The years of waiting are almost over: Starting today, pre-orderers can finally install the Diablo 4 beta and see for themselves the gritty open world Blizzard has built for the new action role-playing game. A week later, all other players can also get a taste of the open beta for a few days – regardless of whether you pre-order or not. All you need is a free Battle.net account, then you can try Diablo 4 on PC and all current consoles (except the Switch).
Blizzard has been stirring the advertising drum for days and weeks and has repeatedly published information about the open beta. Of course, we have also implemented a lot of this in our own articles, you can find an overview of our latest news about Diablo 4 here. But this FAQ article is only intended to deal with the open beta of Diablo 4: In order for you to keep an overview and get as much out of your playing time as possible, we have put together all the important facts and dates for you. For easier navigation you will find an overview here.
When do the two beta phases start and end?
The first beta weekend is only playable for pre-orderers. This early access begins on March 17, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. German time and ends on March 20 at 8:00 p.m.
The open beta for anyone interested starts on Friday, March 24, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. and ends three days later on March 27 at 9:00 p.m.
Also note that Blizzard cannot guarantee full playtime during the beta. Since it is still an unfinished version, there may be bugs, server failures and maintenance breaks that will affect your playtime.
I have a pre-order key! Where and how do I redeem it?
Visited diablo.com/beta, log in, or create a Battle.net account if you don’t already have one. Follow the instructions, enter your code and choose your desired platform. You then have to activate your key either in your Battle.net software (PC) or in the Playstation Store or Microsoft Store. We have more details about this here.
Preload: When can I download the beta?
The pre-order beta will be available to download starting March 15 at 5:00 p.m. The preload for the open beta will be possible from March 22 at 5 p.m. It goes without saying, but here’s another tip: If you’ve already downloaded the pre-order beta, you can of course also use the client for the second beta weekend. So you only have to download it once.
What platforms is the beta playable on?
You can play the Diablo 4 beta on all platforms where the final game will be released: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X. This time, the switch goes empty-handed.
The pre-order beta includes Barbarian, Wizard, and Hunter. On the second beta weekend you can also play Necromancer and Druid.
Source: Blizzard
How big is the download?
Playstation 5 and Xbox Series S/X accumulate around 75 GB of data. The versions for PS4 and Xbox One are significantly smaller at 37 GB. The default download on PC is 85GB, but you can roughly halve that size by unchecking high-res content before installing.
Is there cross play and cross progression?
Yes, there are both. So you can gamble with friends on different platforms. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a PC or a console, everyone is playing the same game, can form groups and so on. Cross progression is also possible, as your game progress is only saved in your Battle.net account. For example, you can play a character on PC and then switch to your PS5 where you can continue the adventure almost seamlessly. But note that you have to buy a separate version of the game for each platform.
Will my progress from the beta be saved?
No, all player data will be completely wiped after the beta. If Diablo 4 (buy now ) will be finished on June 6, 2023, so you will start again from scratch. However, your beta saves will be carried over from the first weekend to the next – so pre-orderers can pick up where they left off on the second weekend.
What classes are playable in the beta?
In early access you can choose from barbarian, magician and hunter. The two missing classes will also be playable during the Open Beta weekend, so you can also try your hand at Druid and Necromancer here. The character editor will also be fully included. You can create a maximum of 10 characters per Battle.net account.
In the character editor, you can design your heroes in a fairly detailed way. You have 10 slots available. But be careful: your beta characters cannot be transferred to the finished game.
Source: Blizzard
How far can I level my heroes in the beta?
The level cap in the open beta is level 25. This gives you the opportunity to try out many talents in the talent tree. However, the extensive Paragon system will not be available yet as this is an endgame feature.
What content is included in the beta?
You’re allowed to play through the prologue and the entire first act, and then jump into more activities after that. In the open beta, however, the entire open world is not available to you, you are limited to one area: you begin your adventure in the Shattered Peaks, which you can fully explore in the beta. The most important place here is the city of Kyovashad, where you can get your first quests, trade and craft. The scope may not sound like much, but in fact the beta should have a lot of content ready, since Diablo 4 should contain a lot more content than any other Diablo before it.
