Get in here, first-timers
[Update: The Iceborne beta is now live for all PS4 users – no PlayStation Plus needed.]
Looking to demo the incoming Iceborne expansion for Monster Hunter: World? This month is your chance, as Capcom is hosting a couple of beta tests for PlayStation 4 users beginning this weekend.
You won’t need the base game to play the Iceborne beta, and along with access to all 14 weapon types, you’ll be able to try your hand at hunting Great Jagras (a veritable tutorial beast), Banbaro (a horned monster featured prominently in screenshots), and even Tigrex (a ferocious pain in my side).
Better yet, this will be an opportunity to try the new tools of the trade. As I covered in my Iceborne preview at E3, once you get a feel for the Clutch Claw – a tool for grappling directly onto monsters – there’s just no going back to the old ways. I left the expo wanting to put Monster Hunter: World in my weekly rotation again but boy am I going to miss those forthcoming traversal options.
The first Iceborne beta will run for PlayStation Plus members from June 21 to June 24, while the second beta will be fully open from June 28 until July 1. In both cases, the start and end times are 3:00am Pacific. Capcom plans to enable pre-loading “a couple of days before each beta period begins.”
As you might expect after the original World beta, a few rewards are up for grabs. “Upon completing each quest for the first time, hunters can earn a total of three item packs containing helpful consumable items that will be available to use in the full version of the Iceborne expansion when it releases.”
Iceborne isn’t launching until September 6, so enjoy this while you can! I’d encourage all curious Monster Hunter newcomers to play the beta. You won’t get the full game loop as far as crafting is concerned, but these three fights will give you a feel for combat, which is gratifying in and of itself.
