Good news for Diablo III gamers wanting an early taste of the expansion pack, Reaper of Souls: the Friends and Family beta test is currently underway. That means a closed beta will take place before the end of the year, but invitations will be limited. For those interested in participating in the closed beta, make sure you’ve opted-in for beta testing.
According to the company, Blizzard has decided to open up the current Friends and Family program to “valued” media contacts and key members of the Blizzard community. Blizzard has also invited 3,000 of the most active Diablo III players from around the world who’ve opted in for beta testing. This is supposedly the first time non-friends and family members have participated in the program, and the company also doesn’t have an NDA, so expect plenty of press coverage in the next few weeks.
“When reviewing this coverage, please keep in mind that the Friends and Family Beta is still an early glimpse at Reaper of Souls, which means that all content is subject to change before release,” reads Blizzard’s blog. “We also encourage you to be mindful of story spoilers, as the Friends and Family Beta includes the entire expansion, excluding the final boss fight.”
As for the closed beta, Blizzard will continue hand-picking community members and bringing in additional players through opt-ins to ensure that all of the features like the Crusader, Mystic, and Adventure Mode “get the testing they deserve”. Again, to get into the beta, Diablo III players must adjust their Beta Profile Settings under the Account Management section of the Battle.net Account. Also keep in mind that opting in to the Reaper of Souls Closed Beta will not guarantee access.
“Around the same time we begin our Reaper of Souls Closed Beta, we will also be launching our Public Test Region (PTR) for Patch 2.0.1!” reads Blizzard’s blog. “This patch will feature updates including Paragon 2.0, Loot 2.0, our new difficulty system, the addition of Clans and Communities, as well as balancing and tuning for all five Diablo III classes.”
Anyone with the Battle.net Desktop App and Diablo III license will be able to participate in PTR testing. To get the new Battle.net app, head here. More information about how to access the Public Test Region when it launches will be provided soon, the blog says.