Diablo 4 open beta set for early 2023 as Blizzard announces closed end game beta coming "soon"

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The closed beta is only open to players who have played Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 3's end-game recently

A gang of Diablo 4's ghouls hurtle towards the screen
(Image credit: Blizzard)

The first Diablo 4 open beta has been confirmed for early 2023, with a closed end-game beta due out this year.

We don't have a lot of details about the Diablo 4 open beta just yet, but Blizzard breaks down what to expect from this year's closed beta in a blog post. The test will give a limited number of players the chance to experience Diablo 4's end-game – that is, the grind that happens after you complete the main campaign – on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. Cross-play and cross-progression will be supported.

Blizzard says it'll start sending out closed beta invites this year to players "who have recently spent significant amounts of time playing the end-game experiences of Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 3." So unless you've completed those games' campaigns and have also spent a good chunk of time in pinnacle activities, you probably won't be selected for this year's closed beta.

Everyone selected to join the first Diablo 4 beta will need to sign an NDA preventing them from discussing their experience or sharing any footage publicly. Even still, I'd be very surprised if nothing leaked at this point. Just yesterday, 40 minutes of Diablo 4 gameplay leaked merely hours after a gargantuan GTA 6 leak set a new record for the biggest leak ever at Rockstar. The potential for leaks will always increase with any sort of testing, even if it's closed off to a select few.

It's unclear exactly when Blizzard will start sending out closed beta invites, but the deadline to sign into your account and opt-in is October 11, so one would assume invites will go out shortly after that. If you don't get an invite by November 18, that means you're out of luck for now.

Luckily, Blizzard also confirmed today that open betas will start early next year, so if you miss out this time, you'll have another opportunity in a few months.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.