In a shocking announcement for most Monster Hunter fans, a second Open Beta Test (OBT) was announced for February. This announcement was made by Monster Hunter Wilds producer Ryozo Tsujimoto. For those living in the United States, that announcement came in the very early morning hours of January 8. For those who missed the first round, this is your chance to experience Wilds before it releases. The second Open Beta seems like it will be just like the first one except for one stark difference.

A Familiar Face

That difference comes in the form of a familiar face for veteran hunters. The announcement video for the Open Beta shocked viewers by announcing the return of Gypceros, also known as the Strange Poison Bird. It was introduced in the first Monster Hunter game. In terms of the mainline, it hasn’t made an appearance since Generations Ultimate. Just like all returning monsters in Wilds, it’s been revamped and restyled to give it a more detailed appearance as it attempts to fool new hunters with its gimmick of playing dead when it gets too weak.

That gimmick is seen in the video along with some of its other abilities. As Ryozo’s character begins to carve the Bird Wyvern, it twitches and growls until it springs to life once more. This action seems to have a bit more detail to it, as Gypceros never made any noise or movement during this part of the hunt in its previous appearances. The music that plays when a mission is completed is never played. With Wilds, that could potentially be changed to give new hunters an even bigger surprise. That’s just one of the many shocks that Wilds is bound to bring.

When to Play the 2nd Open Beta

Unlike the first OBT, the second one will have two periods where everyone can play. From the announcement video, it appears that PS5 users won’t be getting advanced access to it this time. That was one complaint that hunters that weren’t using PS5 had during the last round. Hunters will be able to hunt with their friends across platforms during these two periods, letting players further experience the crossplay that Wilds bring to the series. Now, here are the times that the Open Beta will be up and running. Just like with the announcement video, all times are in Pacific Standard Time.

Dates and Times

• February 6 at 7:00 p.m. – February 9 at 6:59 p.m.
• February 13 at 7:00 p.m. – February 16 at 6:59 p.m.

Mixed Reactions

While many players are excited to get their hands on the Open Beta if they missed the last one, this announcement has its fair share of criticisms. While the development team has been steadily showing off and explaining improvements that are coming to the game, these improvements will not be seen in the OBT. These improvements were seen in December’s community update video. They include drastic changes to weapons, game mechanics, performance, and more.

The lack of performance issues is what players are concerned about, given that the first OBT had performance issues for many players. That especially goes for ones who played it on their PCs. However, if they don’t want to partake in the Open Beta, they won’t have to wait long for the full release of the game. Monster Hunter Wilds releases on February 28, just 12 days after the second OBT comes to a close. With the game’s story and many monsters shrouded in mystery, excitement for the first game in the sixth generation of the series grows by the day.