Wanderers, the challenge you have been waiting for has arrived.

The Diablo IV team has announced that the Beta version of The Tower and Leaderboards will be arriving early with Patch 2.5.2. This is your chance to not only test your mettle in a grueling new endgame activity but also to help shape its future development before it becomes a permanent staple of the Sanctuary experience.

Here is everything you need to know to prepare for the climb.

Release Schedule

Mark your calendars. The gates to The Tower open soon:

1. Launch Time: January 13 at 3:00 AM (Taiwan Time / Local Server Time)
2. Availability: Exclusive to the Seasonal Realm.

What is "The Tower"?

The Tower is a high-intensity, instanced challenge where adaptability and speed are key. Every floor features randomized layouts and Monster Families, ensuring no two runs are exactly the same.

Key Mechanics:

1. How to Unlock: Complete Chapter 2 of the Season Journey. Once unlocked, access The Tower via the totem in Cerrigar.
2. Race Against Time: This is a timed activity. You must push forward and clear floors before the clock runs out.

Score & Strategy:

1. Utilize Shrines to gain momentary advantages.
2. Focus on slaying Elite monsters to rack up Score quickly.
3. Defeat enough enemies to spawn the Final Boss. Killing the boss completes the run.

The Leaderboards: A Bi-Weekly Gauntlet

For those seeking glory, the Leaderboards will track and display the most efficient slayers in Sanctuary. The competition operates on a Round-based schedule, rotating every two weeks until the day before the Season of Divine Intervention ends.

The Schedule:

1. Round 1: Jan 13, 3:00 AM – Jan 27, 3:00 AM
2. Round 2: Jan 27, 3:00 AM – Feb 10, 3:00 AM
3. (And so on, throughout the season)

Note: Once the final round concludes, The Tower and Leaderboards will lock until the start of the next Season.

It’s a Beta: Your Feedback Matters

Blizzard has emphasized that this is a Beta release. The primary goal is to gather data to tune difficulty, improve mechanics, and expand monster variety.

What to Expect:

1. Bugs: As this is a test phase, you may encounter technical issues.
2. Rewards: While the team plans to implement a robust reward structure in future seasons, the focus right now is on core gameplay loop refinement.
3. Evolution: Your feedback will directly influence how The Tower evolves.

If you encounter bugs or have suggestions on balancing, please report them in the dedicated Tower & Leaderboards Feedback Thread.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are a theory-crafter looking to test a new build or a speed-runner aiming for the top spot, The Tower offers a fresh arena to prove your strength.

We’ll see you in Cerrigar on January 13th. Sharpen your blades and ready your spells!