Diablo 4‘s open beta is set to be publicly available on 24 March 2023 – but those keen to hop in should exercise patience and caution, as Blizzard has warned players to expect ‘lengthy queue times’ on the road to hell. In a blog post, the company has confirmed improvements from the rocky beta launch of last weekend – but said the process will not be perfect, as servers may struggle with a heavier load.
‘When we open the gates again this Friday to absolutely everyone, we are expecting a lot of people,’ Blizzard community manager Adam Fletcher said. ‘There will be lengthy queue times, particularly on Friday when we first launch and during peak regional windows.’
‘This past weekend helped us to forecast the capacity we expect this weekend, and we will be using that capacity to intentionally stress our systems in preparation for launch. In summary, while we know it can be frustrating, we need queues to properly stress test our services and we are designing to ensure we have them some of the time.’
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If you’re keen to play the game, it may be best to avoid the busy ‘Friday’ period (which will arrive very early Saturday morning for Australian players) as the Diablo 4 servers open wide for the general public. Given the thousands of people expected to pour in, it may be best avoid this period entirely, or grab a warm drink to tide you over as you wait patiently.
In addition to general capacity struggles, Blizzard has also warned players to expect server dropouts, should bug fixes or ‘infrastructure adjustments’ be needed during the open beta weekend. These will presumably boot all players out, and disrupt the flow of gameplay – so be prepared for this eventuality.
Read: How to play Diablo 4 in Early Access in March 2023
While the terms detailed by Blizzard may frustrate some players, they are a natural result of Diablo 4‘s always-online structure. Establishing a solid, reliable server for players worldwide will likely be a focus for Blizzard moving forward – but to achieve this goal, certain teething issues will need to be worked through.
The open beta will be a great chance to hop into one of 2023’s most anticipated games – but equally, players will need a vast pool of patience to see everything the adventure has to offer.
You can find out more about the Diablo 4 open beta on GamesHub, or visit the Blizzard blog for the latest updates on gameplay servers and early access.
