Diablo 4 servers finally start to buckle under launch strain, Blizzard's working on it

Update (6/6 9 am PT): Blizzard reported another issue with authentication servers a little after midnight PT, which was shortly after I started timing out (see previous update), and then reported again that they were fixed at around 5 am. I was able to log in without issue this morning.

Update (11:30 pm PT): Blizzard said on Twitter that the previous login issues have been resolved, but when I tried to play Diablo 4 just now, I got a timeout error: code 300008. (See screenshot above.) We'll update this story when we learn more.

Original story: For a minute there, I thought Blizzard was going to do the impossible: launch an online game without any significant server problems. I should've known better!

At about 8 pm Pacific on Monday, Blizzard said on Twitter that it's "currently investigating an issue" that's causing "failed or slow login attempts."

I tried to play after I saw that message, and hit a login queue for the first time since Diablo 4 launched in early access last week, when owners the special editions were able to jump in. It fully launched on Monday, which means many more people are trying to play, although we don't know exactly how many more.

In the replies to Blizzard's tweet, some players are reporting that they were kicked mid-game and are now stuck in a queue with the message "game start pending..." After a countdown from around five minutes, I got that message, too, and spent at least another 10 minutes waiting before I got in. But I did get in just now, so there's hope: If you're in line, stay in line?

Another player at PC Gamer was already in the game before server issues were reported, and said he experienced a huge lag spike that prevented him from moving to a new area for nearly a minute. For at least one of us, however, it's been fine.

[#Diablo IV] We're currently investigating an issue affecting our authentication servers, which may result in failed or slow login attempts.June 6, 2023

It's hard to say how many players are affected without more details on the problem, but we'll keep monitoring it.

If some server kicks, a frustratingly vague queue message, and 15-30 minute-ish waits are the extent of it, I'd still say that Diablo 4 has been a good online game launch, relative to every other online game launch. It's certainly no Error 37 debacle at this point, knock on wood. The universe can't allow a flawless online game launch, though. We'll update this article if the server troubles get any worse.

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.