Over a million Diablo 4 players picked up a puppy last weekend, and you've still got one more shot

Diablo 4 - a character carries a wolf pup in a back carrier made of golden antlers and a red blanket

(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

At what point does a closed beta stop being 'closed'? Because I think Diablo 4 might have crossed that line, given that a million people managed to hit level 20 or higher over the course of last weekend's beta test, unlocking the Early Voyager title and—more importantly—an adorable wolf puppy backpack. I guess we've figured out why those queues were so long.

Both of those rewards are 100% cosmetic, but never underestimate the human drive to acquire limited edition knick-knacks of dubious value. I'm certainly not one to judge; I will, without a shadow of a doubt, be jumping back into Diablo to make sure I unlock my own tiny, furry friend this weekend, and I don't even know if I'm going to play the full game. Send help.

Over 1 million people got to 20 or higher in the Early Access Beta in #DiabloIV! Progress from Early Access Beta carries over into Open Beta next weekend so if you didn't hit the Level 20, you still can! :) https://t.co/GjkyTZemWkMarch 20, 2023

Blizzard hasn't said how many players participated in last weekend's beta in total, but if a solid million managed to hit level 20, I have to imagine there are even more who didn't. That's, ah, quite a lot of hype, and while not all of those players will have been people who pre-ordered the game—some of them may just be devoted KFC Double Down fans—Blizzard is probably pretty happy with the numbers it's seen so far.

If you didn't spend your days off grinding to acquire a tiny virtual puppy, then A) you need to sort your priorities out, frankly, and B) you'll get another chance this weekend. Diablo 4's open beta will begin this Friday, March 24, at 9 am PT / 12 pm ET / 4 pm GMT, and preloading will kick off tomorrow at, again, 9 am PT / 12 pm ET / 4 pm GMT.

If you were one of the exclusive over a million people who got into Diablo 4's closed beta last weekend, your progress will carry over to the open beta, so you won't need to start afresh with a new character if you just want to grind out your wolfy backpack. You might want to anyway, though, since the open beta will let you play as two extra classes—the Druid and Necromancer—that didn't feature in last weekend's session.

Be warned, your beta character won't carry into Diablo 4 proper when it releases in June, so don't get too attached. Your new puppy will, though, so get as attached to them as you like. I think that's kind of the point.

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.