Big Preview: Monster Hunter Wilds – Exclusive access and hands-on impressions of Capcom's most ambitious entry yet

Preparing an expedition back at base camp for our Monster Hunter Wilds Big Preview

(Image credit: Capcom)

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The Big Preview
The video
The interview
Guides

Monster Hunter Wilds might be one of the biggest releases of 2025, and we mean that in more ways than one. The landmark action RPG that has players crafting builds as they takedown massive beasties is always ambitious with each new entry, and Wilds features impressively big foes, big areas, and what's sure to be a big hour count. We've collectively spent thousands of hours on the hunt on the team across each entry, so we couldn't say no to jet-setting across the sea to visit where the monster magic happens in Osaka, Japan.

Key info

Release date: February 28, 2025
Developer: In-house
Publisher: Capcom
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X

Previous hands-on sessions of Monster Hunter Wilds have impressed us, but our time playing the game alongside the developers at Capcom have taken it to the next level. They've seriously been putting in the work to improve it further each time, and frankly, we're blown away not just by the scope of Monster Hunter Wilds' ambitions, but how readily Capcom is stepping up to the plate to meet it. With over five hours more spent with this new build, and time chatting with the creatives putting it all together, we've learned loads more about what will likely end up our most-played game of next year. It's a beast.

Keep reading to start tracking our Monster Hunter Wilds Big Preview, which is your place to get to grips the biggest and most anticipated new games of 2024.

Monster Hunter Wilds: The Big Preview

The spider-like Lala Barina approaches our hunter for our Monster Hunter Wilds Big Preview — (Image credit: Capcom)

I spent 5 hours with a new build of Monster Hunter Wilds and it solved basically every problem I had after playing the beta – now this really feels like Monster Hunter World 2: Those who have been craving a new game in the series to evolve on Monster Hunter World's ambitions need look no further: this is it. While we loved Monster Hunter Rise, this is a different beast entirely, pushing the series forward in new and exciting ways. Quite simply put, it feels thrilling to play, and Capcom have come a long way compared to previous hands-on sessions.

The video

After hours with the new Monster Hunter Wilds build, we already want hundreds more: Again, we came away from our latest play session in Osaka thrilled at how well the game is coming together, making huge strides from its recent open beta, which we had a few quibbles with. Almost as if Capcom took a peek inside our secret diaries (or, I guess, just read our Monster Hunter Wilds beta preview), these have been handily addressed. Thanks to all of its new features, Monster Hunter Wilds is even looking like a great on-boarding point for new players too.

The interview

Attempting to hunt the Quematrice for our Monster Hunter Wilds Big Preview as flames rage — (Image credit: Capcom)

Monster Hunter Wilds hitstop feels way better in the non-beta build, and the game's director was happy to juice it back up after overseas players apparently hated it in World: We got a chance to sit down with Monster Hunter Wilds director Yuya Tokuda when visiting the studio in Japan, telling us plenty about the development of the latest in the series, and the way hitstops were handled proved to be a standout topic. "When Monster Hunter World was released, many of the users from overseas commented that the hitstop was way too hard," Tokuda begins, discussing more about the way things have changed this time around.

Your Guide to Monster Hunter Wilds

A hunter swings into the big blue for our Monster Hunter Wilds Big Preview — (Image credit: Capcom)

Thank you for reading our Big Preview on Monster Hunter Wilds, where we've unpacked one of the biggest action-RPGs of 2025. Be sure to stick with 12DOVE in the months ahead as we cover the game ahead of its release on February 28, 2025.