Local co-op gives the Switch 2 version a welcome old-school Monster Hunter touch for fans who miss hunting side by side.
Monster Hunter Wilds is bringing the hunt to Nintendo Switch 2 this December, with Capcom confirming that players can head into the Forbidden Lands on Nintendo's latest console starting 5 December 2026.
The release date was announced during the Nintendo Direct on Wednesday (9 September), where Capcom also confirmed that the Switch 2 version will support local co-operative play. On top of that, the port will include all of Monster Hunter Wilds' free DLC updates so far, including the additional monsters and other post-launch content added since release.
The Switch 2 version of Wilds was first revealed earlier this year, but Capcom had not yet shared when players on Nintendo's new console would get their turn. The latest Direct has now filled in those details, while also showing that this is more than just a straight port.
Monster Hunter Wilds (Nintendo Switch 2 Port)
Release date: 5 December, 2026
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Capcom
Monster Hunter Wilds Switch 2 release date, local co-op, and free DLC updates
Monster Hunter Wilds launches for Nintendo Switch 2 on 5 December, nearly two years after the game first arrived for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on 28 February, 2025.
Nintendo players will not be jumping in with a stripped-back version of the game either. Capcom said the Switch 2 port includes all of the free DLC updates released for Wilds so far, meaning players will get access to the extra monsters and other additions that have rolled out since launch.
The biggest platform-specific feature confirmed during the Direct, however, is local co-operative play. Much like some of the older portable Monster Hunter titles, the Switch 2 version will let players gather in person and form a hunting party locally. For longtime fans who spent years hunting on Nintendo handhelds, that gives this version a familiar appeal beyond simply being Wilds on a new machine.
That should make the Switch 2 edition an especially inviting entry point for players who have not yet picked up Wilds on other platforms. Since launch, the game has continued to grow through multiple free updates, giving Capcom's latest entry an even bigger roster of monsters and more content to work through than it had at release.
The Switch 2 port also arrives ahead of Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, which is scheduled for release in 2027. That should hopefully give Nintendo players enough time to catch up on the base game and its updates before the expansion arrives later in the year.
Capcom has already been steadily building towards Ascendance in recent months. The expansion is set to introduce Master Rank, a new hunting region, new story quests, and more monsters, while recent previews have also shown off new combat mechanics and teased some of the creatures waiting in the expansion.
With a December release now locked in, Switch 2 players will have a clear runway to jump into Wilds before its first major expansion lands next year.
Missed the show? Catch up on the biggest reveals and trailers from Nintendo Direct September 2026.
