by Those looking to get an early start on slaying the Queen of Succubi have had to wait longer than expected as many players logged into the Diablo 4 beta servers today to discover long queues and error codes prevent them from jumping into the ARPG.
Today the early access beta is available to those who pre-ordered the full game or got a code by eating Kentucky Fried Chicken, while next weekend will receive anyone who wants to start their open beta adventure early.
But many players were greeted by long waits to log into the server, error codes and other issues.
Players took to Twitter with wait times of over an hour and took the opportunity to warn their fellow demon slayers and make light of the situation.
To anyone waiting for the Diablo 4 Beta servers/queue to stabilize:
Queue will be cleared quickly if everyone who got beta by eating KFC goes to the toilet for hours pic.twitter.com/5CVbm4QL3Z— Ted Bacinschi (@Slootbag) March 17, 2023
The overloaded servers and long waiting times continue into the afternoon. The official Diablo Twitter account recently commented on the issues, saying “We are aware of the issues affecting Open Beta Early Access leading to long queues and server disconnection. The team is managing the number of players entering the game until we have a complete solution for the connection problems.”
Players can follow the known issues and fixes on Blizzard’s website.
We are aware of the issues affecting Open Beta Early Access leading to long queues and server disconnections.
The team is managing the number of players entering the game until we have a full fix for the connectivity issues.
For more updates, visit: https://t.co/FmJb8FaIjC
— Diablo (@Diablo) March 17, 2023
Previously, Blizzard had warned players to anticipate wait times and warned that players should not leave the queue even if they remain stuck on a wait screen after the queue timer expires:
“Users may experience a queue while logging into Diablo IV during Early Access Beta Weekend. Please note that the countdown may stop and extend beyond the time stated on the queue timer. DO NOT leave the queue as this will cause the queue restarted. We will have more accurate timers for Open Beta Weekend.”
Meanwhile, the Blizzard forums have been flooded with users posting their issues and frustrations, including a series of console players that have repeatedly rebooted after waiting for the queue to wait.
Wait times and server issues aren’t new to betas, which are partly intended as stress tests for a full launch, especially for games that are as eagerly awaited as the next entry in Blizzard’s long-running ARPG franchise.
Still, waiting times never feel good. I hope the issues are resolved soon so I can start recruiting my army of undead necromancers. For more information, check out the first 17 minutes of the Diablo IV beta.
Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.
