Diablo IV is opening its pre-release doors to the public one last time before launch. Announced during the deep dive developer stream today, Blizzard revealed this special "Server Slam" event for May 12. As the name suggests, the developers want as many fans as possible to hammer the playtest's servers by joining in during that weekend. PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 are all invited.
From May 12 through 14, Diablo IV's early areas are being opened up for anyone to try out. The content will still be what was available in the beta, with five classes and plenty of early dungeon diving, but Blizzard says it has made changes based on beta data and player feedback. The experience is supposed to be closer to the launch product this time.
Players will once again start their Sanctuary journey from scratch, but level 20 will be the cap in the Server Slam playtest.
While progress won't carry over to the full game, Blizzard does have some participation bonuses for those jumping into the event. The Casualty and Voyager titles and Beta Wolf Pack Item returns from the beta rewards pile. As a new bonus, the Cry of Ashava Mount Trophy will be presented to those who beat the world boss Ashava (who is available to battle every three hours) with a level 20 character.
Diablo IV's online servers suffered quite a lot during the recent beta, with queues that displayed hours of waiting. But things mostly calmed down in the event's final days. We will have to see how the Server Slam performs next month, hopefully giving Blizzard more data on how the online services handle the launch day rush on June 6.
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