Diablo 4 beta start time, release date and end schedule
Play Diablo 4 for free this weekend.
The Diablo 4 Open Beta is out today and will let fans try out Blizzard's highly anticipated RPG for free. Following an Early Access test last week which was only available to those that pre-ordered Diablo 4, an Open Beta is being held this weekend for everyone on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Battle.net.
The Diablo 4 beta will let players take the first new Diablo game in over a decade for a test run ahead of its June release date. If you're thinking of jumping in we've rounded up everything you need to know about the Diablo 4 Open Beta.
We've got details below on the release date and start times for regions around the world, the time that preload begins, a step-by-step guide on how to access the Diablo 4 beta and the exact time that the Diablo 4 beta ends.
What is the Diablo 4 beta release date?
The Diablo 4 Open Beta launches on Friday 24 March 2023 at 4pm UK time.
Here's the start times for different time zones:
- 9am PDT
- 12pm EDT
- 4pm GMT
- 5pm CET
When does the Diablo 4 beta end?
The Diablo 4 Open Beta ends on Sunday 26 March at 12am PDT, 3pm EDT, 7pm GMT and 8pm CET.
Like the Early Access test, the Open Beta runs for just over two days.
Give. Them. Hell. Jump into the #DiabloIV Open Beta this weekend: https://diablo4.com
— Diablo (@diablo) March 20, 2023
When does preload begin for the Diablo 4 beta?
If you want to prepare for the Diablo 4 Open Beta release date, you can preload the beta app in advance.
This will save you precious time once the beta officially gets underway and avoid having to download the app on day one.
To preload on Xbox and PlayStation you simply have to search for 'Diablo IV Open Beta' on the relevant stores. While on PC you can access it via the Diablo 4 game page on Battle.net.
The Diablo 4 Open Beta preload launches on Wednesday 22 March at 9am PDT, 12pm EDT, 4pm GMT and 5pm CET.
How to download the Diablo 4 beta
To download the Diablo 4 beta on PlayStation or Xbox console you'll simply have to head to the PlayStation Store or Xbox Store and search for 'Diablo IV Open Beta' and then select 'Download'.
To help you find the apps quicker, here's the Diablo IV - Open Beta PlayStation download page and the Diablo IV - Open Beta Xbox download page.
If you're on PC, you'll have to go through a few more steps. To start with, launch the Battle.net client. If the game isn't in your favourites bar add it by clicking the + icon. You can also find Diablo 4 in the All Games page at the top. Once you're on the Diablo 4 game page select the dropdown menu under Game Version. Choose 'Diablo IV - Beta' and then click the blue Install button. Once it's installed click 'Play to Launch'.
Diablo 4 beta rewards
If you take part in either of the Diablo 4 beta tests, you'll unlock three exclusive rewards you can show off in the full game.
These rewards are:
- Initial Casualty Title: This reward is earned by reaching Kyovashad with one character.
- Early Voyager Title: This reward unlocks when you reach Level 20 with one character.
- Beta Wolf Pack Cosmetic Item: This reward becomes available by reaching Level 20 with one character.
What to expect from the Diablo 4 beta
The Diablo 4 beta will let you play the opening stages of the game, which are the Prologue and Act 1.
The opening zone of Diablo 4, known as the Fractured Peaks, will be yours to explore as you please.
While this is just a small slice of The Sanctuary there is still a lot you can experience and there are some key points of interest you'll want to look out for.
The mountain city of Kyovashad is a safe zone where you can repair and purchase new gear, upgrade your health potion and more. It will act as your base in between your excursions into the Fractured Peaks and Fractured Planes.
In terms of missions, in the Diablo 4 beta players will be able to experience the Main Questline which consists of multiple Acts. There are special markers for these quests.
Besides this, there's also Side Quests like the Woodsman of Nevesk. You'll also want to lookout for Altars of Lilith which offer stat boosts.
During the Diablo 4 beta players could also come across World and Legion Events. World Events are small experiences that happen at random and can be completed in a couple of minutes. Legion Events are longer experiences that are meant to challenge you.
Speaking of challenges, you'll also be able to test your mettle against bosses.
One of these, Ashava, has ventured into the Fractured Peaks and will be available in the Diablo 4 beta.
Here's when you can face off against Ashava in the Open Beta:
Saturday 25 March
- PDT: 10am, 12pm and 10pm
- EDT: 1pm and 3pm
- GMT: 5pm and 7pm
- CET: 6pm and 8pm
Sunday 26 March
- PDT: 12am
- EDT: 1am and 3am
- GMT: 5am and 7am
- CET: 6am and 8am
Of course, in addition to all of this the Diablo 4 beta will also let players do plenty of dungeon crawling.
Dungeons are a central feature of Diablo games, and there will be plenty of dungeons to explore in the beta. Dungeons and their recommended Level will be displayed on the in-game map.
In terms of what else to expect from the Diablo 4 beta, let's move onto character creation next.
In the Early Access test, players were only able to choose from three classes when creating a character - Barbarian, Rogue and Sorcerer. These classes will be available in the Open Beta alongside two others - Druid and Necromancer.
There is also a level cap for each character, with players only able to reach a maximum of Level 25 per character.
However, you can create a maximum of 10 characters per Battle.net account. So once you've hit the level cap with one character you can create another with a different class.
Progress from the Early Access beta will carry over to the Open Beta, but you won't be able to carry over any progress from to the full game. For more on this check out our guide to Diablo 4 beta progression.
You can play the Diablo 4 beta in three different ways: as a single player experience, with two players in couch co-op or with four players online.
Do you need PS Plus or Xbox Live to play the Diablo 4 beta?
In most regions you won't need a PS Plus, Xbox Live or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play the Diablo 4 beta on consoles.
The only exception to this rule is Germany, where you will need to be signed up to PlayStation Plus because of a ratings requirement.
Once Diablo 4 launches you will need access to PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold for the full game's multiplayer features.
Diablo 4 beta PC specs
Blizzard has provided both minimum and recommended specs for the Diablo 4 beta on PC. It's important to note that in the beta ray tracing won't be supported but this is a feature that will be added sometime after the full game launches.
Diablo 4 will also attempt to run on PCs which have lower than the minimum specs but the experience may be significantly affected.
Minimum PC specs
Settings to run the Diablo 4 beta at 1080p native resolution / 720p render resolution, on low graphics settings at 30fps.
- Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8100
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 280
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: SSD with 45 GB available space
- Internet: Broadband Connection
- Recommended Specifications for PC
Recommended PC specs
Settings to run the Diablo 4 beta at 1080p resolution, medium graphics settings and 60fps.
- Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD R3-1300X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: SSD with 45 GB available space
- Internet: Broadband Connection
Sounds great, anything else I need to know?
It's important to note that since Diablo 4 is currently in beta testing, players could encounter performance issues, bugs with things not working as they should, and server outages.
When the Diablo 4 Early Access launched last week, servers were hit hard with lengthy queues as players flocked to play it. In statements published on the official Diablo forum, Blizzard said they were working hard to address the server issues.
Amid the server issues the Diablo 4 makers said: "We are actively working on these issues for this weekend. Once these are resolved we will be able to increase the influx of players and queue times will be significantly reduced."
Also, Blizzard had previously planned to hold a Community Play live stream on the Diablo 4 Open Beta launch day which would have brought together members of the game's dev team.
The creators of the game had originally planned to offer tips and tricks on how to play the Open Beta during the stream.
Unfortunately, this event has now been cancelled. The news was revealed by Adam Fletcher, the Global Community Development Director for Diablo.
Fletcher tweeted: "FYI - We had to cancel our livestream Play w/ the Devs plans for this weekend. We wanted to make sure we were all hands on deck for the beta.
I promise in the future we will all play w/ @tiffanykarlei @NickChilano @Wraithia3D and @MikeHershberg soon! They are great!"
Diablo 4 has a release date of Tuesday 6 June 2023 but if you pre-order the Deluxe or Ultimate editions you'll get four days early access starting Friday 2 June 2023. If you're thinking of jumping into the beta ahead of the game's full launch head to our Diablo 4 beta tier list and our guides on the Diablo 4 Secret of the Spring riddle and Diablo 4 waypoint locations to help prepare you for this week's big test. Or for more Diablo 4 content find out everything we know so far about Diablo 4, the latest Diablo 4 server news and read some thoughts on why you should play Diablo 4 on Hardcore mode.
