While Diablo 4 will soon be released following about a decade of anticipation, some will actually be able to start playing the game sooner than others. That’s because, like many major modern new releases, Diablo 4 will allow some players to gain early access to the full game ahead of its official June 6 launch.
While that will come as very good news to some fans, the fact of the matter is that these Early Release schedules tend to be pretty confusing. As such, you may already be able to join Diablo 4‘s Early Access launch and not even know it. Alternatively, you may want to join the game’s Early Access launch and have no idea how or when to do so.
For either situation (and more), here’s a look at exactly when Diablo 4‘s Early Access launch goes live and how to join in on the fun.
Diablo 4: Early Access Start Time
Diablo 4‘s Early Access launch will start on June 1 at 4 p.m. PDT, 6 p.m. CT, 7 p.m. EDT, 12 a.m. BST (June 2), 9 a.m. JST (June 2), and 11 a.m. NZST (June 2). Here’s an official release time map that showcases exactly when the Early Access period will start across many major regions:
Diablo 4 will follow a traditional global release schedule. Everyone will be able to start playing the game at the same time (relative to local time zones). That means that there is no way to manipulate your profile or console to start playing the game ahead of the intended local release time. That release schedule also means that some gamers will not technically be able to access the game until June 2, though that’s obviously also relative to local time zones.
More importantly, you should expect sizeable server queues when Diablo 4‘s Early Access period begins. As Diablo 4 is an online-only game, you may not be able to hop in and start playing at any time. That means you’ll likely have to wait in line (so to speak) when Diablo 4‘s Early Access period begins. It also means that there’s a good chance you’ll encounter a variety of server issues at launch. With any luck, though, the game’s recent stress test beta periods will minimize the impact of those all-too-common launch issues.
Diablo 4: How to Join Early Access Launch
The only way to join Diablo 4‘s Early Access launch is to pre-order the Deluxe or Ultimate Editions of the game for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, or PC. Early Access is automatically granted to anyone who pre-orders the digital version of either of those editions of the game. Those who purchase the Standard edition of the game will not receive be able to start playing during the Early Access launch period. They will need to wait until the game officially launches on June 6.
The Deluxe Edition of Diablo 4 costs $89.99 and the Ultimate Edition of Diablo 4 costs $99.99. Though both editions of the game come with extra bonuses along with Early Access, those who plan to play the game on PS4 or Xbox One will have to pay the full “next-gen” price for every version of the game. At present, no discounts are available to those who only intend to play on those older platforms.
There are no other ways to join Diablo 4‘s Early Access launch period as of the time of this writing. While some special promotions will allow you to play the game ahead of its June 6 general public release in isolated settings, the only way to receive true Early Access is to pre-order the Deluxe or Ultimate editions of the game.
Diablo 4 Early Access: When Can You Install the Game?
Diablo 4‘s pre-load period will begin on May 30 at 4 p.m PDT, 6 p.m. CT, 7 p.m. EDT, 12 a.m. BST (June 1), 1 a.m. CEST (June 1), 8 a.m. JST (June 1), and 11 a.m. NZST (June 1).
As you can see, the pre-load schedule follows a similar structure to the Early Access schedule. Though everyone will be able to start pre-loading the game at the same basic time, natural differences in time zones will impact the exact time you can start installing Diablo 4. As before, though, anyone can figure out when they’ll be able to start installing the game by following that global release time schedule and applying it to their local time zone.
Anyone who pre-ordered any edition of Diablo 4 can start pre-loading the game on May 30. While only Deluxe and Ultimate Edition owners will be able to join the Early Access launch starting on June 1, everyone will be able to start installing the game well ahead of its June 6 launch.