Play Monster Hunter Wilds Early: Use the New Zealand Trick

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

By far, the easiest platform to play Monster Hunter Wilds early on is the Xbox Series X|S. Xbox makes it super simple to change your console’s region, essentially tricking your system into thinking you’re in a different time zone so you can play earlier. Here's how to change your region on Xbox and dive into Monster Hunter Wilds ahead of time.

To use the New Zealand trick to play games early, navigate to your Xbox settings, select the System tab, then click on Language and Location, and set the Location to New Zealand. After making this change, restart your Xbox for the settings to take effect. Once done, you'll be ready 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

While it's not as straightforward to use the New Zealand trick on PC and PlayStation, it's still possible despite some hurdles. Since changing your region directly isn't an option on the PS5 and PC as it is on Xbox Series X|S, you'll need to create a new 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. Remember, you'll need to buy the game in NZ$, which might be slightly more expensive. The base edition of Monster Hunter Wilds costs around $70 USD, but in NZ$, it's approximately $77 USD. You might also need to buy New Zealand-specific PSN or Steam gift cards from third-party sites, depending on your card's international transaction capabilities and exchange rates.

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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 to get the game 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. By using the New Zealand trick, players in the United States can enjoy almost an entire extra day of gameplay on Thursday, February 27th.

And that's how to play Monster Hunter Wilds early with the New Zealand trick.