Monster Hunter Wilds hits Switch 2 on December 4: editions, pre-order discount, free Prologue demo with save transfer, local co-op, crossplay and Ascendance

TNF-GAMES OPPublished 3 days ago 4 min de lecture

Official Capcom key art for Monster Hunter Wilds on Nintendo Switch 2: a swirl of monsters, from icy dragons to a flaming wyvern, bursts out of a bright light above two hunters, one with a long blade and one with a lance, standing in tall golden grass — Crédit : © CAPCOM

Monster Hunter Wilds launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2026 with every title update included, local wireless co-op, crossplay and a 25% pre-order discount on the eShop until December 3. Editions, file size, the free Prologue demo and its save transfer, and the Ascendance expansion due in 2027.

Video: “Monster Hunter Wilds - Nintendo Switch 2 Official Reveal Trailer”, official Monster Hunter (Capcom) YouTube channel, September 9, 2026 (4:14 p.m. Paris time), 1 min 40 s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KAo1wfqjiA

Monster Hunter Wilds, released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2025, arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on Friday, December 4, 2026. Capcom says this version includes all of the game’s update content, supports local wireless co-op between Switch 2 consoles and crossplay with the other platforms. A free Prologue demo is already on the Nintendo eShop, and its save carries over to the full game. Here is what each edition contains, what the demo lets you play, how much space to plan for, and what is still unknown.

Release date and what is included

Release: December 4, 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2 (Capcom’s Switch 2 page and Nintendo’s store pages). Neither Capcom nor Nintendo gives a release time.
Capcom says the Switch 2 version “includes all of Wilds update content”: Title Updates 1 to 4 (Ver. 1.01 to 1.04) and Title Update 5 (Ver. 1.041), which the French page calls the final update.
Play modes: TV, tabletop and handheld. Players: 1 on a single system, 1 to 4 in local wireless, 1 to 4 online (Nintendo).
Online play needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership and a Nintendo Account.
Rating: PEGI 16. French is among the supported languages listed by Nintendo.

Local co-op and crossplay

Local co-op through local wireless communication is, according to Capcom, “a feature unique to the Nintendo Switch 2 version”. Each player needs their own Switch 2 and copy (for the demo, Nintendo states that each player needs a Switch 2 with the demo installed).
Crossplay is supported: Switch 2 players can hunt online with players on other platforms.
Not announced on the pages we read: transferring an existing PS5, Xbox or Steam save to Switch 2.

Editions, pre-order discount and bonus

Digital Standard Edition: the base game. On the Nintendo eShop it is 25% off as a pre-order until December 3, 2026. Capcom points to the store page for the exact price and period, which can vary by country.
Digital Gold Edition: base game + the Cosmetic DLC Collection (“126 DLC packs” according to Capcom) + premium bonuses. Nintendo France’s page lists it with a release date “to be determined”, and Nintendo Singapore’s announcement describes it as the game plus 10 DLC packs, so check the contents on your store page before buying.
Physical Deluxe Edition: a game-key card (the card unlocks a download, the game is not stored on it) with the base game and the Deluxe Pack, via a flyer code valid until December 4, 2028.
Pre-order bonus: Guild Knight layered armor set and Hope Charm talisman. For the digital version, pre-order by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 3, 2026 (Capcom does not specify the time zone). For the physical version, while supplies last. Capcom says the bonus may be sold separately later.

File size

36.4 GB for the Standard Edition on Nintendo France’s page, 39.1 GB “estimated” on Nintendo of America’s store page. Nintendo warns that size may not be final at pre-order time.
The Switch 2 demo needs 14 GB or more, according to Capcom.

The free Prologue demo on Switch 2

Available on the Nintendo eShop since October 19 in North America and October 20 in Europe (dates reported by Nintendo Everything from Capcom’s announcement). Capcom’s demo page says “Available now”.
Content: character creation, the prologue and Chapters 1 to 3 (“To the Forest”), with the same content as the full game. You can try all 14 weapon types, Focus Mode and Focus Strikes, and hunt Chatacabra and Quematrice.
Offline only: no online play and no Photo Mode. An SOS Flare calls NPC support hunters. Local multiplayer for up to 4 players works in handheld mode.
Save transfer: update the full game, start it on the same user account, then answer “Yes” when it offers to carry over the Prologue Demo save. Your hunter and equipment carry over, and so do the option settings.

Ascendance, the expansion due in 2027

Capcom has announced Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, a “massive expansion” coming in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam, with crossplay.
It adds new areas and monsters (the Eastlands, elder dragons), Master Rank quests and the Boost Bracer, which brings new attacks.
To play it, you need Monster Hunter Wilds and to have completed the 7★ assignment “Awaking From a Dream”. A Switch 2 player who starts on December 4 therefore has time to reach that point.

What we do not know yet

The release time on December 4 and the final file size.
Frame rate and resolution targets for TV and handheld mode: we did not find official figures on Capcom’s or Nintendo’s pages.
Cross-save or progression transfer from other platforms, and the release date and price of Ascendance.

To find other hunters on Switch 2, see our gaming community.

Sources: Capcom, Monster Hunter Wilds “Nintendo Switch 2 Version” page: https://www.monsterhunter.com/wilds/en-us/switch2/ (French: https://www.monsterhunter.com/wilds/fr/switch2/) ; Capcom, “Monster Hunter Wilds Prologue Demo” page: https://www.monsterhunter.com/wilds/en-us/demo/ ; Capcom, “Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance” official site: https://www.monsterhunter.com/wilds-ascendance/en-us/ ; Nintendo France, Monster Hunter Wilds (Nintendo Switch 2) product page: https://www.nintendo.com/fr-fr/Jeux/Jeux-Nintendo-Switch-2/Monster-Hunter-Wilds-3183709.html ; Nintendo of America store page: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/monster-hunter-wilds-switch-2/ ; Nintendo Singapore, Prologue Demo announcement, October 29, 2026: https://www.nintendo.com/sg/news/article/1T6qe4VgO58mcoN9NAOwow ; Nintendo Everything, October 14 and 19, 2026 (demo dates): https://nintendoeverything.com/monster-hunter-wilds-demo-heading-to-nintendo-switch-2-next-week/ ; official YouTube trailer, September 9, 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KAo1wfqjiA ; all checked November 10, 2026.