Monster Hunter Wilds is about to make a major splash in the franchise's fanbase, and luckily you can get the game downloaded ahead of time to ensure you'll be playing it the very moment you're able.(Image: Capcom)

Monster Hunter Wilds preload – file size and when you can download the game in time for launch

Monster Hunter Wilds is on its way, and luckily for us, there are means of getting the game downloaded ahead of time,

by · The Mirror

The Monster Hunter Wilds preload is set to give you the chance to play the game the very moment that it goes live, and it's thankfully a pretty simple process.

After a long wait, the latest in the Monster Hunter franchise is almost here to put an obnoxiously large weapon in your hands for you to put to use on even bigger furious, monstrous beast. The true open-world nature of Monster Hunter Wilds has made the game immensely exciting for fans, and as our preview has pointed out, the very best features of the series have been cranked to 11 and made the game into one of the best Monster Hunter experiences available.

It’s not far away now as the Monster Hunter Wilds release time approaches on Friday, February 28, but there’s a good way to get properly prepared for the launch of the game. The Monster Hunter Wilds preload is set to be available very soon, allowing players who have pre-ordered the game to get it installed on their chosen console or PC ahead of the game’s launch so that when the release time comes and goes in their region, they can pick it up and play it immediately. And luckily, Capcom has offered a total and full-bodied guide to get it done. Here’s everything you need to know about the Monster Hunter Wilds preload.

Monster Hunter Wilds preload

If you have pre-ordered Monster Hunter Wilds, you will soon be offered access to the Monster Hunter Wilds preload, with the time of the preload being different depending on your chosen console or time zone.

In order to preload Monster Hunter Wilds, you’ll need to go to your chosen storefront that you have pre-ordered the game from, or will preorder it from, and simply click download. It’s a fairly simple process, but it will do you a world of good if your plan is to sit down with it from the moment it goes live. Here’s what you need to know about timings:

Monster Hunter Wilds preload on Xbox and PC

The Monster Hunter Wilds preload on Xbox Series X|S and PC is simultaneous, as revealed by a tweet from Monster Hunter, going live globally at 9pm PST on Tuesday, February 25 – meaning that at this point, you’ll be able to log onto your chosen storefront and download the game before it goes live. Here's when that is in your time zone:

Tuesday, February 25

  • 9pm PST
  • 11pm CST

Wednesday, February 26

  • 12am EST
  • 2am BRT (Brasilia Time)
  • 5am GMT
  • 6am CET
  • 7am EET
  • 7am SAST (Saudi Arabia Standard Time)
  • 8am AST
  • 9am GST
  • 1pm SGT (Singapore Time)
  • 2pm JST
  • 2pm KST
  • 4pm AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time)
  • 6pm NZDT

The game is expected to take up 75GB of available storage on PC according to its Steam page, and with no concrete evidence, we can expect the Xbox file size to be around the PS5’s estimated 52GB.

Monster Hunter Wilds preload on PS5

The Monster Hunter Wilds preload on PS5 goes live 48 hours before the game officially launches. The PS Store release time for the preload is 12am local time for all players, except those in the United States, with the storefront using 12am EST as the release time for all regions in the country:

Wednesday 26, February 27

  • 9pm PST
  • 10pm MST
  • 11pm CST

Friday, February 28

  • 12am EST

If you’re preloading the game on PlayStation, be prepared to set aside 52.826GB of storage, as reported by @PlayStationSize on Twitter. Surprisingly, it comes in at a smaller download than on PC, so count yourself lucky.

That’s all you need to know about the Monster Hunter Wilds preload period. Now all that’s left is to actually download the game and prepare for release day. You might want to book the week off work now.