Monster Hunter Wilds release date speculation, beta, and gameplay
The Monster Hunter series is an iconic one, with its mainline games spanning multiple decades and platforms, and bringing challenging yet enthralling, fantasy-themed battles to hunters across the world. Now, it looks like the hunt is coming to the small screen, as we charge towards the long-awaited Monster Hunter Outlanders release date.
Unlike the previous mobile Monster Hunter game, Monster Hunter Now, MHO sets out to replicate the experience of a full-fat, mainline entry, with producer Dong Huang stating “it’s time for mobile players to fully enjoy what makes Monster Hunter one of the most beloved franchises in gaming” with “an authentic hunting experience”. Sounds good, right? Well, grab your pals and palicos, as we gather all the info you need right here.
Here’s everything we know about Monster Hunter Outlanders:
Monster Hunter Outlanders release date speculation
Currently, TiMi Studios hasn’t confirmed a MHO release date. However, with the beta that took place from November to December 2025 looking quite polished, we think it’s likely that we’ll at least get more solid information by the end of 2026, with a 2027 release at the latest.
TiMi Studio first revealed the game towards the end of 2024, and it was already looking quite developed back then, but has since seen the addition of a lot of new content and features. Now, according to a Developer Update following the beta, “the development team is working tirelessly to deliver the full release as soon as possible”, with the current focus being on improving the hunting experience, performance, and other areas that the beta feedback highlighted.
When’s the Monster Hunter Outlanders beta?
The first MHO beta was a closed test on both Android and iOS that ran from Thursday, November 27, until Thursday, December 4, 2025, in Japan, Canada, and the USA. Unfortunately, this beta test window is now over, and TiMi Studio has yet to announce another.
We think it’s likely that we’ll see a global beta test sometime in 2026, once the development team has worked on some of the fixes and improvements highlighted in the aforementioned Developer Update, and we’ll be sure to update this guide if and when we hear more. In the meantime, you can check out the Closed Beta Information post and the Closed Beta FAQ on the official website to learn more about this test, or check out the Adventurer’s Digest video above to see the team’s reaction to the beta feedback.
Can I sign up for Monster Hunter Outlanders pre-registrations?
While you can’t currently pre-register for MHO on Google Play or the App Store, you can sign up for updates on the Monster Hunter Outlanders website. Simply head to the official website here, then click the ‘sign up now’ button and enter your email address.
This ensures that you’ll stay in the loop with all the latest MHO news and updates, including future test announcements. Additionally, you can follow MHO’s official channels on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, or join the Discord channel to keep on top of any developments surrounding this new Monster Hunter game.
What’s the Monster Hunter Outlanders gameplay like?
Monster Hunter Outlanders is a mobile ARPG that sets out to emulate the same experience as a mainline Monster Hunter game. As the name suggests, you set out on hunts, either solo or in a squad of up to four players, with the sole focus of taking down one or more target monsters.
As with other games in the series, you have a selection of different Monster Hunter Outlanders weapons to choose from, each of which offers a very different playstyle and experience. And, as you can see from our guide to all the currently confirmed Monster Hunter Outlanders monsters, you can also expect a host of familiar foes to pop up, along with a few new variants.
The main feature that stands out as different here is the list of Monster Hunter Outlanders characters. While you can still create your own customizable hunter, unlike previous games in the series, you can also step into the shoes of several different, unique adventurers. These adventurers specialize in different weapons and appear to have ties to specific monsters, with aesthetics and armor based on that monster.
In a Discord call with TiMi Studio in the lead-up to Monster Hunter Outlanders’ TGS appearance, the team informed us that you’ll be able to “obtain new adventurers for free by playing and through daily challenges”, though “there will also be the option to pay for new adventurers.” As such, it sounds like this won’t be a gacha game, but will feature a roster of obtainable (and purchasable) characters that you can fight as or alongside.
