Here is all the information you’ll need for the upcoming Diablo 4 beta, both for this weekend’s Early Access part and next weekend’s open one, with sections updated today including information on early download times and more!
Diablo 4 Open Beta (Source)
Attention: This blog was updated on March 13 with additional information about the Diablo IV Open Beta and our upcoming Community Play Livestream. The below red font text signifies new information.
Gather around, wanderer. Your desire to combat Lilith’s legions in Diablo IV can be played out during our Open Beta and Early Access weekends—available on Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. Those who have pre-purchased Diablo IV will receive Early Access to the Open Beta from March 17–19. On the following weekend, the Open Beta will be available to everyone from March 24–26.
Journal
Early Access Beta Code Redemption
Open Beta Focus
During both the Open Beta and Early Access weekends, players will be able to intimately explore the early game of Diablo IV. This includes a first taste of the campaign via the Prologue and the entirety of Act 1. The first zone, Fractured Peaks, is yours to navigate as you please—stampede through the rugged landscape and cut down demons.
For the Open Beta and Early Access weekends, your character can only level up to Level 25, but you’re welcome to continue ripping through demons until the Open Beta ends. Make your mark on Sanctuary by clearing hellish hordes from dungeons, completing intriguing quests provided by the locals, and amassing powerful loot from fallen foes.
Simply put, this is your opportunity to combat the might of the Burning Hells prior to our June 6 release. With that said, the experience is not finalized and you may encounter performance issues, outages, and come across things that simply don’t work. After the Open Beta concludes, we’ll evaluate all feedback we’ve received and will make changes as needed. We look forward to you experiencing this small taste of what Diablo IV has to offer.
If you have not already pre-purchased a copy of Diablo IV for your platform of choice and want to get Early Access to the Open Beta, visit here.*
Open Beta Details
Open Beta and Early Access Weekends Duration
Early Access to the Open Beta begins March 17 at 9 a.m. PDT and concludes March 20 at 12 p.m. PDT.
The Open Beta begins March 24 at 9 a.m. PDT and concludes March 27 at 12 p.m. PDT.
As the Open Beta and Early Access weekends get closer, the ability to Early Download the game will become available. We’ll update this section with that information in the future.
Assume Your Role
During the Early Access weekend, players will have access to three classes. Assume the role of the battle-bred Barbarian, nimble Rogue, or elementally tuned Sorcerer. Once the Open Beta weekend comes around, the earthen Druid and undead-wielding Necromancer classes can also be played in addition to the original three.
A maximum of 10 characters can be made per Battle.net account. After reaching Level 25 with one character, we recommend you try repelling demonic hordes with additional classes to find your favorite. While progress will transfer from Early Access to Open Beta weekends, all characters made during these weekends will be deleted once the Beta ends.
Decimate Demons with Co-Op
On all consoles that support Diablo IV, via couch co-op, players can enlist a second demon slayer to combat the ranks of Hell screen-by-screen with. To play using couch co-op during the Early Access weekend, only one player will be required to have official access to this experience—the second player will need to have their Battle.net and console-specific accounts linked.
The strength of the Burning Hells knows no bounds. But you can even the odds by rallying a party of demon-destroyers via online 4-player co-op. To play this way during the Early Access weekend, all players, excluding those playing via couch co-op, will be required to have official access to this experience.
Note that vanquishing demons while near any player will grant you 5% bonus experience and 10% if you are near a member of your party.
Discover Fractured Peaks
Fractured Peaks is home to craggy steppes and snow-laden pathways, creating an unforgiving landscape rife with demons to slay and secrets to discover. This is where your wanderer’s legend is forged. After completing the prologue, the Fractured Planes will be yours to explore as you wish. There’s much to experience even in this small slice of Sanctuary, so we wanted to call out a few activities of interest.
Nestled among the mountains is the city of Kyovashad, a safe zone where you can repair and purchase new gear, upgrade your health potion, access the Stash, and much more. Think of the city as your base of operations between excursions into the frigid expanse of the zone.
The Main Questline of Diablo IV is rich and consists of multiple Acts. Look for Main Questline markers on your map to begin your pursuit of Lilith. Additionally, there are numerous Side Quests to embark upon throughout Fractured Peaks during your travels. If you find yourself slaying demons near the town of Nevesk, check out the Woodsman of Nevesk Side Quest and one of the nearby Altars of Lilith. Created by Lilith’s first children, these Altars are spread throughout Sanctuary. Finding them provides a permanent boost to the Core Stats of all characters on the Eternal Realm.
While trudging through the snow, you may come across World and Legion Events. World Events are small experiences that arise at random within the zone and may require you to do things such as escorting a lost soul to its loved one or satiate the hunger of bloodthirsty obelisks. World Events can usually be completed within a couple of minutes and are completely optional, but they always provide a reward for your heroics. There are many World Events for you to discover during the Open Beta, try completing them with other players, too.
In contrast, Legion Events are longer experiences meant to challenge you. Ensure you are prepared to overcome hordes of demons before entering them, and if you’re able, take them on with the aid of other players. These events will usually be marked on your map but are sometimes revealed after conquering a Stronghold. With risk comes reward—complete a Legion Event and you’ll be rewarded handsomely for prevailing. These events are optional and can be completed more than once.
Dungeons are a cornerstone of the Diablo universe. Diablo IV, and this Open Beta has no shortage of them to explore. Dungeons and their recommended Level to complete are displayed on your map. These are tight, tense instances where determination and skill will guide you to victory over whatever hell you discover within. Dungeons are a great place to put your skills to the test while also racking up useful gear for even more threatening encounters, such as world bosses.
Combat Massive World Bosses
Daring wanderers seeking a sizeable challenge should look no further—Ashava, a whirlwind of pestilence, has recently emerged in Fractured Peaks. Journal entries recounting sightings of this gargantuan plague bearer make note of her two massive forearm blades and ability to coat the ground in a viscous poison. Her blades, which can cleanly cut through stone and flesh alike, are to be feared. Records appear to mention a way to weaken Ashava, but unfortunately that portion of the page has corroded away.
It is thought that one wanderer alone cannot bring this beast to its knees. Come prepared for an intense fight and recruit your friends and other players to pursue the ultimate glory of conquering one of the Burning Hells’ most heinous creations to date. Should you find a path to victory, a sizeable loot drop awaits.
Here’s when you’ll have an opportunity to combat Ashava during the Open Beta and Early Access weekends:
March 18 at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight PDT
March 25 at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight PDT
Play the Open Beta, Lead the Pack
It wouldn’t be a trip to Sanctuary without earning a cache of unique rewards along the way. As you play Diablo IV during the Open Beta and Early Access weekends, showcase your wanderer’s prowess by collecting all three Open Beta rewards. Players who unlock these rewards will receive them once Diablo IV launches.
Initial Casualty Title: earned by reaching Kyovashad with one character.
Early Voyager Title: earned by reaching Level 20 on one character.
Beta Wolf Pack Cosmetic Item: earned by reaching Level 20 on one character.
Open Beta PC Specs
Knowing if your PC is also ready to reclaim Sanctuary from Lilith’s legions is crucial. We have provided both the minimum and recommended requirements for PC to point you in the right direction. During both the Open Beta and at launch, Diablo IV will not support ray tracing, but this is a feature we plan to add sometime after launch.
Minimum Requirements for PC*
Settings to run the Diablo IV Open Beta at 1080p native resolution / 720p render resolution, low graphics settings, 30 fps.
Operating System: 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 available space
Internet: Broadband Connection
Recommended Specifications for PC
Settings to run the Diablo IV Beta at 1080p resolution, medium graphics settings, 60fps.
Operating System: 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 available space
Internet: Broadband Connection
*Diablo IV will attempt to run on hardware below minimum specifications, including HDDs, dual-core CPUs, and Integrated GPUs. However, the game experience may be significantly diminished.
Note: A Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus subscription will not be required to play Diablo IV during the Open Beta and Early Access weekends in most regions. In Germany, a PlayStation Plus subscription will be required due to ratings requirements. Once Diablo IV launches, a Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus subscription will be required to access some of the game’s multiplayer features.
Open Beta Early Download
Prepare yourself for the descent into Hell by downloading the Diablo IV Beta early.
Early Access: Early Download begins Wednesday, March 15 at 9 a.m. PDT
Open Beta: Early Download begins Wednesday, March 22 at 9 a.m. PDT
Players who have already downloaded for Early Access do not need to download again for Open Beta.
How To Early Download Diablo IV Open Beta
PC
Launch the Battle.net client. If Diablo IV is not already in your Favorites bar, you can add it by clicking on the + icon. Alternatively, you can find Diablo IV by accessing the All Games page. You’ll see Diablo IV at the top of the list.
Once you get to the Diablo IV Game Page. Click the blue button that says Install. The game will install and once it’s available, click Play to Launch.
Xbox
Launch the Xbox Store and search for Diablo IV–Open Beta. Select Download.
PlayStation
Launch the PlayStation Store and search for Diablo IV Open Beta. Select Download.
Share Your Journey in the Diablo IV Forums
Starting on March 17, wanderers across all platforms can casually talk about Diablo IV, report bugs, and provide feedback in our new Diablo IV forums. Once the forums go live, visit our homepage and click on the forums tab in the upper left corner to become a part of our incredible Diablo IV community. We’ll see you there!
Early Access Beta Code Redemption
Do you have a Beta Early Access code** for Diablo IV? It’s time to redeem it! If you pre-purchased the game digitally, Early Access to the Open Beta will be automatically available on the platform you pre-purchased for—no further action is required of you. But for those with an Early Access code, instructions are listed below. More information on how to download the Beta will be available as the Beta draws near.
Redemption Instructions
Go to diablo.com/beta and log in or create your Battle.net account.
Enter your code and select your gaming platform and region (if applicable) from the drop-down menu.
Be sure to check your selections before clicking the Redeem button.
A success page will confirm that your code was valid and claimed to the account.
For PC players, your account will be flagged for access right away.
For console players, a platform-specific code to download the Beta will be emailed to the address associated with your Battle.net account closer to the start of Early Access.
Community Play Livestream
On March 24 at 11 a.m. PDT, we’ll gather members of the development team for our first Community Play Livestream. Join us to gleam tips and tricks from creators of the game as we play through some of the Open Beta content live! We’ll update this section with the livestream’s start time in the future.
Inarius Premium Statue
“I am Sanctuary, and Sanctuary is I! You seek to fight the very world itself when you seek to stand against me.”
-Inarius
Invite the defender of Sanctuary into your home—get the defiant Diablo IV Inarius 26 in Premium Statue. This renegade angel will be available now from the Blizzard Gear Store.
*Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of the Beta subject to change. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only. Internet connection required. Battle.net account required.
**Note that your Diablo IV Beta Early Access code can only be claimed once and is non-replaceable.
