Diablo 4 is about to enter its first public beta, and with the excitement comes some uncertainty about the best way to access it. Who can play the beta, how to enroll in it, and when the servers open are all explained below.
Hype continues to mount for Diablo 4's upcoming Open Beta weekends, which will give players early access to content from the prologue and Act 1 of the next entry in Blizzard's MMORPG dungeon-crawling series. Enabling crossplay between PC and multiple generations of Xbox and PlayStation consoles hasn't come without its growing pains, however, and those who'd ordered physical editions of the game but want to try out the Open Beta may find themselves with some extra homework first. Thankfully, this guide is here to be those players' cheat sheet.
Diablo 4 Open Beta Start Date
The Open Beta to Diablo 4 will be split into two phases this March. The weekend of Friday, March 17th, will be reserved exclusively for players who have pre-purchased Diablo 4, while the weekend of Friday, March 24th, will be free for all users across all platforms. Each weekend officially begins at noon EST.
By splitting the Open Beta this way, Blizzard can reward early adopters and newcomers to the series. New players will enjoy a risk-free means of trying the game out, letting them decide if they like the game before they buy. Players who had pre-ordered will likewise be given twice as long to scour the beta for content, leveling up and equipping their characters ahead of those who skipped pre-ordering and earning cosmetic rewards exclusive to the beta.
Of particular note is the Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic item unlocked by reaching level 20, which is a backpack holding a live, sleeping wolf puppy (pictured above). This is, of course, an essential resource if one is to slaughter their way through the forces of Hell.
Blizzard has confirmed that players will be able to preload Diablo 4 to the platform of their choosing before the Open Beta launches but has not specified precisely when this will become possible. The company's site advertises that this feature will come online "as the Open Beta and Early Access weekends get closer," with a promise of a more specific time and date in the future.
How to Access the March 17 Pre-Purchase Weekend
Depending on whether the player pre-purchased Diablo 4 physically or digitally makes a difference when it comes to enrolling in the Open Beta. Players who have purchased the game digitally through Battle.net, the Xbox Games Store, or PlayStation Store are automatically enrolled and require no further action before downloading the game.
For players who pre-purchased physical editions of the game, enrolling in the Open Beta requires a few more steps.
- Open the Diablo 4 website's page for the Open Beta
- Log in or register for a Battle.net account
- Select the "Redeem Code" prompt
- Scroll down to the field reading "Enter Your Code Here"
- Input the code attached to your receipt for Diablo 4
- Select the platform (and region for PlayStation users) for which the purchase was made
- Select the "Redeem" prompt
- Confirm your successful redemption when redirected to a "success" page
After successfully redeeming their code, PC players will be enrolled in the Open Beta and may launch it beginning March 17th from the Battle.net app. Xbox and PlayStation players will, unfortunately, need to remain patient at this time, as while Blizzard has confirmed these players will be sent their beta keys via the email tied to their Battle.net accounts, the company has not committed yet to a date more specific than "closer to the start of Early Access."
All players pre-purchasing Diablo 4 have full access to the March 17th weekend Open Beta, regardless of the edition of the game or for which console it was purchased.
In addition to conventionally purchasing Diablo 4, KFC has announced a brand deal promoting the game, creating a lower barrier to entry for players who have not yet committed to buying Diablo 4 in full. Customers ordering a Double Down sandwich via the KFC app or website will be rewarded with a code for the March 17th Open Beta weekend.
Diablo 4 enters public beta on March 17 and launches in full on June 6 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5.
Source: Blizzard.com, @KFC on Twitter