Diablo 4 game director Joe Shely and franchise general manager Rod Fergusson explained what the closed-end game beta is on YouTube: The invite-only test will include selected players under a strict Non-Disclosure Agreement. Blizzard’s goal is to get end-game content feedback ahead of Diablo 4’s release.
What’s next for Diablo 4?
The Diablo 4 team has chosen to go with the end-game content rather than parts of the campaign so as not to spoil the story campaign. The focus on the end-game content is also what most Diablo 4 players enjoy and some breeze past the story just to make it to the post-campaign modes. Blizzard is likely very cautious about its beta test as there have been numerous high-profile gameplay leaks for games like Diablo 4, GTA 6, The Last of Us Part II and Cyberpunk 2077. Players joining the closed end-game beta will experience the Sanctuary after the campaign. The end game will feature Helltide, Nightmare Dungeons, Whispers of the Dead, Fields of Hatred, and Paragon Boards. Helltide is an event that unlocks at World Tier Three: Nightmare difficulty. Players in Helltide will fight against Lilith’s minions with their difficulty increased. The event will give players higher-level loot. Nightmare Dungeons can be unlocked when players receive their first Nightmare Sigil. The Sigils can be used to alter the Nightmare difficulty dungeons to add more challenges and increase the rarity of the loot drops. The Nightmare Dungeons become more difficult as you obtain more powerful Sigils and progress through the World Tiers. In Whispers of the Dead, players will find Whispers while exploring the Sanctuary. They must complete tasks related to the Whisper in exchange for Grim Favors. When a player earns ten Grim Favors, they can exchange them at the Tree of Whisper for loot and experience. Fields of Hatred will be the designated PvP area for Diablo 4. Players will fight each other while collecting Seeds of Hatred which can be converted into Red Dust. Players can then take the Red Dust and trade it for cosmetic items. Paragon Boards are unlocked once you reach level 50. Players gain Paragon points as they earn experience. These Paragon points can be used to customize your heroes by unlocking titles, Sockets, and more Paragon Boards. Blizzard will be selecting a limited number of players who will be invited to the closed end-game beta test. The selection is based on how much time players have spent on the end-game content of previous Diablo titles. Those who are not selected in the closed beta can participate in the public beta test early next year, which likely will be the last before the game comes out in 2023. It’s believed that Blizzard will announce the pre-orders at The Game Awards in December.
