After many, many years of waiting, Diablo 4 (opens in new tab) will finally be playable soon. The first of two Diablo 4 betas starts in a little over two weeks. The Diablo 4 early access and open beta periods take place over two weekends. It will give you a chance to try each of the game’s five classes and explore its initial open world area.
Blizzard says (opens in new tab) you might “encounter performance issues, outages, and come across things that simply don’t work,” during the betas. It provided system requirements for PC players that are listed below.
Level 25 will be the max level for the beta, but as long as you raise one character to level 20, you’ll get cosmetic rewards to use in the full game in June. The beta will be limited to the Fractured Peaks, one of five regions that make up Diablo 4’s open world. The prologue and first act of the game takes place in the snowy, mountainous zone and eventually leads you to Kyovashad, the capital city.
I played through the Fractured Peaks during my Diablo 4 preview last year, and, wow, it’s grim up there. Sanctuary got Thanos snapped at the end of Diablo 3 and very few people remain. There are dilapidated and deserted settlements all over and plenty of dungeons and sidequests to complete. The game’s big world bosses will be available at to-be-announced times during the beta for powerful loot, too.
When does the Diablo 4 beta start?
The Diablo 4 early access beta for players who pre-ordered the game will start on Friday, March 17 at 9 am PT and will end on Monday, March 20 at 12 pm PT. For this beta, you’ll be able to choose from three classes: Barbarian, Rogue, and Sorcerer.
The second Diablo 4 open beta will be available to everyone. If you play the first beta, your progress will carry over, too. The open beta will start on Friday, March 24 at 9 am PT and end on Monday, March 27 at 12 pm PT. Barbarian, Rogue, and Sorcerer will be available to play once again, but it will also include the Necromancer and the Druid.
Here are the dates and available classes to play:
- Early access beta: March 17 – 20 — Barbarian, Rogue, and Sorcerer
- Open beta: March 24 – 27 — Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer, Necromancer and Druid
What are the Diablo 4 beta rewards?
- Initial Casualty title for reaching Kyovashad with one character
- Early Voyager title for reaching level 20 on one character
- Beta wolf pack cosmetic item for reaching level 20 on one character
What are the Diablo 4 system requirements?
Minimum (1080p, 720p render resolution, low graphics settings, 30 fps)
- CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K or AMD FX 8100
- RAM: 8 GB RAM
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or AMD RAdeon R9 280
- Storage: 45 GB available space
Recommended (1080p, medium graphics settings, 60 fps)
- CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K or AMD R3 1300X
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 370
- Storage: 45 GB available space