Friends and family alpha
According to Bloomberg reporter, Jason Schreier, in early August 2022, Blizzard began its Friends and Family testing program for Diablo 4 [1]:
"Another fun and minor Blizzard tidbit I haven't seen mentioned anywhere yet: a lot of people are playing an early version of Diablo 4 right now for a friends-and-family alpha test. Players are under an NDA, but I'm hearing largely positive buzz."Jason Schreier · Bloomberg video games reporter ·
Typically, Friends and Family tests begin with a few thousand invites (via Blizzard employees) and grow from there. The version is quoted as being "early" and "alpha," so any leaks that do occur may prove to be vastly different than what's in the final game.
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All of Blizzard is testing Diablo 4
From Blizzard's 2022 Q1 financial details, we learned that the entire company is now testing an alpha version of Diablo 4 [2]:
"Development on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 is progressing well. Company-wide internal testing of Diablo 4 is underway."·
Typically, when such large scale internal tests occur, games are far along in development. The risk a leak is lower because so much is already known about the game.
TOP"Significant milestone" reached
This echoes what Diablo 4's Game Director, Joe Shely, stated in the 2021 Q4 Diablo 4 Quarterly Update [3]:
"We're currently playtesting an internal release representing a significant milestone."
No date set for public beta
Blizzard hasn't revealed when they'll begin allowing the public to test Diablo 4. In the past, alphas and betas were done in stages, starting with a small group (e.g., trusted friends and family members of Blizzard employees) and widening the scope from there. Starting in June 2022, players can pre-register for a chance at making it into the Diablo 4 closed beta.
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Xiphoid has been playing Diablo since the original's release in 1997. He made one of the largest Age of Empires sites in the late-'90s and early-'00s. Now, he runs MythicDrop.com, a premier Diablo 4 fansite.
Sources
| Article | Source | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Blizzard begins Diablo 4 Friends & Family alpha testing | Blizzard | |
| 2. | Activision Blizzard's 2022 Q1 Financial Results | Blizzard | |
| 3. | Diablo IV Quarterly Update 2021 Q4 | Blizzard |
Changelog
| Ver | Change | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Alpha | Added section on Friends and Family program | |
 |
Alpha | Published original |
