Here’s The Exact Time The ‘Diablo IV’ Beta Starts And Everything You Need To Know

The Diablo IV beta is almost here at long last! It’s been over a decade since Diablo III launched. That game released to controversy with the much-loathed auction house souring most everyone’s feelings toward Blizzard’s latest action-RPG. The game itself sold over 10 million copies and was met with positive, but still somewhat lukewarm, feedback from gamers and critics. There was much to love, but the game’s tone felt weirdly cartoonish compared to its grimdark predecessor.

Diablo IV looks to take the best aspects of Diablo III and give the game a darker, grittier feel. It is, after all, a game about terrifying demons in a world on the brink of cataclysm. Here’s everything you need to know about the Diablo IV beta weekends.

Diablo IV Beta Weekend 1 Start-Time (Early Access)

The first Diablo IV beta weekend is for anyone who has pre-ordered the game on PC (via Battle.net), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 and PS5. This Early Access beta start and end-times are:

• Beta Starts: Friday March 17th, 9am PT / 12pm ET
• Beta Ends: Monday March 20th, 12pm PT / 3pm ET

Pre-loading for this weekend begins Wednesday, March 15th at 9am PT / 12pm ET.

Diablo IV Beta Weekend 2 Start-Time (Open Beta)

The second Diablo IV beta weekend is for anybody on all the above platforms, whether or not you’ve pre-ordered the game. Maybe you’ve never even played a Diablo game before and just want to try it out. Here are the times:

• Beta Starts: March 24th, 9am PT / 12pm ET
• Beta Ends: March 27th, 12pm PT / 3pm ET

You can pre-load the game for this second weekend on Wednesday, March 22nd at 9am PT / 12pm ET.

Diablo IV Beta Content

Both betas include the game’s prologue and first Act. For the first weekend, only the Rogue, Barbarian and Sorcerer will be available. The second weekend will include the Druid and Necromancer classes as well. Characters will not transfer to the main game when it releases on June 6th.

Players will, however, get some fun rewards for participating in the beta, including a very cute, not-very-grim dog backpack.

Diablo IV Multiplayer

Couch co-op and online multiplayer co-op will both be available during both beta weekends, so you can team up with friends and strangers to take down the demonic hordes. And if you’re feeling extra spicey, you can try out a World Boss fight against Ashava at specific times:

• March 18th at 10am, 12pm, 10pm and midnight PT.
• March 25th at the same times.

If you’re hoping to play with friends on other platforms, the good news is that Diablo IV is cross-play both at launch and during the beta.

Stay tuned for more Diablo IV coverage, analysis and shenanigans here at my blog or subscribe to my YouTube channel. You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Will you be playing the Diablo IV beta this weekend or next? Let me know!