Diablo 4 releases on June 6, 2023, but when you’re waiting for an anticipated game like that, any amount of time can feel like forever. So to help make the wait feel a little less hellish, Blizzard is holding a special Diablo 4 beta event to give players a taste of things to come.
During the Diablo 4 beta event, anyone can download and play the game, but as with most betas, this open gameplay period will feature several key restrictions. Players will only have a limited amount of time to participate, and if they miss the cutoff time, they won’t get a second chance.
Here is everything you need to know about the Diablo 4 beta.
Diablo 4 Beta: Early Access and Open Beta Release Times
The upcoming Diablo 4 beta will be split into two parts: an Early Access portion and the Open Beta period. These previews will take place a week apart and run through their respective weekends to give players as much gameplay time as possible.
Diablo 4‘s Early Access beta will start on March 17 at 9 am PDT (12 pm EST) and end on March 20 at 12 pm PDT (3 pm EST). Diablo 4‘s Open Beta will follow a nearly identical schedule and will run from March 24 at 9 am PDT (12 pm EST) to March 27 at 12 pm PDT (3 pm EST).
As is tradition with digital games these days, anyone who wants to participate in either beta can pre-download Diablo 4 several days before the betas start. Players who will take part in the Early Access can start downloading the game on March 15 at 9 am PDT, while gamers who wish to participate in the Open Beta can pre-load Diablo 4 starting on March 22 (also at 9 am PDT). As long as anyone who plays during the Early Access period doesn’t uninstall the game afterward, they can continue into the Open Beta without downloading Diablo 4 again.
The Diablo 4 betas will be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.
Diablo 4: How to Join the Early Access Beta
The easiest way to join the Diablo 4 Early Access beta is to pre-order the game. Alternatively, you can order a Double Down sandwich from KFC between March 9 and 18 and receive a code with your order. Yes, we’re serious.
If you pre-ordered Diablo 4, you will automatically gain entry to the Early Access beta when it starts. If you acquired an Early Access code via a fried chicken sandwich, you need to first visit the Diablo 4 beta website. From there, log into your Battle.net account (or create one), enter your code, and select your gaming platform of choice. Once you press the “Redeem” button, you will either receive a code to download the Beta for a console, or you can just download the game for PC when pre-loading starts.
Since the Open Beta is, well, an open beta, anyone can join so long as they have a Battle.net account. Great news for gamers on the fence about Diablo 4. Nothing like a trial period to help decide if a game is right for you.
Diablo 4 Beta: PC Hardware Requirements
If you plan on playing Diablo 4 on PC, Blizzard recommends the following hardware.
Diablo 4 Beta Minimum Requirements:
OS: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8100
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 280
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 45 GB space
Internet: Broadband Connection
Diablo 4 Beta Recommended Requirements:
OS: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD R3-1300X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 45 GB space
Internet: Broadband Connection
Please note that while you can potentially play Diablo 4 if your computer doesn’t meet the minimum specs, your performance will be seriously hampered. Yes, this also applies to playing the game with an HDD instead of an SSD. Anyone who plans to play the Early Access and Open Beta on the console will be happy to know Diablo 4 will support couch co-op, although both participants will need their own Battle.net accounts. Furthermore, while console owners can play online during the betas without an active Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus account, these subscriptions will be required for multiplayer when Diablo 4 launches. And if you think multiplayer isn’t necessary, think again. Players level up 5% faster if they are near other players and 10% if they are in the same party. Looks like multiplayer will be necessary for any and all Diablo 4 power leveling strategies.
What Is Included in the Diablo 4 Beta?
While Blizzard is giving most players a free sampling of Diablo 4, the beta will come with a few content restrictions.
The Early Access and Open Beta will only let players fully explore the game’s Prologue and the first act of Diablo 4 (which will include the Fractured Peaks area and the town of Kyovashad). However, when we say fully explore, we mean it. The betas will include all of Diablo 4’s opening story and side quests, world events, and raid bosses. Character slots will be subject to similar restrictions. During the Early Access and Open Beta, players can only progress their characters to Level 25, and while participants can make 10 characters per Battle.net account, they can only create a Barbarian, Rogue, and Sorcerer during Early Access. The Open Beta will be a bit more…umm…open and introduce the Druid and Necromancer to the playable roster.
Anyone who plays during the Early Access can pick up from where they left off during the Open Beta, as progress will transfer between tests. However, once the Open Beta is finished, all characters will be wiped to ensure players start off on equal footing come Diablo 4’s official launch. If you can’t get a head start during what other games would consider a head start period, then what’s the point? Special cosmetic bragging rights, that’s the point. Players who make it to Kyovashad will earn the in-game title Initial Casualty, but the best reward waits when a character achieves level 20. Players who reach that milestone will acquire the title Early Voyager and the Beta Wolf Pack cosmetics.
That’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Diablo 4 Early Access and Open Beta play periods. What class are you most excited to play? We are dying to know.