What the WILD HEARTS S Demo Includes

WILD HEARTS S demo at a glance

What is included in the demo?

The demo introduces the opening portion of WILD HEARTS S. Players begin with the prologue and can continue until reaching Minato, the settlement that becomes an important base for later hunts.

This opening section introduces the game’s main loop:

• Track and fight nature-infused Kemono
• Learn how different weapons behave
• Gather materials from hunts
• Craft and upgrade equipment
• Build Karakuri during exploration and combat
• Play alone or coordinate with other hunters

The demo is not a separate challenge mode. It uses the beginning of the full game, which is why eligible save data can continue into the complete version.

Which Kemono can you hunt?

KOEI TECMO highlights three Kemono in the demo: Ragetail, Sapscourge and Kingtusk.

Ragetail

Ragetail is an early introduction to the scale and movement of WILD HEARTS S hunts. The encounter teaches players to follow a Kemono through the environment, recognize attack patterns and use Karakuri instead of relying only on weapon attacks.

Sapscourge

Sapscourge adds different movement and area-control pressure. By this point, players should be more comfortable creating Karakuri quickly and repositioning when the Kemono changes the shape of the fight.

Kingtusk

Kingtusk is the largest of the three highlighted demo targets. The boar-like Kemono uses massive trunk-shaped tusks and gives players a stronger test of preparation, timing and battlefield construction.

The available hunts provide enough variety to test the core combat loop, but they represent only the opening part of the full game’s Kemono roster.

How Karakuri work in the demo

Karakuri are craftable devices used during hunts and exploration. They distinguish WILD HEARTS S from hunting games built only around weapons, dodging and item preparation.

Basic Karakuri can create objects such as crates and gliders. Combining basic structures produces larger tools, including traps, defensive constructions and devices that can interrupt or damage a Kemono.

Karakuri can serve several purposes:

• Create height for aerial attacks
• Cross environmental gaps
• Stop or redirect a charging Kemono
• Protect hunters from an incoming attack
• Build persistent support structures around hunting areas
• Change how players approach the same encounter

The demo gives new players time to learn this system before later hunts introduce more demanding combinations.

Does demo progress transfer to the full game?

Yes. Nintendo and KOEI TECMO both confirm that the demo save can transfer to the full version.

The transfer has several requirements:

1. Keep the demo save on the same Nintendo Switch 2 console used for the full game.
2. Use the same Nintendo Account for both versions.
3. Update the full game to its latest version before transferring.
4. Launch the full game without an existing full-game save when carrying over the demo data.

The full game should detect eligible demo progress automatically under those conditions. Starting a separate full-game save first may prevent the automatic carryover path described by KOEI TECMO.

The transferred progress lets players continue beyond the demo rather than replaying the opening hunts and story section.

How multiplayer works

The demo supports up to four hunters through online or local multiplayer. This is one of the major differences between WILD HEARTS S and the earlier version of WILD HEARTS, whose hunting groups were smaller.

Demo players can hunt with:

• Other players using the demo
• Players using the full release
• Local Switch 2 players with compatible setups
• Online Switch 2 players with Nintendo Switch Online

When a demo player joins someone who owns the full game, the group is restricted to content available in the demo. The demo cannot be used to enter later full-game hunts or areas.

A Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for online multiplayer. Local multiplayer does not require the subscription.

Is there cross-platform multiplayer?

No. KOEI TECMO states that WILD HEARTS S does not support cross-platform multiplayer.

The Nintendo Switch 2 version cannot form a hunting group with players using the earlier WILD HEARTS release on PC, PlayStation or Xbox. Demo-to-full-game multiplayer refers to the Switch 2 demo and Switch 2 full release, not crossplay with other platforms.

This also means a group moving from another version needs to start within the WILD HEARTS S ecosystem rather than carrying an existing cross-platform party into Switch 2.

Can the demo use local co-op?

Yes. KOEI TECMO lists local multiplayer as supported, with up to four players.

Each player needs an appropriate Switch 2 setup and access to the demo or full game. Local co-op is different from a split-screen mode: players use separate systems rather than sharing one display.

Because local play does not require Nintendo Switch Online, it is the practical option for a group in the same location that does not want to use online matchmaking.

Weapons and play styles

WILD HEARTS S includes several conventional and unusual hunting weapons. The official description highlights options such as the nodachi, bow, karakuri katana and bladed wagasa.

Each weapon changes movement, attack timing and the way a hunter creates openings. The demo’s early hunts are useful for testing whether a weapon feels comfortable before investing heavily in upgrades.

A new player should focus on three things:

1. Learn one weapon’s basic attack sequence.
2. Practice creating Karakuri without opening a long menu.
3. Watch the Kemono rather than finishing every possible attack.

Changing weapon is useful when a play style does not fit, but repeatedly switching before understanding the basics can make the early game harder to read.

What carries into the full game?

The save transfer preserves progress made in the demo’s opening section. This includes the eligible character and story progress recorded by the demo save.

Players should still update the full game before transferring because patches can change compatibility or data handling. KOEI TECMO’s instructions specifically require the latest full-game version for carryover.

The transfer does not turn the demo into a separate license for the full game. It only moves eligible save data after the player obtains and launches the complete version.

What is not supported?

The official WILD HEARTS S pages identify several limitations:

• No cross-platform multiplayer
• No GameShare support
• No Joy-Con 2 mouse controls
• Online multiplayer requires Nintendo Switch Online
• Demo players cannot access content beyond the demo boundary
• Save transfer requires the same console and Nintendo Account

These restrictions matter most for players choosing the demo to test a planned multiplayer setup. Confirm that the intended hunting group is using compatible Switch 2 versions before investing time in one shared save plan.

How WILD HEARTS S differs from the original release

WILD HEARTS S is the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the hunting action game. Its headline multiplayer change is support for up to four hunters, compared with the smaller parties associated with the original release.

The fundamental game remains recognizable: players hunt Kemono across Azuma, craft equipment from gathered materials and use Karakuri to reshape encounters.

WILD HEARTS S does not provide cross-platform multiplayer with the original PC and console versions. It should therefore be treated as its own Switch 2 multiplayer environment rather than a portable entry into existing groups on other systems.

Is the demo worth downloading?

The demo is useful for three kinds of players:

• New hunters who want to test weapons and Karakuri
• Groups confirming that local or online co-op works for their setup
• Players deciding whether the Switch 2 hunting loop is comfortable before continuing into the full game

It covers actual opening content instead of a disconnected arena, and the save-transfer option prevents that time from being wasted if the player continues.

The main reasons not to rely on it are its content boundary and platform restrictions. It cannot test cross-platform play because none is supported, and full-game owners can join demo players only inside the demo’s available section.

Before starting the demo

Use this checklist:

1. Download the demo from the official Nintendo listing.
2. Confirm that the intended Nintendo Account is active.
3. Update the demo before starting.
4. Decide whether the group will use local or online multiplayer.
5. Make sure online players have Nintendo Switch Online.
6. Keep the save on the console intended for the full game.
7. Do not begin a separate full-game save before attempting automatic carryover.
8. Update the full game before launching it with the demo save present.

Following the same-account and same-console requirements is the most important preparation for a clean transfer.

WILD HEARTS S demo summary

The WILD HEARTS S demo remains a practical introduction to the Switch 2 release. It includes the story through Minato, three highlighted Kemono, solo play and four-player local or online co-op.

Its progress can transfer to the full game under the official account, console and update requirements. Cross-platform multiplayer, GameShare and Joy-Con 2 mouse controls are not supported, so players should evaluate the demo as a Switch 2-specific hunting experience.