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 trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
(Image credit: Capcom)

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. 

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.

After 10 years, Monster Hunter Wilds will expand on one of the coolest and rarest monster types in the series. 

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.