VIDEO: Diablo 3 Beta Bug Opened 3 Secret Retail Areas

Want a sneak peak at three previously unseen areas in Diablo 3? A "harmless" bug in the current beta reportedly allowed testers to explore three areas of Act 1 that were locked away for the full-blown retail version: Festering Woods, the Fields of Misery and the Drowned Temple.

For a while, all three were mostly playable and possibly not fully stocked, featuring larger, more diverse beasts than the official beta levels including goatmen, violent trees, carrion bats, ghouls, ghostly spirits and more. Unfortunately, Blizzard caught wind of the trespassers and pulled the beta servers to fix the issue.

"It’s a few levels higher than any previous beta content, and while my Wizard wasn’t in any real danger of dying, I was constantly out of Arcane Power, as the monsters had more hitpoints, plus I was playing a three-player game," writes IncGamers. "I could instantly see why using at least one Signature Skill will be necessary for Wizards long term."

The new territories were discovered by moving past the fence in the cemetery. No one actually knows how it happened, but it's speculated to be an unrepeatable event having to do with a partial disconnect. The original player who came across the Festering Woods merely shared the waypoint, thus granting others access to the new areas.

"You don’t see any plot or story info in those areas (the quests aren’t working; just some of the events), and it’s almost like an end game for beta characters, since the monsters are a few levels higher than anything in the Cathedral or the Leoric fight and with their different/new tactics they’re nasty," the site writes.

IncGamers and others managed to capture screens before Blizzard kicked them all out, but someone managed to capture the whole process of accessing the Fields of Misery in a nearly 24-minute video, as seen below.

  • acasel
    Just Release it! Play Now Patch Later!!!!
    Reply
  • Why oh why does Diablo 1 have smoother and better animations on characters, this one looks so hasty and jerky, like a cgi cartoon
    Reply
  • michalmierzwa
    Can't wait for April, I just hope it not going to be April's Fools Joke
    Reply
  • officeguy
    Ok, Blizzard team members. Time to stop playing and finish the game so we can explore the world of Diablo 3. Damnit, just release it now!!
    Reply
  • 4745454b
    April 1st? Leeks from Amazon and Dutch site said April 16-19th.

    As for just give us now, Blizzard doesn't work that way. They give us a finished game, not something that needs tons of patches. D3 will be the first that I can think of where something won't be ready by ship time and they will release it anyways. (PvP.)
    Reply
  • Lord Captivus
    Blizzard, please dont charge people for DLC, to find out later that it was already in game (locked), dont make that mistake, gamers hate that! (i think Mass Effect 3 did that).
    Thats the first thing i thought when i read the title.
    Reply
  • willard
    rosonnolWhy oh why does Diablo 1 have smoother and better animations on characters, this one looks so hasty and jerky, like a cgi cartoonI don't know, maybe it has something to do with this being a BETA and the first Diablo using far simpler animation than this game.

    Just a hunch, though.
    Reply
  • maxinexus
    I want it now!!!
    Reply
  • Pointdexter
    rosonnolWhy oh why does Diablo 1 have smoother and better animations on characters, this one looks so hasty and jerky, like a cgi cartoon
    lol I was trying to finish Diablo I before DIII get released (I began at DII) and I got access to the Beta so I can assure you that DI is a pain to play with with lots of tearing in the image as you move compared to DII and DIII. But I must admit that the soundtrack and "fear atmosphere" was VERY good in DI.
    Reply
  • jaber2
    They are still trying which skill at what level, I know I have some skill not available to me at my level since I did them a few weeks back, I imagine it will be done soon, hope before May.
    Reply