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Blizzard Entertainment's long-awaited Diablo IV is slated to finally release on June 6. During last weekend's early access beta test period, the upcoming action-RPG proved itself to be a step in the right direction for the franchise, and fans who had the privilege of joining in expressed positive opinions about the game. In fact, many of those fans enjoyed the experience so much that they did not want to stop playing once the early access period ended.
Fortunately, Diablo IV is available again this weekend for an open beta test, this time one anyone can play. While progress won't carry over, this weekend's beta is definitely worthwhile for any fan of the series looking to see what's in store when the full game releases this summer.
When the Diablo 4 Beta Starts & End
The Diablo IV open beta is available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 from now until March 27 at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET. Unlike its early access period (which was only made accessible to those who preordered the game), this beta is free and available for anyone to join. The open beta will cover the game's Prologue and Act 1. Players will only be able to reach Level 25, but they can do so on each character class. While only a few classes were available during the early access period, every class is playable during the open beta, including Necromancer and the new Druid class.
How to Download and Play the Diablo IV Open Beta
Since the Diablo IV open beta has been made available to anyone, the developers at Blizzard Entertainment have asked everyone to expect long queue times and possible server issues. Aside from those potential problems, the open beta is fairly easy to download and access, although the process does vary between platforms. Keep in mind that anyone who participated in the early access period will have already received instructions on how to download and play the Diablo IV open beta, and while it will need an update, early access players will not be required to download the full game again.
To download and access the Diablo IV open beta on PC, first download the Battle.net desktop client and launch it. On the "All Games" page, click on Diablo IV to open its game page. Under "Game Version," click on the dropdown menu and select "Diablo IV - Beta." Finally, click the blue "Install" button, and the game will begin downloading. Once it has been fully downloaded, click "Play," and the game will launch. Also, be aware that Diablo IV has crossplay enabled, so PC players will be able to join console players on their adventure.
To download and access the Diablo IV open beta on PlayStation 4/5, navigate to the PlayStation Store, search for "Diablo IV," and select it to go to its page (a quick selection for the open beta may also be visible from the "What's Hot" section of the "Latest" tab in the store). From the game's page, select the ellipsis near "Wishlist" to pull up a menu, and select "Diablo IV - Open Beta" from there. Finally, select "Download," and the game will begin downloading. Once it has finished downloading, select "Play Game," and the game will launch.
To download and access the Diablo IV open beta on Xbox One/Series X|S, head to the Microsoft Store, search for "Diablo IV - Open Beta," and select its icon once it appears. From there, select "Install" to begin downloading the game. Once it has finished downloading, the Diablo IV open beta will be ready to play. Continue to keep in mind that there will most likely be a lengthy queue, as many players will be accessing the game at the same time this weekend.