PlayStation Plus gamers surprised with bonus free RPG

Well, this is an unexpected surprise.

If Monster Hunter Wilds is one of your most anticipated games of next year, then you’re going to want to pay attention to what I’m about to say next.

An open beta test has been announced for the game and while it’s available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam, it’s PlayStation users who are being dealt the best hand.

If you happen to be a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can actually participate in the open beta several days before anybody else.

That’s right. Capcom has revealed that PlayStation 5 users with an active PlayStation Plus subscription will benefit from early access.

The early access open beta will kick off on Monday 28 October at 8pm PT, ending on Wednesday 30 October at 7.59pm PT.

Or, if you’re in the UK, that’s Tuesday 29 October at 3am GMT to Thursday 31 October at 2.59am GMT.

You’ll still be able to carry on playing beyond that, but it’s at this point that the beta opens to other platforms.

Take a look at Monster Hunter Wilds in action below.

The general access beta - which does not require a PlayStation Plus nor Game Pass subscription - for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam users, runs from Thursday 31 October at 8pm PT to Sunday 3 November at 6.59pm PT.

Again, if you’re in the UK, that equates to Friday 1 November at 3am GMT to Monday 4 November at 2.59am GMT.

This is a nice early treat as Monster Hunter Wilds isn’t set to land until 28 February 2025.

All in all, it’s shaping up very well.

The game was previewable, both by media and public, at this year’s Gamescom.

ScreenRant wrote, “The entire experience was so involved and intense. I immediately wanted to play more, the same way that downing a boss in a difficult Soulslike makes you feel like you can take on the rest of the game. If Monster Hunter Wilds can capture that feeling in its ever-shifting environment, which will feature dynamic weather and what appears to be its most busy map yet, it will no doubt be one of the top contenders for 2025's game of the year.”

IGN added, “From what I did see, Wilds is shaping up to be pretty much what I hoped for: a Monster Hunter that embraces the parts of Rise that made it so much more inviting, but also doesn’t shy away from the larger scale and spectacle that helped make World the more enduring entry for me.”

It sounds as if that open beta isn’t one to miss.