The Diablo 4 beta will bring with it five classes to try out, countless unique abilities and the entire Act 1 zone to explore, so we've rounded up some tips to get you started.
Diablo 4 doesn’t officially release until June 6, 2023, but the Diablo 4 open beta will be kicking off shortly, and is due for release on Friday, March 24 at 4pm GMT / 12pm ET / 9am PT for the whole weekend, on platforms like PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
That might sound like a good chunk of time, but believe us when we say that you’ll have a much better time if you know what to expect going in. We’ve put together eight things that everyone should do in the forthcoming Diablo 4 beta to ensure they make the most of their time with it this weekend.
1. Experiment to find the correct character class
The Diablo 4 beta will make all five of the game’s character classes available to try out. Sure, they might be capped at level 25, but this is more than enough runway to give players an idea of what class they’ll want to play as come launch day. Here’s a list of all five characters:
- Barbarian
- Rogue
- Sorcerer
- Druid
- Necromancer
All five have been purposely designed to look and play extremely differently. Much like previous Diablo games before it, every Diablo 4 character class comes with its own skill tree and unique abilities. You don’t have to play up until level 25 to see which character class works best for you; it actually only takes a couple of hours to reach, say, level 10, at which point you should have a better idea about which one best suits you.
If you’re a player who prefers melee combat, then the heft Barbarian or sneaky Rogue would be optimal characters to play as. However, if you like the idea of casting spells or causing trouble from afar, the Sorcerer, Druid and Necromancer have got you covered. Don’t be afraid to experiment with each in the early hours to find the one for you.
2. Dive into limited-time World Events as and when they pop up
In addition to your main quest and side missions, the Diablo 4 beta will do all it can to tempt you off the beaten path by way of World Events. These are random instances that happen naturally in the world for you to check out, often heeding exciting rewards that can help take your character to the next level. Diablo 4 World Events represent the good kind of getting distracted.
Diablo 4 World Events are easy to find in the beta because they’ll pop up on your mini-map in the form of a red circle. Go to it and you’ll discover that they fit into one of a handful of objective types, whether that’s to survive a set number of enemy waves or to defend someone for a certain length of time. Almost every World Event will have optional objectives, too, such as defeating enemies closer to a specific object; take them into account if you want to enjoy the most rewards.
3. Unlock useful waypoints as and when you find them
It should go without saying, but any form of fast travel in a game as open and winding as Diablo 4 comes in especially useful. Whenever you come across a major city within the Fractured Peaks zone available in the beta, odds are there’ll be a new waypoint ready for you to make use of. Simply entering the city isn’t enough to make it a fast travel point, though, so be sure to seek out the waypoint before adventuring off elsewhere.
The last thing you want is to be caught off guard miles away, having to trek all the way back from a location you’ve previously been to when you could just fast-travel there via a waypoint. One button press on your D-pad is all it takes to transport you to a discovered waypoint regardless of where you are in the world, making your journey throughout Diablo 4 much faster-paced, and more convenient.
4. Scrap old weapons and armour to save space
There’s so much loot in Diablo 4, you likely won’t know what to do with it all. This is a problem when your inventory space is incredibly limited. Luckily, at any point, you can scrap whatever leftover weapons and armour you have that aren't of use to you anymore. While there might be the temptation to keep as much as possible in order to sell it to a merchant for cash, quests in Diablo 4 can be quite sizeable and you don’t know when that’ll next be.
Alternatively, if you can wait until you get to a Blacksmith in a nearby town, Diablo 4 allows you to salvage any unwanted gear and weapons in return for useful materials. These acquired materials will appear at the bottom of your screen when received and can be used to upgrade your existing gear.
5. Upgrade your health potion’s effectiveness
It’s easy to be swarmed by wargs, skeletons and the other terrifying creatures that exist out there in Fractured Peaks as part of the Diablo 4 beta. As such, you’ll probably be tapping that left shoulder button quite a lot whenever you are low on health, but starting off only being able to store four health potions means you can burn through them quickly if enemies get the better of you.
Fortunately, there’s a way you can improve the effectiveness of your health potions. After reaching level 10 you’ll gain access to a Priority Quest that lets you speak to the Alchemist. It’s here where you can upgrade your healing potion depending on your level, taking it from Weak to Minor. It can be further upgraded in the full game, but for now, even just the Minor health potion is sure to come in handy as you go on to face tougher enemies.
6. Reset skill point allocation to find a better build
Over the course of your time in the Diablo 4 beta, you’ll level up your character and unlock different slots in your class’s skill tree. Skills can then be assigned to any button you choose. At first, it can seem overwhelming, but the good news is that if you unlock an ability that you’re finding isn’t particularly effective, for a small fee you can respec and refund all the available skill points you’ve unlocked so far. If you don’t like one particular set of skills, try a new one before writing off an entire character class.
7. Reach level 20 to unlock the Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic
In terms of challenges specific to the Diablo 4 beta, there’s a handful worth completing in anticipation of the game's full release later this summer. The first unlock merely requires you to reach the early town of Kyovashed, which will unlock the Initial Casualty title. However, there are two more challenges and reasons to reach level 20 as part of the beta. Doing so will see you unlock:
- Early Voyager Title
- Beta Wolf Pack Cosmetic Item
The Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic item is obviously the most alluring exclusive reward you can unlock as part of the Diablo 4 open beta. All you need to do is reach level 20 with any character, and you’ll receive the reward of a cute, little wolf sleeping snuggly on your back. The Beta Wolf Pack will then be able to be worn during Diablo 4’s full release in June.
8. Have fun fighting alongside friends
Lastly, and arguably most importantly of all, is to have fun. Activision Blizzard has made a rather generous chunk of the game available to everyone for this coming weekend only. With these tips and recommendations, you’re sure to maximise any time you can dedicate to the Diablo 4 beta. And for as good a hack-and-slash experience as it is alone, you can squad up with three other players online regardless of platform thanks to cross-play compatibility.
