Diablo 4 beginners guide: 13 things to know before starting the beta

Diablo 4X is an isometric RPG that revolves around pressing X on the hordes to defeat them. It is currently in beta and is as dense as a famous poem.

Thought Diablo 4 isn’t out in fully until later this year, Blizzard ran an early access beta from March 17 to 20, available to folks who pre-ordered the game (or bought a chicken sandwich at KFC). The beta’s second weekend is active now through March 27, with access open to anyone who’s intrigued. Maybe you’re diving in. Here’s some advice before you start.

You can try all five classes

The Diablo 4Beta allows you to create up to 10 characters in five classes. Three classes were available during the beta’s first weekend: the Rogue, the Barbarian, and the Sorcerer. Two more — the Necromancer and the Druid — are available this weekend. It’s worth dabbling a little bit with each one. This way you can learn a lot about each one. Diablo 4 sees a full release in June, you’ll better know which class you’ll want to assign your primary character.

Change your looting options

Image: Blizzard Entertainment via Polygon

The loot grind is what Diablo needs most. The ability to find gear boosts your build and allows you to hack and slash even the toughest enemies. You can also find gear here. Diablo 4, you may notice that the drops “disappear” off of the floor.

Standardly, items labels fade after 10 seconds on the floor. But you have the option to toggle the display. There will be a lot of moments where you’re fighting against enemies and loot will drop, but the fight will extend past those measly 10 seconds. You’ll “lose” your gear, but in reality, it’s still there on the floor, just not visible. Head over to the “gameplay” tab in your settings, and scroll down to the Item Label Display to set your desired settings.

You can bail on dungeons

Are you having a hard time finding your way around a dungeon. A 10-second timer will be started by pressing down on the console’s D-pad. Once the timer is up, you’ll automatically teleport back to the most recent settlement or waypoint you visited.

However, you will need to unlock the waypoints manually

Image: Blizzard/Activision via Polygon

You can fast travel to any waypoint you’ve visited. The problem is that unlike many games which unlock quick travel spots automatically when you pass them; you will need to interact manually with it. The prompt is simple (press “X,” at least on PlayStation) but make sure to do it, lest you find yourself trapped, cold and alone, in the depths of a dungeon, getting repeatedly obliterated by a boss who seriously outranks you.

You die and weapons become less useful.

There aren’t many drawbacks to dying in Diablo 4; checkpoints are generous, and respawns don’t take much time at all. Still, there’s one repercussion: Every time you die, your gear will degrade a little bit. That’s enough for the weapon durability argument!

Respec is free — to a point

There’s no risk in trying out skills you’re unsure about, at least in the early goings. It is possible to respec classes without any consequences up until level 15. It’s an easy way to see if you like certain parts of the skill tree before committing fully. For example, if you’re playing a Sorcerer, swap builds between ice, fire, and lightning magic in the early goings to see which type of magic you prefer most.

Sell it instead of dismantling gear

On PlayStation 4, you can mark any loot as junk automatically. Selling junk in bulk can earn you a decent chunk of change, but honestly, you’ll naturally earn plenty of gold through defeating enemies and looting chests. You’re better off dismantling your junk gear at the blacksmith. Every time you dismantle a common item for the first time (say, an Apprentice’s Wand weapon), you’ll then unlock that item in your transmog wardrobe.

Only certain hours are available for the big boss

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Ashava, the Pestilent. Diablo 4’s first major world boss. The boss will reward you with legendary gear if your defeat is successful..The Diablo 4You can fight Ashava only in beta. Here’s a list of world boss times you can fight the world boss this weekend; you’ll also get a 30-minute heads up notification in-game before Ashava spawns.

Don’t sleep on aspects

An aspect is a passive ability that can be added to your gear in order to add or change an effect. They can be gained by going through dungeons and extracting the item from your own inventory (more about that later). Passives can be used to improve your skills, boost your damage and give your character more utility. You can make your character stronger, and your ability to defeat the greatest enemies easier by using aspects.

How to get the most out of your gear

Image: Blizzard Entertainment via Polygon

Transfer the passive to a different piece of gear that has a passive you love. You can take the passive out of your gear by going to the Kyovashad Occultist. This will give you the aspect. At the expense of some rare crafting materials, you will be able to imprint this aspect on your new gear.

Side content is well worth the effort.

Image: Blizzard Entertainment via Polygon

Each region has Diablo 4, you’ll earn renown by completing a variety of challenges such as clearing Strongholds, completing side quests, and tracking down Altars of Lilith. After you hit a renown milestone, you’ll receive rewards for either your current character or all of the characters on the realm. Bonus experience and gold are some of the possible rewards. You can also get more skill points to allow you to explore your class skills trees beyond the limit of level 25. Paragon points will come in handy for later games.

You can participate in any random event on the map

As you’re exploring the Fractured Peaks during the beta, you may see an orange circle on your minimap. The orange circles are indicators that an event has taken place. They can be used to protect civilians or eliminate enemies within the region. Although they may not sound like the most exciting tasks, these are easy ways to acquire gear. After you have completed each event successfully, a chest will be spawned. This guarantees that gear is available (or occasionally a unique).

Your progress will not transfer to the main gaming experience

So don’t get too attached to any of this!