While everybody is busy playing Overwatch 2 at the moment, loot fiends like myself are waiting for Blizzard to confirm a launch date for Diablo 4. The latest installment in the iconic series will see us return to Sanctuary, which just can't seem to catch a break from Hell. Long-time fans will also be glad to see the art return to the dark and nightmare invoking style of earlier entries. While we know the fourth game in the series will launch next year, a new report claims it will be as soon as April.
As spotted by Windows Central, in the latest episode of the XboxEra podcast, the team discussed that Diablo 4 will be getting a "very fancy new trailer" at The Game Awards in December, which will also reveal a "sexy" special edition, along with early access and an open beta around February 2023. This led to speculation that an April 2023 launch window is highly probable. You can skip forward to 1:35:00 to hear it for yourself.
The release date is the only thing that's really still a mystery about Diablo 4, as loads of gameplay footage had been leaked in September. The footage appeared to be that of the pre-alpha build of the game, and revealed its open world and a bit of the in-game store. The rest has already been revealed by Blizzard itself.
While the rumours suggest an open beta in February next year, Blizzard is currently running a closed beta where players will be able to try out several end-game activities like PvP, Nightmare Dungeons, Whispers of the Dead, and Helltide. They have asked to play for up to 100 hours, way more than other Blizzard titles.
Testing out the endgame activities multiple times makes sense, considering Blizzard wants fans to engage with them for a long time. "This is one of the first times that we've tested ... specifically for the end game," said game director Joe Shely in a recent interview. "After they complete the campaign, you're unleashing players into a game that hopefully will entertain them for thousands of hours," added Diablo franchise general manager Rod Fergusson.