Diablo 4: Server Slam Beta Start Time and Details

We thought the last Diablo 4 beta would be the last Diablo 4 beta, but Blizzard went and surprised everyone by announcing a “Server Slam” weekend. As the name implies, the Server Slam beta is designed as a stress test for Diablo 4‘s servers ahead of the game’s launch.

The Diablo 4 Server Slam is scheduled to start on May 12 at 12 PM PT, 2 PM CT, 3 PM ET, 8 PM BST, and 9 PM CEST. The Diablo 4 Server Slam will end on May 14 at all of the same times (assuming that the beta isn’t extended, of course).

Much like the Diablo 4 Open Beta, Diablo 4‘s Server Slam will be open to all players. That means that even those who didn’t pre-order the game will be able to participate. Even better, the Server Slam will be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. In other words, absolutely everyone will be able to get in on the fun.

If you did previously participate in either Diablo 4 beta, you’re pretty much good to go for the Server Slam. You’ll just need to update the beta you previously downloaded with the new Server Slam data. Everyone else will need to download the full beta package from their preferred platforms’ respective stores. You should be able to do all of that starting today.

Just as before, Diablo 4‘s Server Slam will allow players to choose between all five of the game’s classes. However, you will only be able to level those characters up to Level 25 during the Server Slam period. Even worse, your progress from previous betas will not carry over to the Server Slam, and your Server Slam progress won’t carry over to the final game. It’s an entirely isolated event.

The good news is that you will be able still be able to earn all of the rewards featured in the previous betas. That means that those who reach Level 20 with at least one character can still unlock the Initial Casualty and Early Voyager titles as well as the Beta Wolf Pack cosmetic. You can also earn the Cry of Ashava Mount Trophy by defeating Ashava with a Level 20 character. Of course, that item won’t really be useful until you’re able to unlock mounts in the final game.

There are actually a few new things in this trial, though. Along with a host of bug fixes, the Server Slam beta will reportedly reflect the full version of Diablo 4‘s Legendary item drop rate. More importantly, it is expected to feature some of the recently confirmed class changes and balance updates. That means that this should be the closest we’ve come to experiencing the launch version of the game.

However, it’s not quite clear if that “Server Slam” tag is anything more than marketing. This open beta will help stress test the game, but we’ve already had one open beta that presumably did the same. Hypothetically, this beta could feature special events specifically designed to test what the servers can handle. In any case, you should expect longer queues and wait times, especially during the beta’s opening hours.

Of course, all of this is leading up to Diablo 4’s June 6th release date. Everything we’ve seen of the game so far suggests that it will be a worthy inclusion into one of gaming’s great RPG franchises, but there is still so much of the title waiting to be discovered.