Title: Essential Update for Monster Hunter Wilds: Day-One Patch Required for Physical Copies, Digital Players Get a Head Start!

While you may have been eagerly anticipating the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds, you might have to hold on just a bit longer, depending on your internet speed: Capcom has indicated that physical edition owners will need to download a “mandatory” day one patch before they can start gameplay.

According to a brief announcement on social media, Monster Hunter Wilds requires all players to obtain a 15GB update before the adventure and monster-battling can commence.

For those with physical editions, this means a bit more waiting before gameplay begins. However, anyone who has pre-ordered the digital version of Monster Hunter Wilds can get a slight head start – the 15GB patch is already available for download due to the magic of pre-installation, meaning a quicker access when Wilds launches this Friday, February 28th.

And while you may want opening instances to launch dates, Capcom has now complied, confirming that Monster Hunter Wilds will be available on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 from midnight Friday in the UK. PC gamers will have to wait a bit longer, however, as the game becomes available on Steam at 5 AM GMT. Anyone aligning their schedule to PST can technically begin a day earlier: Wilds will be accessible from 9 PM PST on Thursday, February 27th, whether you are playing on PC or console.

Capcom has not yet disclosed what the 15GB update entails, but hopefully, it will help address some technical issues observed in the pre-launch version. As Digital Foundry pointed out earlier this week, Monster Hunter Wilds “feels unfinished on PS5, Series X, and especially Series S” at this time, although the PS5 version performs better.

As for the game itself, it’s quite impressive – even if (as I mentioned in my review) it seems Capcom struggles to effectively balance the expectations of returning fans with the aim of appealing to new audiences. “Wilds remains a highly engaging experience,” I concluded. “So polished, so vibrant, so thrilling.”