IGN Fan Fest was in full swing today and one of the big announcements to come from it was the open beta dates and details for Diablo IV. Fans can experience an early preview of the highly anticipated action RPG through Open Beta and Early Access weekends on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.
There are currently two weekends set aside for Diablo IV's beta. The first is an Early Access period for those who have pre-purchased Diablo IV, running from March 17 - March 19. The following week will be the Open Beta Weekend, available to everyone regardless of pre-purchase status, from March 24 - March 26.
The Open Beta weekends will provide players with a deep look into the early game of Diablo IV, including the Prologue and the entirety of Act 1. This will take you through the game's first zone, Fractured Peaks. Although you're free to explore this early zone as much as you'd like, there will be a level cap of 25. Although not confirmed, it's unlikely that your progress will carry over into the game's full release later this year. More details on Diablo IV's beta will be shared during the next developer livestream on February 28.
In addition to the open beta dates, Blizzard also shared the opening cinematic of Diablo IV. In typical Blizzard and Diablo fashion, the cinematic is visually stunning and does an incredible job of setting the dark and ominous tone for the adventure to come. Check out the cinematic video below.
Diablo IV game director Joe Shely sat down with IGN to drop an amazing surprise. Diablo IV's cinematics will feature your very own created character.
While Diablo's cinematics has always been incredible, they've always been pre-rendered. With Diablo IV featuring a robust character customization system, Blizzard sought to incorporate your character into the story's cinematics.
During the interview, we got a glimpse of how a cinematic would look with dozens of custom-created characters. Although we've seen custom-created characters featured in in-engine cinematics, Diablo IV maintains Blizzard's signature high-quality cinematic -- almost as if it's the pre-rendered footage we're used to seeing from the studio. It's quite impressive, to say the least, and you can see it for yourself in the video below.
Diablo IV is set to release on June 6, 2023. However, those who purchase the Ultimate or Digital Deluxe versions of the game can start playing four days early on June 2.