Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha Starts This Weekend
By Arise, Diablo… Lord of Terror!
The Diablo 2 Technical Alpha is going to be arriving a lot sooner than you might think — Blizzard Entertainment says that a lucky few fans will get to play an early version of the game starting this week.
Diablo 2: Resurrected is a remaster of one of the most popular action RPGs of all time (and arguably one of the greatest). Since then, the franchise has had a bit of a rough road with the shaky launch of Diablo 3, but things seem to be turning around for the world of Sanctuary — especially with Diablo 4 arriving at some point in the future.
Now, a lucky few players who had the sense to sign up for the Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha will get their first chance to play it and it’s arriving a lot sooner than you might think. In fact, it’s ready to kick off this week!
What Can You Play in the Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha?
Unfortunately, this week’s test isn’t going to give players access to the whole game — only a handful of classes and playable areas will be available for the Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha.
Let’s start with the classes: only the Amazon, Barbarian, and Sorceress will be playable for the duration of this test; the Necromancer and Paladin will be unavailable to play, as will the Assassin and Druid classes from the expansion.
You also won’t be able to go very far in the game, although this weekend’s test is a lot more generous than you might expect: it looks like Act 1 and Act 2 will be open in their entirety. Sadly, that means that the testers won’t get the chance to face off against one of the Prime Evils.
Finally, this is going to be a purely single-player test. Blizzard Entertainment isn’t opening up multiplayer for this first go-around; it’s purely about gathering data about the experience of players in the early portion of the game. These limits may be disappointing, but you should be able to get a look at the game even if you don’t get in on the test; Blizzard has greenlit anyone and everyone to stream or record video for the duration of the test.
When is the Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha Start Date?
The Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha start date is Thursday, April 8, 2021, at 1:00 PM EST. The Technical Alpha will last until Monday, April 12, 2021, at 1:00 PM EST.
If you’ve missed out on your chance, don’t fret — today’s announcement states that there will be “at least one other chance to participate in a future test.” One of these future tests may also give console players the opportunity to try the game out prior to its 2021 launch.
For now, you can pre-purchase Diablo 2: Resurrected via Blizzard Battle.net starting at $39.99 or your regional equivalent. If you’d like to take a crack at getting in on a future test, you can sign up via the game’s official website.
