Important Notice: Monster Hunter Wilds’ physical edition necessitates a day one update, while digital purchasers can begin early.

If you are eagerly awaiting the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, there’s a little update you’ll need to handle before jumping into the action. Capcom has informed players that those who have purchased the physical edition of the game will need to download a mandatory day-one patch before they can start playing.

According to a recent announcement on social media, every player must download a 15GB update before they can enjoy riding secret creatures and battling monsters. For those with physical copies, this means you’ll have to wait a bit longer before you can dive in. On the bright side, players who pre-ordered the digital version of Monster Hunter Wilds can actually get a head start. Thanks to the pre-install feature, that 15GB patch is already available for download, so you can jump right into the game once it officially launches this Friday, February 28th.

If you’re more interested in the exact availability times rather than just the release date, Capcom has shared that Monster Hunter Wilds will become accessible on the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 starting at midnight on Friday in the UK. However, PC gamers will have to be patient, as the game will go live on Steam at 5 AM GMT. If you’re in the Pacific Time Zone (PST), you can actually play a little earlier, starting at 9 PM PST on Thursday, February 27th, whether you are on PC or a console.

While Capcom hasn’t yet disclosed what changes or improvements the 15GB update will bring, it’s likely that it addresses some of the technical issues noticed in the game’s pre-launch version. Reports from Digital Foundry pointed out that Monster Hunter Wilds currently feels a bit unfinished on platforms like the PS5 and Series X, particularly on the Series S, although the PS5 version is performing slightly better.

Despite these concerns, the game itself is being well-received overall. In my review, I noted that while it sometimes feels like Capcom is trying to balance the expectations of loyal fans with the need to attract new players, Monster Hunter Wilds is still a thrilling experience. I concluded that it is “so refined, so alive, so giddily, chaotically joyful when it all comes together that it feels like the ultimate culmination of everything the series has been working toward over the last two decades.”

For many fans, the excitement for Monster Hunter Wilds makes the wait for the download worthwhile, and hopefully, the update will enhance the gaming experience and iron out any rough spots. So, prepare your consoles and PCs, make sure those downloads are ready, and soon enough, you’ll be able to step into a vibrant world of monsters and adventure.