diablo 4
blizzard
The Diablo 4 beta launches today for those who pre-ordered the game or otherwise received a code. It’s a pretty intense introduction to the game, with a full act, a world boss, and multiple classes unlocked. And if you’re like me and plan on working hard when the main game releases, you probably have one key question:
Will Diablo 4 beta progress carry over to the main game?
With few exceptions, the answer is overwhelmingly no.
First of all, your progress will carry over between the two betas, the current pre-order beta and the open beta at the end of the month. But after that almost everything is erased. Your loot, your story progress, your levels for all your beta characters. All of that is gone.
The idea here is probably a combination of not giving some players a head start at launch as you could get a bunch of classes to 20 and start collecting loot. But beyond that, Diablo 4 won’t be out until June. While obviously the main pillars of the game are all set at this point, Blizzard is continuing to work on the game and there will be hotfixes and patches and some minor adjustments based on beta feedback. So the wipe is more of a technical thing than anything since launch is four months away.
However, there are three things that carry over from the betas to launch. Not loot, but special earnable stuff that Blizzard put into the beta intended as participation rewards.
When you reach Kyovashad in the beta, you’ll get the title “Initial Casualty” (yes, Diablo has titles now). Reaching level 20 in the beta will earn you the title of Early Voyager. When you reach level 20 in the beta, you’ll receive the beta wolf cosmetic pack, essentially Diablo’s version of “Back Bling”, which in this case is a sleeping wolf pup that’s as adorable as it sounds.
diablo 4
wolf pup
But again, obviously none of this is loot, none of this is power, and everything else is wiped out. So you can play as much as you want, but remember that you’ll have to do everything all over again when you start. Although, of course, Diablo has always been a series about playing through the story multiple times with multiple characters on multiple difficulty levels.
The beta starts today at 12pm ET. I will have impressions during the weekend.
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I’ve been writing about video games, television, and film for Forbes for over 10 years, and you may have seen my reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. I cover all types of console and PC games, but when it comes to looting or shooting I’m definitely up for it. When I look at something, it’s usually sci-fi, horror, or superheroes. I’m also a regular on IGN’s Fireteam Chat podcast and have published five sci-fi novels.
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