Monster Hunter World is set to receive a Day One patch which adds a few new features - most notably, the arrival of series staple Poogies.

The adorable little pet pigs initially seemed to be absent from the game but after we mentioned it in our list of 47 ways Monster Hunter World mixes up the series' formula, Capcom calmed our spirits by informing us that Poogies would appear in the game in some form - and now we know they'll be arriving on launch day.

As reported by Siliconera, the game's producer Ryozo Tsujimoto appeared as part of a Capcom TV live stream to explain what was included in the patch, confirming that Poogies' relationship with the player characters will remain the same as in previous iterations: you can show it affection and pick it up, and Monster Hunter World actually takes this a step further by including a treasure hint function. While carrying your Poogie, a rumbling controller will indicate nearby treasure - and your porcine pal will even scurry off and collect it for you.

As well as Poogies, the patch also adds a new Gallery mode, enabling you to go back and rewatch scenes whenever you like. It's also been confirmed the patch will be required for gamers who wish to take advantage of Monster Hunter World's online play - so if anyone manages to get their hands on an early copy of the game, it'll be offline-only.

For more on the game, check out our preview, take a look at our list of 10 things you should know about multiplayer or read up on the series' ultra-powerful Elder Dragons.

Monster Hunter World's final open beta runs on PlayStation 4 from January 19 to January 22, with both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions launching the following Friday, January 26. PC players have a little longer to wait - the PC version of the game won't arrive until fall 2018.


Matt Davidson is a freelance writer for IGN who can't get enough when it comes to Poogies. Check him out over on Twitter, if that's how you roll.