At long last, Monster Hunter Wilds launches on Friday, February 28th. The game will have a rolling launch, meaning some regions will get it earlier than others. Here’s how to play Monster Hunter Wilds early with the New Zealand trick.
Recommended Videos How To Play Monster Hunter Wilds Early with the New Zealand Trick on Xbox Series X|S
The easiest platform to play Monster Hunter Wilds early on is the Xbox Series X|S. Xbox allows you to easily change your console's region, effectively tricking your system into thinking you're in a different time zone, allowing you to play earlier. Here's how to change your region on Xbox and enjoy Monster Hunter Wilds early.
To use the New Zealand trick to play games early, you'll need to adjust your Xbox's system language and location settings. Navigate to the Xbox settings, go to the System tab, select Language and Location, and change the Location to New Zealand. After making this change, restart your Xbox for the settings to take effect. Once restarted, you'll be able to play Monster Hunter Wilds at the same time as the earliest region where it launches.
How To Play Monster Hunter Wilds Early on PlayStation and PC
Although it's more challenging to use the New Zealand trick on PC and PlayStation, it's still possible despite some hurdles. Since changing your region doesn't work on PS5 and PC like it does on Xbox Series X|S, you'll need to create a separate account.
To play Monster Hunter Wilds – or any game – early using the New Zealand trick on PlayStation 5 and PC, set up a PSN or Steam account with a New Zealand address and purchase the game on that account. You'll also need to buy the game using NZ$, which can be slightly more expensive. While the base edition of Monster Hunter Wilds is around $70 USD, the equivalent exchange rate in NZ$ ends up being around $77 USD. You may need to purchase New Zealand-specific PSN or Steam gift cards from third-party sites, depending on how your credit or debit card handles international purchases and exchange rates.
Related: How To Shatter the Bloodstorm One Statue in Marvel Rivals (Ruined Idol Achievement)
When Can I Play Monster Hunter Wilds? Regional Rollout, Explained
As shown in the image above, there are over a dozen different regions with varying release times for Monster Hunter Wilds. The earliest region where the game will launch is Auckland, New Zealand, with a release time of 12 AM NZDT. This translates to 6 AM the previous day in New York and 3 AM on the West Coast. Using the New Zealand trick, players in the United States can gain nearly an entire extra day to play Monster Hunter Wilds on Thursday, February 27th.
And that's how to play Monster Hunter Wilds early with the New Zealand trick.
