Hi, I’m Yuya Tokuda and I’m the director of Monster Hunter: World. Speaking on behalf of the whole development team, I’m delighted to be able to bring the beta test of Monster Hunter: World to PS Plus Members worldwide on Saturday, December 9. This is the first time we’ve released a Monster Hunter game in all regions simultaneously, and also the first time the online multiplayer servers have supported global matchmaking, so it truly is the most worldwide Monster Hunter game yet. That’s why we decided to release a beta in order to stress test the servers.

I hope you enjoy the selection of quests we’ve included in the beta and get the most out of it while it’s available. By playing the beta and enjoying the hunting action of Monster Hunter: World, you’ll also be helping us out a lot! A huge, living, breathing world of thrilling action awaits you.

Today I’m going to explain what’s in the beta and how the get the most out of it, especially if you’re a newcomer to Monster Hunter and aren’t sure how to get into the game. Don’t worry, you’ll love it!

The story begins…

While the beta features several quests, the main game has an engaging storyline for you to follow. You’ll embark on a mission to the New World, a newly discovered continent, and join an expedition to discover more about this mysterious land. This is actually the fifth time a research party has been sent, following in the wake of the Elder Dragons which cross the ocean every 10 years to the New World. To discover the fate of your hunter and the rest of the team, you’ll have to play the full game!

Weapon of choice

Monster Hunter: World features 14 different weapon types, each with its own unique moves and gameplay, and you can try out all of them in the beta. We’ve included a short video showing you how the weapon looks, and you can also hop into the training area to give them a try for yourself. (You can change your weapon inside the training area too!)

The game plays quite differently depending on your choice of weapon, so for newcomers to Monster Hunter, I’d recommend choosing one of the faster weapons, such as the Dual Blades or the Long Sword. These are actually the two weapons I personally use when I’m first testing out a new monster during development, as they let you move around quickly so you can easily get a read of the monster’s behaviour.

We also have some ranged weapons available to use: two kinds of Bowgun (Light and Heavy) and the Bow. These weapons have been rather tricky to control in the past, so for Monster Hunter: World, we’ve made them a lot easier to use. If you’re used to playing shooter games, I think you’ll be able to pick these up pretty quickly and get right into the hunt.

The ultimate hunter

The full game features a detailed character creator which will let you create your ultimate hunter. For the beta, we’ve kept things simple and provided you with some preset hunters to choose from.

Hunters, unite!

Co-operative multiplayer is a great way to take down the huge beasts in this game. To hunt with your friends, all you need to do is start a session and share the ID with your friends so they can input it and join you. But even if you haven’t got anyone you know to play with, go ahead and join up with other players from around the world. There’s a variety of ways to communicate with one another – not just PS4 voice chat and text chat, but also set phrases that will automatically show up in the right language for everyone, and some fun stickers and gestures.

One of the best things about Monster Hunter is the amazing community spirit. Back in the day, I once joined a quest online to fight against a monster that I’d actually created myself. I thought that being its creator meant I could take it on by myself, and ran straight in with my sword swinging, but I was too cocky – I got taken out pretty quickly. It was embarrassing but the rest of the hunting party helped me get back on my feet and, together, we took the beast down! I still hunt together with some of those hunters to this day. It just goes to show you that even the most experienced hunters make mistakes, so take it easy on them! You never know, you might be able to make some new hunting pals and add each other to your PSN friends.

A whole new world

The beta features three quests set in two different maps: the Ancient Forest and the Wildspire Waste. I wanted this game to have each map be its own ecosystem, with believable interactions between all the living things in it, even down to the plants. Have fun exploring each map – they’re very different from each other, from the verdant splendour and dense foliage of the Ancient Forest to the arid landscapes and mucky swamps of the Wildspire Waste. There are even more maps to come in the full game, so this is just a taste of the incredibly detailed maps in Monster Hunter: World.

Want a tougher challenge?

I think I’ve covered pretty much all you need to know to get into the beta. I’m excited to see how you all find it – but I imagine that there will be some of you expert players out there who want an extra challenge. If so, you should try finding the large monsters in each map who aren’t the main quest target – that’s Rathalos in the Ancient Forest, and Diablos in the Wildspire Waste. These guys are truly tough customers, and will test all your skills – not just with weapons, but understanding and utilising your environment and, in multiplayer, working as a team with your fellow hunters. Getting to know each map is especially important: for example, the dam in the treetops of the Ancient Forest can be used for some “explosive” action…

Rathalos and Diablos are both at the top of the food chain in their respective maps, so I spent a lot of time working on them, from making them visually impressive to the gameplay balance while hunting them. They’re very challenging, but if you can successfully take them down, the sense of achievement and satisfaction you get is second to none, and that’s what makes Monster Hunter so special.

The Monster Hunter: World beta will run from Saturday, December 9 at 9 a.m. Pacific to Tuesday, December 12 at 8:59 a.m. Pacific for PS Plus members. You can begin your beta pre-download starting tomorrow.

Anyway, that’s enough from me! Get out there and get hunting!