'Diablo 4' Gets An Open Beta Date And Release Window

The much-awaited follow-up to the long-running "Diablo" series now has a soft launch date, with an open beta looming soon.

"Diablo 4" will supposedly launch as early as April 2023, as per the information gathered by EuroGamer. Additionally, an open beta will reportedly go live in February to stress test servers and other critical backend tech.

Previous games in the series also went on open beta before their final releases; "Diablo 3" was open to all players back in 2012, while "Diablo Immortal" was available to most PC players for one month before the 1.0 version was launched. The time restriction for the fourth game is yet to be revealed, but it may only be available for a weekend as well.

The developers are currently conducting a closed beta testing phase for a limited number of players, and it is set to end on Nov. 18, as per Game Rant.

Players chosen for this test include those who have spent time playing the endgame experiences across "Diablo" games. Due to an NDA, none of the testers are allowed to share any information regarding the beta, though it's safe to assume that they are given access to high-level gear, characters and activities.

Game Rant added that so far, reception regarding "Diablo 4's" current closed beta state has been mixed. Some players complained about uneven difficulty scaling across dungeons, while others have cited how the game's difficulty would abruptly spike to unnecessary levels.

Others have noted how the Necromancer class in particular suffered in high-level content due to how minion scaling works. However, these balance issues are expected to be resolved before the game officially launches.

Blizzard's flagship ARPG is returning to its roots, as far as aesthetics go, since it ditches the colorful tones of "Diablo 3" for a grittier looker. Everything from character and monster designs to the brutality of combat has all reverted to "Diablo 2's" mature and grim feel.

The largest pivot point in the franchise is the introduction of an MMO-style shared world where players can meet others randomly while exploring or questing, similar to how "Destiny 2" treats its sandbox.