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The Monster Hunter: World beta is finally (almost) upon us, and much like you, we can't wait to give it a spin. But when does the beta go live? What's in the beta? When does it end? We're quickly going to run through the answers to these questions.

How do you access the Monster Hunter: World beta?

First thing's first, you'll need to be a member of PlayStation Plus to download the Monster Hunter: World beta on PlayStation 4.

If you're subscribed to Sony's service, simply hit up the PlayStation Store and either search for Monster Hunter: World using the search function, or click on "games" and then "demos". It should be near the top.

Right now, you can pre-load the beta ahead of its release. It's around 5.5GB in size, so it's not too big.

When does the Monster Hunter: World beta start?

The Monster Hunter: World beta goes live on Saturday 9th December.

Monster Hunter: World beta start times (Saturday 9th December)

  • 17:00 GMT
  • 18:00 CET
  • 09:00 PT
  • 12:00 ET

When does the Monster Hunter: World beta end?

The Monster Hunter: World beta ends on Tuesday 12th December. In other words, the beta runs for a total of three days.

Monster Hunter: World beta end times (Tuesday 12th December)

  • 17:00 GMT
  • 18:00 CET
  • 09:00 PT
  • 12:00 ET

What's in the Monster Hunter: World beta?

The Monster Hunter: World beta sounds quite robust. It features two maps for you to explore: the Ancient Forest and the Wildspire Waste. Across these two locations, you'll be able to take on three different missions. Both maps are home to powerful monsters that aren't your main targets. If you fancy a challenge, you can take them on and see how well you fare.

All three quests are playable with up to three other players online -- you can either invite friends or team up with randoms. The beta will have both voice and text chat so you can communicate with your allies.

The game's full character creation system isn't in the beta, but you'll be able to select a preset look for your character.

All 14 weapon types from the full game will be available in the beta for you to try, along with the training area, which is obviously the best place for combat practice.

Those who take part in the beta will apparently unlock some extras in the main game when it launches in January.