Monster Hunter Wilds free demo is out on Switch 2, and your save carries over

What the demo includes

Capcom had announced the demo for October 19 Pacific Time, which is Tuesday, October 20 in Europe, and its official account announced it as out now in the early hours of that day, European time. It covers character creation, the prologue and the story through Chapter 1-3, “To the Forest”. According to Capcom’s Japanese press release, dated October 20, it lets you hunt two of the monsters introduced in Wilds, Chatacabra and Quematrice, and try out all 14 weapon types.

On Switch 2 it needs at least 14 GB of storage. The demo was already available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam; the Switch 2 version adds local play.

Offline only, but with local play

The demo is offline only: there’s no online multiplayer and no Photo Mode. In exchange, the Switch 2 version lets you hunt with up to three nearby players over local wireless, as long as each has their own console and the demo. Capcom notes that local play only works between copies of the demo or between copies of the full game, not a mix of the two.

Solo players can fire an SOS Flare during a quest to call in computer-controlled Support Hunters. In the full game, the same flare calls up to three other hunters from around the world.

How to carry your save over

Demo progress can be transferred to the full game, even if you haven’t finished the demo. You need the full version updated to the latest version, then launch it with the same user account you used for the demo and accept the prompt that appears when it finds the save. Your settings and the in-game awards you earned in the demo carry over too. There’s one important catch: if you already have save data in the full game, the demo save can’t be imported. If you select “No” at the prompt, Capcom says you can delete the full-game save data and relaunch the game to bring the prompt back.

Monster Hunter Wilds on Switch 2 on December 4

The full Switch 2 version launches on Friday, December 4, and digital pre-orders are open. According to Capcom, it will support online cross-play with the other platforms and include all of Monster Hunter Wilds’ update content, such as Mizutsune, Gogmazios and Omega Planetes, the monster from the Final Fantasy XIV collaboration.

Monster Hunter Wilds launched on February 28, 2025, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Its major expansion, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, is due in 2027, and Capcom has confirmed it will also come to Switch 2.