Diablo 4: everything you need to know about next week's PTR launch, and how to get in on it

Next week is a big one for Diablo 4, because it marks the launch of the game’s first-ever Public Test Realm (PTR) - a test server where players will be given early access to several key gameplay changes ahead of their release to the general public.

As you’d expect, the goal is for Blizzard to collect as much feedback and data as possible before implementing such massive overhauls as this one is bringing. If all goes well, all players will get to experience the result of that work with Season 4 in May.

As previously revealed, the Diablo 4 PTR will be available April 2 to April 9, only on PC through Battle.net. Getting involved is actually quite simple. Through the Battle.net App, all you need to do is select Public Test Realm from the Game Version dropdown menu, instead of the normal Diablo 4.

Once you switch, you’ll be able to install the PTR build alongside the existing live build. When it’s done, you’ll get to log in and play. Note that capacity is limited, so you’ll need to pick one of the available test servers before you can create a new character. Servers are available in North America, Europe, Korea / Japan, South-East Asia, and Australia. If you just started playing Diablo 4 when it arrived on Game Pass, you’ll be happy to know that you too can join the PTR using the same method.

Blizzard has made a few tweaks to character progression in order to get players to test out the relevant changes faster. For instance, campaign completion made on your main account will carry over to the test build. This also goes for mount unlocks, skill points occurred, fog of war clearing on the map, and even Altar of Lilith bonuses.

You’ll also get the option of boosting your character level to 100, which is crucial in testing what are essentially endgame changes. You’ll find an NPC at Kyovashad aptly named PTR boost, who will get you there, and award you a bunch of other useful items like 100 million Gold, 1,000 Obols, two random pieces of Ancestral gear at 920 Power, upgraded potions, fully unlocked Paragon Glyphs and more.

You’ll be able to make use of these boosts on any character you create, and you can even trade between them. To share your feedback, you can use the in-game feedback tool (available after pressing Esc and picking Report Bug). Simply use the dropdown menu to select In-game feedback tool. There are also dedicated Diablo 4 PTR forums, available for the duration of the PTR.

The Diablo 4 Season 4 PTR is intended to test several major reworks of the game’s loot system, as well as multiple new crafting mechanics. Collectively, they represent a big step forward for the game, and will ultimately change its loot and itemsation game into something that promotes more build variety, and cuts down on the cruft of poor/repeated drops. For a better idea of what you can expect, hit up our coverage of everything you can expect from Diablo 4's big loot overhaul.