Photo: Diablo
The much-anticipated Diablo IV action role-playing game recently enjoyed a successful open beta, pulling players into its immersive world of demonic battles.
Fans of this hellish saga, myself included, will be thrilled to know that we can return to the fray earlier than initially expected.
As confirmed by Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson on Twitter, Diablo IV will be playable in Early Access as soon as 1 June, defying earlier promotional material.
Fergusson elaborated that while the official launch kicks off on 5 June, the dates of the 2nd and 6th have been selected for promotional purposes to ensure global availability.
As someone who couldn’t resist diving into the world of Diablo IV during the open beta, and has been eagerly awaiting its release since the announcement at BlizzCon 2019, this news is music to my ears.
The countless hours I spent battling demonic forces and developing an unhealth fondness for Lilith during the first two weekends of the open beta have only fueled my anticipation for the main launch.
And when I say ‘unhealthy fondness’…
To gain Early Access to Diablo IV, players will need to pre-order either the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition of the game before its main launch on 5 June.
In addition to this, Blizzard is hosting a Server Slam event that anyone can join, set to run from 12 May, 9pm South African time, until 14 May, 9pm.
Accessible on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5, the Server Slam event aims to stress-test the game’s servers ahead of launch.
It will also offer couch co-op for consoles and cross-play and cross-progression for all platforms, as outlined in a Blizzard blog.
The Server Slam promises players a final weekend in Hell, providing a glimpse into the thrilling world of Diablo IV.
Players will have free reign over the Prologue and entirety of Act I, allowing them to roam through Fractured Peaks and unleash Hell on the game’s demonic denizens.
Players can choose from characters including a Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, or Sorcerer, and progress their characters up to Level 20.
However, it’s worth noting that any progress made during the Server Slam event will not carry over to the game’s main launch, and past open beta progress will also remain inaccessible.
READ: Diablo IV Beta: Delve into darkness, slay epic World Bosses
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