Diablo 4 Beta: When and How to Participate

Diablo 4 is ready to enter its first public beta, and with it comes some doubt over the best method to get access to it. Who may participate in the beta, how to sign up, and when the servers open are all outlined here.

The anticipation for Diablo 4’s forthcoming Open Beta weekends, which will allow players early access to content from the prologue and Act 1 of Blizzard’s MMORPG dungeon-crawling franchise, continues to grow. Allowing crossplay between PC and many generations of Xbox and PlayStation consoles hasn’t been without its challenges, and those who acquired physical versions of the game but want to test out the Open Beta may find themselves with some extra homework first. Fortunately, this article serves as a cheat sheet for such gamers.

Start Date for Diablo 4 Open Beta

Diablo IV Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic, featuring a sleeping wolf puppy

Diablo 4’s Open Beta will be divided into two sections in March. The weekend of March 17th will be dedicated exclusively for Diablo 4 pre-ordered gamers, while the weekend of March 24th will be free for all users across all platforms. Every weekend officially starts at 12:00 EST.

Blizzard may reward early adopters and novices to the series by separating the Open Beta in this manner. New players will appreciate the risk-free way of testing out the game, allowing them to determine if they like it before purchasing. Pre-ordered players will also have twice as much time to comb the beta for content, leveling up and equipping their characters ahead of those who did not pre-order and collecting cosmetic goodies specific to the beta.

The Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic item, which is a bag containing a real, sleeping wolf pups, is particularly noteworthy (pictured above). This is, of course, a necessary resource if one wants to kill their way through Hell’s armies.

Blizzard has announced that gamers will be able to preload Diablo 4 on their preferred platform before the Open Beta begins, but has not defined when this would be accessible. According to the company’s website, this functionality will be available “when the Open Beta and Early Access weekends grow closer,” with a promise of a more definite time and date in the future.

How to Register for the March 17 Pre-Purchase Weekend

When it comes to participating in the Open Beta, whether the user pre-purchased Diablo 4 physically or digitally makes a difference. Gamers that bought the game digitally through Battle.net, the Xbox Games Store, or the PlayStation Shop are instantly enrolled and do not need to do anything more before downloading the game.

Enrolling in the Open Beta needs a few additional procedures for gamers who pre-purchased physical versions of the game.

Go to Diablo 4 website’s page for the Open Beta
Log in or create a Battle.net account.
Choose the “Redeem Code” prompt.
Scroll down to the “Enter Your Code Here” area.
Enter the Diablo 4 code found on your receipt.
Choose the platform (and, for PlayStation users, the region) for which the purchase was made.
Choose the “Redeem”prompt.
When sent to a “success” page, confirm your successful redemption.

PC users who successfully redeem their code will be enrolled in the Open Beta, which will commence on March 17th through the Battle.net app. While Blizzard has confirmed that Xbox and PlayStation users would receive their beta keys via the email address associated with their Battle.net accounts, the company has not committed to a precise date other than “closer to the launch of Early Access.”

Regardless of the version of the game or the system on which it was purchased, all players who pre-purchase Diablo 4 will have full access to the March 17th weekend Open Beta.

In addition to purchasing Diablo 4 traditionally, KFC has announced a brand arrangement marketing the game, lowering the barrier to entry for those who have not yet committed to purchase Diablo 4 in full. Consumers who buy a Double Down sandwich through the KFC app or website will receive a coupon for the Open Beta weekend on March 17th.

Diablo 4 will enter public beta on March 17 and will be released in its entirety on June 6 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5.

Source: Blizzard.com, @KFC on Twitter