Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha begins on Thursday

There has been a lot of excitement since Blizzconline regarding the future of the Diablo franchise. While Diablo 4 won't be ready anytime soon, Diablo 2: Resurrected is set to release first. Old-school Diablo fans have been hungry for a taste and now it looks like they're going to get it with the game's single-player Technical Alpha, which is now set to launch this Thursday.

The first Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha will feature Acts 1 & 2 of the game. Act 1 is The Sightless Eye, which starts the adventure off along the Rogue Encampment filled with survivors of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye. This chapter will culminate with a clash against Andariel, Maiden of Anguish. That will lead into Act 2 (The Secret of the Vizjerei), which will take players into the city of Lut Gholein, where evil rises and the undead are around every corner.

Three playable classes will be available over the course of the Tech Alpha. They are:

The Amazon: This class specializes in spears, javelins, and bows. The Amazons are swift and able to dodge proficiently and evade killing blows.
The Barbarian: These brawny berserkers use brute strength to pummel their foes into submission. They specialize in heavier weapons.
The Sorceress: Blast enemies from a distance with powerful elemental spells, including fire, frost, and lightning.

The first Tech Alpha is focused mainly on gameplay, so expect to see original cinematics for the time being. Blizzard is aiming for a later date to roll out the remastered cutscenes. It'll also focus only on PC for now, though console players can expect to get into the testing phase at a later date. Since this is a test run, don't look for any progress to carry over to the eventual full release. While you won't be able to import old-school Diablo 2 saves now, you'll be able to do so in the final release. Lastly, controller support will be available in a limited capacity, though Blizzard will be looking out for any feedback regarding bugs and glitches on that end.

The Diablo 2: Resurrected Technical Alpha will begin this Thursday, April 8, and run until Monday, April 12 at 10 a.m. PT. More information on its features can be found on the Diablo website. If you miss out on this round, no worries. More tests are expected in the future, so be sure to register. The full game will release on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch later in 2021.