Diablo IV Open Beta Begins in March, Blizzard Confirms: Details

Diablo IV is getting a pair of beta test sessions next month. As per developer Blizzard, those who pre-ordered the title gain early access from March 17–19, granting a deeper look into the early game, which includes the Prologue and Act 1. In the following week, from March 24–26, all players can participate in the open beta period and experience the might of the Burning Hells, albeit levelling will be capped off at 25. The upcoming Diablo 4 also bears a battle pass system focused on cosmetics and is slated to release June 6 on PC and consoles.

Both beta periods will offer a first taste of the Diablo IV campaign, as players will get to explore the snowy tundras of the Fractured Peaks and face numerous demons prowling in the dark. While there is no specific mention of how long this region will take to clear, Blizzard claims that Act 1 content will be present in its entirety. Though, since it's a beta, better expect minor performance issues and outages. All feedback collected from the open beta periods will be evaluated to make final tweaks for when the game launches. During IGN's Fan Fest event, the studio also dropped a cinematic that served as a peek into the secluded, icy ranges, on which a custom-created weary traveller stumbles onto a mysterious, bloodthirsty foe. Blizzard also iterated that any progress made during the beta will not be carried over to the full purchase.

According to IGN, any custom character you create will be featured in multiple cinematics in exact likeness, depending on what cosmetics and appearance you set in the character creator screen. As stated before, Diablo 4 includes a battle pass system, covering a variety of clothing choices, tattoos, weapons, hairstyles, and emotes. However, it is divided into two parts: Free and Premium. The former is open to all and provides gameplay boosts to all players, depending on what challenges you complete. The Premium version costs $10 (about Rs. 827) worth of in-game currency and is solely focused on aesthetics. That said, Blizzard hasn't revealed if one could use any gameplay-unlocked currency to purchase further versions of the battle pass.

These items can be unlocked within three months since they first show up on the battle pass, after which Diablo IV begins its new season. This implies that each season will run for three months — a fairly common practice. The latest instalment in the Diablo franchise also adds a new Necromancer class, wherein players can summon and command corpses to perform evil deeds on its vast, semi-open-world map and face demons such as Lilith, the Queen of the Succubi.

Diablo IV releases June 6 on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. The beta will be accessible across all platforms.