Wild Hearts, EA Originals’ new epic adventure game set in feudal Japan is out now. A fresh take on the beast hunting genre made famous by the Monster Hunter series, Wild Hearts sees you master ancient technology to take town mythical beasts called ‘Kemono’.
Wild Hearts supports solo and co-op gameplay, and you’ll need as much help as possible if you’re to have a fighting chance against the Kemono. The game is currently out on the following formats:
- PC – via Epic Games, Steam, and EA Play
- Xbox Series X / S
- PS5
There is no PS4, Switch or Xbox version of Wild Hearts – the game is only available for current gen consoles. But is it free to play? And if not, can you play it for free? Here’s what you need to know.
Is Wild Hearts Free To Play?
Wild Hearts is not free to play – but there is a 10-hour free trial available providing you’re a subscriber to certain game services.
To play the game for free, in the form of a demo, you need to be a member of or purchase EA Play or EA Play Pro or alternatively have or buy Game Pass Ultimate. To do this, follow the below steps:
- Option 1: Head to the EA Play website and purchase a subscription. Note the demo is on both the standard EA Play and EA Play Pro, however the full game is only available for EA Play Pro members
- Option 2: Pick up Game Pass Ultimate here – not the full Wild Hearts game is not on Game Pass and so you will need to either buy the full game or buy EA Play Pro
Standard EA Play can be picked up for $4.99 per month, if you’re just interested in the trial, while Game Pass Ultimate, which includes the standard EA Play (not Pro) costs $14.99 a month. It’s worth noting that the first of Game Pass Ultimate if you’re a new customer costs $1 – and so, technically speaking, this is the cheapest way to trial Wild Hearts.
Now, this is where it gets confusing. The latter (Game Pass Ultimate) is worth it if you have a number of games you want to try, or you want to play games on the go. But remember, if you want the most cost-effective way of playing Wild Hearts beyond the demo, it may be worth upgrading to EA Play Pro.
Your progress will carry over if you upgrade from the Standard EA Play – and then you can continue from there. Failing that, expect Wild Hearts to cost around $70, should you want to continue after the demo, which is quite a lot to shell out for just one game. Happy hunting.