You can play Diablo 4 2.0 today and test out the new levelling, runewords and more for a limited time — here's how

What you need to know

• Diablo 4 today launches its Public Test Realm (PTR), which runs from September 4 to September 11..
• The PTR is an opportunity for players to test the new Patch 2.0 which changes the character progression systems, adds Torment difficulty tiers, new paragon boards and Runewords.
• You'll need to have a Battle.net account to participate, and be playing Diablo 4 on PC.
• The PTR normally starts around 11 a.m. PT /  2 p.m. ET however it is available to download right now.

Diablo 4 Season 4 changed the loot itemization in a huge way as well as adding new endgame content, but Season 6 is about to make all of that look like a hotfix. Season 6 starts on October 8 on the same day as the launch of Vessel of Hatred, Diablo 4's first new expansion which also adds a new class to the game, the Spiritborn.

The PTR goes live at some point today, as yet unannounced, but generally it happens around 11 a.m. PT /  2 p.m. ET. While you wait though, if you've never played a PTR before you can download it right now before the doors open.  The new class changes, difficulty updates and addition of Runewords can also be read in full in the Patch 2.0 notes ahead of accessing . 

It's also worth noting that due to the amount of changes being tested in Patch 2.0 PTR, it is split into two tranches. From September 4 to September 6, players will be testing the new levelling systems only. From September 6 to September 11 they will be able to test everything else. 

How do I start the Diablo 4 PTR?

You'll need to own Diablo 4 or have Xbox Game Pass and be using a PC to access the Diablo 4 PTR. It's not currently available for console users. Though in our interview with Rod Fergusson we were told they are looking into console access for the future.

1. Open the Battle.net launcher.
2. Navigate to Diablo 4.
3. In the bottom left corner, select the dropdown and you'll find Public Test Realm.
4. Click Install.
5. Click Play and select a test server.
6. Create a test character (create a Seasonal one for anything related to the Seasonal themes)
7. Skip Campaign if you started anew.

If you are an Xbox Game Pass player on PC, you can access the PTR through the Xbox app and follow the same steps above.

From today until September 6, you will be focussing on levelling a character and testing this new process. The level cap is now 60 for all characters with new paragon boards and new class skills for each class.

From September 6, you will able to test the endgame mechanics and thus be able to boost a character using the Boost NPC found in Kyovashad. 

Additionally using the Boost NPC you can  do the following:

• Level your character to max there are options to increase from 50 to 60.
• Complete the Map including Strongholds, Waypoints and Fog of War.
• Complete your class mechanic.
• Unlock all Torment tiers (the new difficulty levels).
• Fully upgrade your potion.
• Max all Aspects in your Codex.
• Max all Paragon Glyphs.
• Generate Legendaries.
• Grant all Uniques.
• Grant all Runes.
• Grant all Temper Manuals.
• Grant all Materials, Gold and Obols.
• Upgraded Potions.

These commands above can be ran all at once on your character or individually. Nothing from the PTR will be carried over to your main game when the PTR ends. 

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What can I test in the Diablo 4 PTR?

Diablo 4 Patch 2.0 will include all of the changes we have already seen in Season 4 and Season 5, such as the new Helltides and Infernal Hordes, Tempering but with some new recipes, and some new Mythic Uniques. The biggest changes though are that World Tiers as a measure of difficulty are gone, and the new difficulty levels are measured as Normal, Hard, Expert, Penitent followed by Torment difficulties 1-4. You will be testing this as well as the new character progression systems and levelling, with a new level cap of 60 and new skills and gear for each class.

All of this, and more can be seen in the Patch 2.0 notes and the developers have noted that due to the volume of changes some things will be broken, that's the nature of testing!

Will I be able to play Vessel of Hatred during PTR?

No you will not have access to the Vessel of Hatred campaign during this testing phase.

How to provide feedback on Diablo 4 PTR

Diablo 4's PTR for Patch 2.0 is only live for one week, but boosting your character instantly to 60 when it's available, means you can get through a bulk of the content straight away and feedback the results to Blizzard. Player feedback will be instrumental to crafting the final version of the changes which go live to PC and console on August 6.

You can use the in game feedback tool to report issues and constructive feedback to the developers. Press the ESC key to access the 'Report a bug' menu, and use the dropdown filter to select the 'in-game feedback tool'. Alternatively, join the official Diablo 4 forums and provide feedback there.