, USA — Friday, February 28 | 12:00 a.m. EST | 12:00 a.m. EST |
| London, UK — Friday, February 28 | 12:00 a.m. GMT | 5:00 a.m. GMT |
| Paris, France — Friday, February 28 | 12:00 a.m. CET | 6:00 a.m. CET |
| Tokyo, Japan — Friday, February 28 | 12:00 a.m. JST | 2:00 p.m. JST |
| Auckland, New Zealand — Friday, February 28 | 12:00 a.m. NZDT | 6:00 p.m. NZDT |
Regional console and PC examples are from Windows Central’s reproduction of the Capcom launch map. Capcom’s Steam notice is the primary confirmation of the worldwide PC unlock.
When did preloading begin?
Capcom’s Steam announcement said pre-downloads began Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 9:00 p.m. PT, or Wednesday, February 26, at 5:00 a.m. GMT. Capcom’s Steam launch and preload announcement
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Windows Central reported that PS5 preloading began 48 hours before launch in each region, while Xbox Series X|S and PC/Steam preloads began globally on February 25. The Steam announcement independently verifies the Steam preload time. Windows Central’s launch schedule report
Rank #3
- Wild New Adventure – Monster Hunter Wilds follows the story of a special Research Commission investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the hunter is joined in their journey by a colorful cast of characters, including a Palico partner, Guild-appointed Handler Alma, trusty smithy Gemma, and the mysterious child Nata. Together, the team ventures into an unexplored new frontier where surprises await around every corner.
- A Living World – The Forbidden Lands spans multiple biomes with dynamic identities, such as the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, where the ecosystems shift between vibrant seasons brimming with life, and unforgiving climates where monsters fight over limited resources. Changes in the landscape will impact the creatures that live there and push hunters to adapt as well.
- New Monsters and Wildlife – Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors.
- Evolved Hunting Action – The series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever! Hunters can look forward to tracking down monsters with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. The action also now flows seamlessly from cutscenes to gameplay, resulting in a new level of immersion.
- Crossplay Multiplayer – Alongside the option to enjoy the story of Monster Hunter Wilds solo, hunters can join up to three other players across any platform to explore the world together and take on the game’s challenges as a hunting party or receive aid from notable story characters as Support Hunter NPCs.
The launch is in the past
There is no upcoming unlock to wait for: the February 2025 launch has passed. Capcom reported on March 31, 2025, that worldwide sales surpassed 10 million units during the game’s first month. Capcom’s first-month sales announcement
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Wild New Adventure – Monster Hunter Wilds follows the story of a special Research Commission investigating the Forbidden Lands. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the hunter is joined in their journey by a colorful cast of characters, including a Palico partner, Guild-appointed Handler Alma, trusty smithy Gemma, and the mysterious child Nata. Together, the team ventures into an unexplored new frontier where surprises await around every corner.
- A Living World – The Forbidden Lands spans multiple biomes with dynamic identities, such as the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, where the ecosystems shift between vibrant seasons brimming with life, and unforgiving climates where monsters fight over limited resources. Changes in the landscape will impact the creatures that live there and push hunters to adapt as well.
- New Monsters and Wildlife – Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors.
- Evolved Hunting Action – The series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever! Hunters can look forward to tracking down monsters with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. The action also now flows seamlessly from cutscenes to gameplay, resulting in a new level of immersion.
- Crossplay Multiplayer – Alongside the option to enjoy the story of Monster Hunter Wilds solo, hunters can join up to three other players across any platform to explore the world together and take on the game’s challenges as a hunting party or receive aid from notable story characters as Support Hunter NPCs.
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