Capcom has yet to announce an official release date for Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance. This DLC was revealed this February and is comparable in scale to Sunbreak, the major expansion for Monster Hunter Rise. However, we may be able to experience this expansion sooner than expected. Recent updates on Steam give us reason to believe that a public beta for Ascendance will be released before its full launch in 2027.
According to update logs from SteamDB, the Steam store page for the 2024 public beta of Monster Hunter Wilds was quietly updated early this morning. The application name changed from "Monster Hunter Wilds Beta test" to "Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance Beta test." Additionally, the page images were updated, featuring a hunter facing one of the new monsters, Arateka.
Users who participated in the base game's beta test currently cannot launch the old version directly from their library, but the renamed entry can still be seen in their Steam profile's play history.
The simultaneous change in name and assets may indicate that Capcom is repurposing the existing application to prepare for the expansion's trial. If the test materializes, its content might resemble the hands-on demo provided at the Tokyo Game Show in September, including experiencing the new Enhanced Bracer weapon mechanic in Master Rank battles, though this arrangement has not been confirmed.
The 2024 PC test for Monster Hunter Wilds suffered from severe optimization issues, with glitchy visuals described by players as "origami monsters." Performance will likely be a key focus of any potential test. The scale of Ascendance has been compared to Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. Its release is confirmed for 2027, but the specific date and whether a public beta will be offered have not been announced.