"MH Wilds Beta Test Extended Due to PSN Outage"

Monster Hunter Wilds is considering a 24-hour extension on their Open Beta Test 2 following the PlayStation outage that occurred this weekend. Read on to find out more about the extension and the events that unfolded.

Monster Hunter Wilds To Extend Beta Test 2

PS5 Players Could Not Play For 24 Hours

Monster Hunter Wilds (MH Wilds) is contemplating a one-day extension of their Open Beta Test 2 phase due to the PlayStation Network outage that took place this weekend. The service was down for 24 hours, starting at 6 PM EST on February 7th, which made all online games on the console, including the Monster Hunter Wilds beta test, unplayable. PlayStation Network was restored around 8 PM EST, as reported by the official NA X (Twitter) support account.

As of now, the specific date or time frame for the extension has not been announced, but it has been confirmed that it will be a 24-hour extension to compensate for the lost playtime. This could potentially be scheduled any time from the end of Beta Test 2 Part 2 up until the 27th, just a day before the game's official release. Part 1 of Beta Test 2 has already concluded, and Part 2 is set to begin later this week on February 13th at 7 PM PT. Players will have the opportunity to dive back into the action and might even encounter the amusing bug that transforms the game's usually detailed characters into low-resolution, low-poly blobs.

The Cursed Low-Poly Bug Returns

Capcom has noted that the builds used in the beta testing phases are outdated and do not represent the final game's quality at launch. Consequently, these builds are prone to bugs and technical issues, including the notorious low-poly character glitch caused by textures failing to load correctly. This glitch results in characters, Palicos, and even the titular monsters turning into bizarre, blocky versions of their intended designs.

Rather than being frustrated by these oddities, fans have embraced the low-poly bugs, sharing their encounters on social media with delight. Some fans even express a hope that Wilds will pay homage to these humble, polygonal origins in the future. In an interview with GamesRadar+, the MH Wilds team acknowledged this amusing bug and expressed their pleasure that players are enjoying its quirks. However, they also encourage players to experience the game with the correct specifications when it officially launches later this month.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest installment in the acclaimed Monster Hunter series and marks the franchise's first foray into an open-world setting known as the Forbidden Lands. Players take on the role of the Hunter, tasked with exploring this mysterious region and confronting its apex predator, the White Wraith. This highly anticipated action-RPG is set to release on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on February 28th, 2025.

PlayStation Network’s Largest Outage In Recent Years

In a post on its NA X (Twitter) support account, PlayStation attributed the day-long outage to an "operational issue" and apologized for the inconvenience. Additionally, users with an active PlayStation Plus membership will receive an extra five days of service as compensation.

However, fans expressed dissatisfaction with Sony's communication during the outage, which led to widespread panic and worry reminiscent of the service interruption in 2011. The 2011 PlayStation Network (PSN) outage was caused by a coordinated hacker attack, compromising approximately 77 million user accounts. The PSN servers were offline for three and a half weeks from April 20th to May 14th. During this period, Sony actively communicated with users about the incident, the need for a thorough investigation, and the full scope of the attack.