Monster Hunter Wilds Switch 2 release date: Dec. 4, 2026, at $39.99, with a free demo and pre-orders on Oct. 20

Capcom’s biggest hunt goes portable in December, and you can try it first in October. Here’s when Monster Hunter Wilds comes out on Switch 2, what it costs and what this version adds.

When does Monster Hunter Wilds come out on Switch 2?

On Friday, Dec. 4, 2026. Capcom and the Nintendo eShop both list the date. The game has been out on PS5, Xbox Series X and S and Steam since Feb. 28, 2025, so Switch 2 owners get it almost two years later, with every update released so far included at launch.

Price, editions and pre-orders

The Standard Edition costs $39.99 on the Nintendo eShop, the same as the current price on Steam. Capcom says pre-orders open on Oct. 20, 2026, and the eShop doesn’t take them yet as of Oct. 17.

Capcom sells three versions. Digitally, there’s the Standard Edition with the base game and the Gold Edition, which adds the Cosmetic DLC Collection of 126 DLC packs and premium bonuses. The physical Deluxe Edition comes with the base game and the Deluxe Pack on a game-key card, which holds a download key rather than the full game. The eShop estimates the download at about 40 GB. Pre-orders get the Guild Knight layered armor and the Hope Charm talisman.

The free Prologue Demo

The demo comes to Switch 2 on Oct. 20, 2026, the same day pre-orders open. It lets you play the start of the game with the same content as the full version: character creation, the prologue and the story through Chapter 1-3: To the Forest, with all 14 weapon types. It’s offline only, so the SOS Flare calls computer-controlled Support Hunters instead of other players, and Photo Mode is off.

Your save carries over. When you start the full game on the same user account, it asks to bring in the demo save, and your awards and settings come with it. That only works if you don’t already have a save in the full game.

Co-op, crossplay and handheld play

Up to four hunters can play together online or locally. Capcom says local wireless co-op is a feature unique to the Switch 2 version, and online play includes crossplay with PS5, Xbox Series X and S and Steam. There’s no cross-save or cross-buy, so a save from another platform doesn’t move over. Online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership, which also backs up your save to the cloud.

The game runs in TV, tabletop and handheld modes, with HDR output on compatible TVs. The ESRB rates it T for Teen, for Blood, Crude Humor and Violence, with in-game purchases.

Capcom’s first big expansion, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, arrives in 2027 on Switch 2 as well as the other platforms, with Master Rank and new elder dragons; our Ascendance release date page has everything announced so far. For the rest of the year on Nintendo’s console, see our upcoming Switch 2 games list.

This page is updated as soon as Capcom announces the Gold and Deluxe Edition prices, a launch time or performance details for Monster Hunter Wilds on Switch 2.