The start of the Diablo IV early access beta period didn't quite go as planned. Players were plagued by authentication issues as well as waiting times of around two hours resulting in slow or failed login attempts.
Login wait times are nothing new for Blizzard games, but players probably didn't wait that long with older titles, and it's not uncommon for them to happen in a pre-order-only beta. In the list of known issues, Blizzard has confirmed that players may encounter long queues and go beyond the timer period during the early access beta. Blizzard urged players to stay in line in such a situation and said it will have "more accurate timers" for the open beta next weekend.
Blizzard customer service also confirmed that there is an issue affecting the developer's authentication servers, which is causing some players to fail or slow login attempts that manage to get through the queues. Official Diablo IV Twitter accountnotes that while the beta may contain bugs and issues, the team will “evaluate all feedback they receive and make changes as needed.”
Players are dissatisfied with the situation, with some on Twitter stating that it is disappointing that they have encountered such issues even though they have paid for the early access beta privilege. Many players on Reddit have reported that the game crashes or disconnects mid-session, causing them to be kicked to the very back of the queue.
The whole experience evokes memories of Diablo III's bad 2012 launch and the "Error 37" message that prevented avid gamers from accessing the game for a long time. Fortunately, this is just an early access beta and not a full Diablo IV launch, so we hope Blizzard learns from the beta testing periods and better prepares for Diablo IV's official launch on June 6, 2023.
For those who managed to get through the gruesome queues of Diablo IV beta, a set of exclusive titles and a cute puppy backpack await those who manage to reach certain milestones in the beta to carry them to the full game. The beta includes all the early parts of the game and allows players to reach the maximum level of 25. The early access beta includes three classes to choose from: Barbarian, Mage, and Rogue (open beta will include all five classes).
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