The Diablo 4 beta gave everyone a chance to get hands-on with the next entry in one of the biggest RPG game series on PC, but it seems people were just as eager to watch as they were to play. Despite being available for only six days during March, the Blizzard game racked up enough total hours watched to make the top ten, nudging out Resident Evil 4 Remake to stand alongside the likes of Fortnite, Minecraft, and League of Legends – showing just how great the appetite for Lilith is ahead of the Diablo 4 release date.
The game’s two beta weekends were both available to be streamed by players, and it’s clear that many tuned in to watch – whether that was to get an initial taste during the first beta weekend, which required a pre-order or special invite, or simply because they wanted to watch their favourite Twitch streamers discover the new-look Sanctuary and decide which of the five Diablo 4 classes was the most overpowered.
The StreamElements ‘State of the Stream’ report for the first quarter of 2023 includes total viewer numbers for March, and the big news is that Diablo 4’s beta managed to snatch a top ten spot just ahead of the much-anticipated Resident Evil 4 Remake, despite its very limited active timeframe. Clocking in at a rather impressive 28 million total hours watched, Diablo 4 managed to nudge just ahead of RE4’s 27.6 million hours.
If you’re eager for more Diablo 4 news, you won’t be waiting long. Not only are the first Diablo 4 patch notes out now, bringing several big changes to dungeon design, class balance, and UI based on beta feedback, but the next Diablo 4 developer update livestream takes place on April 20.
This 90-minute presentation features Diablo 4 game designer Joe Shely, associate director Joseph Piepiora, community manager Adam Fletcher, and notable Diablo YouTuber and Twitch streamer CJ ‘Rhykker’ Miozzi. It’s planned to dig into endgame features, class and dungeon updates post-beta, and more – and, with Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson teasing a “secret announcement” for the stream, you’ll definitely want to tune in.
For now, take a look at what you can expect from the Diablo 4 endgame, make sure your PC matches up to the Diablo 4 system requirements, and read into how Diablo 4 crossplay works. That way, once Lilith arrives for real in June, you’ll have all the tools to bring her reign of terror to a close.