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Reports surfaced last week that Blizzard has officially launched the “Friends and Family Alpha Test” for Diablo 4. This alpha test will go beyond employee-only testing and invite trusted friends and family members to play the current build of Diablo 4. but only under strict NDA. Leaks are rare, especially when only “trusted” individuals are invited, but some players want to share information regarding Diablo 4 with the public.
The most notorious leak contains several screenshots taken from the initial menus of the Diablo 4 alpha. The user interface clearly uses temporary assets, but there are some intriguing things nonetheless. The most notable confirmation is the return of Seasons from Diablo 3, as one of the options allows players to create a character that competes in the current season’s competitive race. Seasons typically feature unique gear and exclusive rewards, and characters and content only transition to regular play once the season ends.
Other points in the Diablo 4 alpha menu are less clear as to whether or not they are final features. For example, there’s a look at Diablo 4’s character creation system, but that might just be a fraction of what will be available. The four menus shown for Diablo 4 character creation include “Face and Body”, “Hair”, “Accessories”, and “Color”. These options are displayed following selecting a male barbarian.
Two other interesting features introduced in the alpha menu include additional training and a difficulty menu. The tutorial offers the player two options: “More recommendations” and “Less recommendations”. “More Recommendations” will offer the player detailed tutorials and is recommended for new Diablo players. Fewer Recommendations will only cover new Diablo 4 features.
The difficulty options are intriguing, to say the least. Once the player has finished creating their character, the player is presented with two difficulty options. There is “Adventurer – World Tier 1” and “Veteran – World Tier 2”. The former is recommended for new players and those who want an easy challenge. Enemies are noted to be easy to defeat and loot rewards are “average”. The difficulty level “Veteran” gives not only the best loot, but also increased experience and gold.
Obviously, this isn’t the most productive way to find out regarding Diablo 4’s new features. For more details, Diablo fans will have to wait for Blizzard’s Diablo 4 reports.
Diablo 4 is set to release in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
