Diablo 4 Dev Addresses Beta Problems and Makes a Promise
The closed beta of Diablo 4, despite a relatively warm reception, suffered from a series of technical issues. A representative from Blizzard Entertainment comments on these problems, as well as shares the studio's future plans.
Last weekend (March 17 - 19) some gamers had the opportunity to try out Diablo IV as part of a closed beta. Although the test version of Blizzard's new flagship series left a largely positive impressions among the community, it was not without minor and major setbacks.
Among the problems that tormented the players were, of course, those related to the technical aspects of the title. Fans complained, among other things, about long waiting times or unstable connection to the game servers.. Aware of these problems, Blizzard Entertainment spoke out on the matter.
Decisive assurances from the developer
In an interview for nme.com, the chief brand manager of Diablo, Rod Fergusson, addressed the technical issues plaguing the game, which currently remains in the testing phase. He began with a brief digression related to the specificity and meaning of the word "beta" in the industry.
"The word beta nowadays has kind of been misconstrued, where people start calling things beta that’s [actually] a marketing beta, and it’s just another term for a demo. That’s not our case at all. Our beta is actually us testing our technology – especially on the server side. We had a little bit of a rocky start on Friday," said Fergusson
When addressing specific allegations and plans for further development of Diablo 4, Fergusson assures that the experience gained by the developer during pre-release testing of the game, is to lay the groundwork for a more pleasant, proper release.
"We put out six hotfixes over the weekend, we solved dozens of issues and all of that work is going to pay off next weekend and then pave it for launch. Sometimes as a player it can be a little frustrating, but they have to recognise that they’re helping us make the actual launch of the game that much better.," added Fergusson
The words of the studio representative focus on the very essence and legitimacy of the pre-release tests. It remains to be hoped that these will prove to be a valuable lesson for the developer, which, according to Fergusson's words, will result in a more pleasant experience for the audience at the actual launch.
Diablo 4 open beta testing
Last week's beta was not the only one of Blizzard's planned test sessions for Diablo 4. From March 24 - 26, the title will be made available to everyone willing to participate in open testing.. On this occasion, a special trailer promoting the event appeared online.
The open beta will undoubtedly be a major challenge and a key test for the game's network infrastructure.
In turn, the full version of Diablo IV will be released on June 6, this year. It will be available on PC and PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 consoles, as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
