When does Monster Hunter Wilds release? Launch times & how to preload

Monster Hunter Wilds is the follow-up to the massive Monster Hunter World, bringing tons of beasts, weapons, and adventures to eager hunters.

Thankfully, Monster Hunter Wilds will soon let players dive into the Forbidden Lands, but what time will you be able to play?

Capcom has released a helpful map showing the launch times of Monster Hunter Wilds in every time zone. So, here’s exactly when you can load into the adventure, and how to preload it beforehand.

Monster Hunter Wilds release times in all regions

Monster Hunter Wilds releases on February 28, 2025, but if you’re in Los Angeles or Mexico, you can play on February 27 thanks to the time difference.

Monster Hunter Wilds releases on consoles at midnight local time except for the west coast of America who get to jump in at 9 PM PT – the same time as those on the east coast. The PC release is at the same time worldwide. For example, it releases at midnight in New York and 5 AM in London.

PC launch times

• Los Angeles: 9 PM PT (February 27)
• Mexico City: 11 PM CST (February 27)
• Toronto: 12 AM ET
• New York: 12 AM ET
• São Paulo: 2 AM BRT
• London: 5 AM GMT
• Paris: 6 AM CET
• Helsinki: 7 AM ET
• Riyadh: 8 AM AST
• Seoul: 2 PM KST
• Tokyo: 2 PM JST
• Auckland: 6 PM NZDT

Console launch times

• Los Angeles: 9 PM PT (February 27)
• Mexico City: 12 AM CST
• Toronto: 12 AM ET
• New York: 12 AM ET
• São Paulo: 12 AM BRT
• London: 12 AM GMT
• Paris: 12 AM CET
• Helsinki: 12 AM EET
• Riyadh: 12 AM AST
• Seoul: 12 AM KST
• Tokyo: 12 AM JST
• Auckland: 12 AM NZDT

Monster Hunter Wilds New Zealand trick

Since Monster Hunter Wilds is now out in New Zealand on consoles, those from everywhere else in the world can use the New Zealand trick to play early.

This only works on Xbox, but if you change your console’s region to New Zealand, you can play right now. Here’s how:

1. Pre-order Monster Hunter Wilds.
2. Head into your Xbox Series X|S’s settings.
3. Scroll down to System.
4. Select ‘Language and Location.’
5. Hit ‘Location’ and change it to New Zealand.
6. Click ‘Restart Now’ to reboot your console so the change takes effect.

How to preload

You can preload Monster Hunter Wilds now, here’s what you need to do:

1. Pre-order a digital copy of the game on your preferred platform.
2. Select Monster Hunter Wilds and press download.
3. Once the download is complete, wait for the game to install.

Download file size

Monster Hunter Wilds is around 53 GB on consoles and 60 GB on PC. If you’ve bought a physical copy, there will be another 15 GB update to play online.

Monster Hunter Wilds is set to be a vast game, eclipsing even World and MH: Rise, so get ready to spend many hours exploring and hunting its dangerous and toothy megafauna!