Diablo IV developer Blizzard warns interested gamers that the wait time for logging into the game’s open beta could become very long. In addition, the beta may go offline for adjustments and fixes in between.
That writes Blizzard community manager PezRadar. “On Friday the doors will open to absolutely everyone, we expect a lot of people. There will be long waiting times, especially on Fridays when we are just starting, and at regional peak times.” The latter includes, for example, the evening hours before players go to bed in regions such as North America and Western Europe.
Last weekend there was an early access beta for people with a preorder. This one had to deal with the same problems that Blizzard is now warning about. A Forbes editor recounted that at one point, according to the game, he had to wait 128 minutes before he could log into Blizzard’s servers with the game. The game requires an internet connection at all times, even when players are playing alone.
Diablo IV will be released on June 6 for current and previous generation Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Windows. The game is a sequel to the almost eleven year old Diablo III. A major innovation compared to its predecessor is the presence of crossplay and crossprogression. So Windows players can team up with friends on Xbox Series, for example. And if a Windows player buys the Xbox version itself, their character and loot will also be there. Finally, on consoles, there is also the option of local co-op. In an interview with Eurogamer, the developer calls that a too great a technical challenge to be deployed on the PC.
This video is part of a written preview.