Monster Hunter Wilds' open beta period has begun, and despite the fact that this isn't even a full game release, it's already broken Steam player records for the franchise as a whole.
A quick look at SteamDB's stats for the Monster Hunter Wilds open beta shows that the test hit a staggering total of 463,798 players at its peak, and that it's currently sitting pretty at 441,009 players (at time of writing).
By way of comparison, Monster Hunter World, which remains the biggest-selling Monster Hunter game to date, managed 334,684 players at its busiest on Steam, while Monster Hunter Rise hit 231,360. Both are very respectable totals, but they don't hold a candle to Wilds' beta test.
While it could be contended that Monster Hunter World and Rise are both paid premium products, Wilds' open beta is also leaving the free demos the series has offered in the past in its dust.
Monster Hunter Rise's demo, for instance, attracted just 23,991 players at its peak, while the demo for expansion Sunbreak topped out at 27,540. Again, those aren't numbers to be sniffed at, but they do show just how popular Monster Hunter Wilds' open beta is.
The open beta is free, of course, and so many players may be checking it out even if they don't intend to buy the full game. Still, it looks like Capcom will have another bona fide success on its hands when Wilds launches in February.
If you're unfamiliar with Monster Hunter Wilds, it's the latest game in Capcom's Monster Hunter series of action RPGs.
Set in the Forbidden Lands, the game will once again see players venturing out into large semi-open world areas to do battle with a series of monsters, including the game's new flagship beast Arkveld, also known as the White Wraith.
The open beta offers a look at the character creator, as well as an open hunt and a portion of the story. Of course, the internet has already created some pretty impressive stuff with said character creator.
Monster Hunter Wilds launches on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on February 28th. You can read our preview of the game here if you want to know what this latest monster-slaying adventure is shaping up to be like.
