The Diablo 4 open beta will have long queue times at launch too, Blizzard warns
The open beta starts tomorrow, and Blizzard expects that an awful lot of people are going to want in.
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Last weekend’sDiablo 4early access beta got off to a rough start. Servers were immediately slammed, which meant long waits for anyone trying to get in, and unstable connections for everyone who did.We were all shocked.
The situation had mostly smoothed out by Saturday, and Blizzard’s Rod Fergusson said that in the big picture, the bumps in the road were a good thing because they helped Blizzardhammer out Diablo 4’s issueswell ahead of launch. “This weekend was to prepare for next weekend, and next weekend prepares for launch,” he said.
But with the open beta set to kick off tomorrow, Blizzard is warning that eager players can expect more of the same. The early access beta was limited to people who had preordered Diablo 4, along with some promotional invitations; the open beta is, well, open, and it’s fair to assume that a lot more people will be crashing through the door.
“When we open the gates again this Friday to absolutely everyone, we are expecting a lot of people,” Diablo global community development director Adam Fletcher wrote in theBlizzard forums. “There will be lengthy queue times, particularly on Friday when we first launch and during peak regional windows. This past weekend helped us to forecast the capacity we expect this weekend, and we will be using that capacity to intentionally stress our systems in preparation for launch.
“In summary, while we know it can be frustrating, we need queues to properly stress test our services and we are designing to ensure we have them some of the time.”
Just a reminder that we are expecting an immense amount of players this weekend and we expect queues and a few bumps along the road.This is why tests are important and we greatly appreciate you all helping us make the launch of #DiabloIV as smooth as possible come June. https://t.co/jK6pOEH2JrMarch 23, 2023
Fletcher also said that the Diablo 4 beta may be taken offline from time to time so Blizzard can make adjustments or fixes, and asked for feedback from players on both technical and gameplay matters.
“By providing feedback, reporting, and patiently waiting in queues before enjoying Act 1 of Diablo IV, you are helping us to continually improve the game,” he wrote. “This past weekend energized the team, who were finally able to watch players around the world experience what they have been building firsthand, and we’re excited to see and learn even more during this upcoming Open Beta weekend.”
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The reaction to the early access Diablo 4 beta here at PC Gamer was a little mixed: I thought it wasgreat, but senior editor Robin Valentine found itinadequately evolved from Diablo 3. The response from players seemed generally positive overall: There were complaints about specific issues, naturally—repetitive dungeons was at the top of many lists—but for the most part, everyone seemed at leastcautiously impressedby the experience.
Diablo 4 open beta preloading is live now. The event itself begins at9 am PT/12 pm ET on March 24, and runs until 12 pm PT/3 pm ET on March 27.
Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill.Lotsof Henry Cavill.
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