With the release of Diablo 4, Blizzard may finally announce open beta details. More than 11 decades following the launch of Diablo 3, the much-anticipated sequel is finally arriving in only four months. However, Blizzard could be kind and provide a preview of the upcoming Diablo title to its loyal fan base before its June release. It’s possible that the public beta’s reach and launch window for Diablo 4 may soon be revealed.
Though no details have been revealed, Blizzard has already alluded to the prospect of a public beta. During Diablo 4’s private beta, Blizzard said that the game’s open testing stage was being targeted for some time in early 2023. It’s unclear what Blizzard had in mind for 2022, given the uncertainty surrounding Diablo 4’s delivery timeline. What was necessary for testing back then may not be at all what is needed today.
Yet, Diablo’s operations manager Rod Fergusson has hinted that an official statement about Blizzard’s development may be forthcoming. A fan of the franchise wanted to see whether Fergusson knew anything about rumors of a Diablo 4 open beta, so they sent him a direct post on Twitter. While Fergusson can’t provide any details just yet, he does promise that “Soon!” After that, he makes a playful inquiry as to whether this month has any “gaming moments” scheduled during which such an announcement may be made.
Given Fergusson’s absence of nuance, it’s safe to assume that Blizzard will provide specifics about the open beta for Diablo 4 at some point in February. It’s hardly surprising that Diablo 4 will be present at IGN’s Fan Fest 2023, which was revealed just this past week. Event dates are February 17–18, and attendees will get sneak peeks at a number of future blockbusters. Therefore, it is an ideal venue for the release of the open beta for Diablo 4.
It’s conceivable that Fergusson is making reference to something else that will happen in February or shortly afterward. A PlayStation Presentation, which may take place in February, would be an ideal venue for the reveal of Diablo 4. Nevertheless, it appears less plausible than the IGN gathering, given that no PlayStation gathering has been planned.
With the release of Diablo 4 set for June 6, as well as the IGN event happening in late February, the open beta might take place anytime over the three-month period around March and May. Earlier, Blizzard said that public testing would begin in early 2023. Fans of the Diablo series could get to check out Diablo 4 as early as March, or at the very latest, the Q2 of 2023.
