Diablo 4 is asking people to play the end of the game before it comes out
Blizzard's quest to keep Diablo(opens in new tab)4 relevant for the long run will continue later this year with a closed beta focusing exclusively on its endgame systems, and all the stuff that happens after everything has happened.
In the Diablo games (and many others), vanquishing evil does not signal the end, but rather the beginning: Of endless grinding for incrementally better weapons, equipment, and resources, which will enable even more grinding for even better loot, and on and on it goes. It's a big deal for a lot of players, and for developers and publishers too, because if it's done well it can keep player numbers up—and microtransaction purchases flowing—for years after release.
Diablo 3's endgame did not start off well(opens in new tab) (although Blizzard got it turned around eventually) and that's a big part of why the developers have been so focused on getting it right for Diablo 4. Blizzard has been talking about Diablo 4 endgame content almost since the day the game was announced(opens in new tab), and has promised some "major changes(opens in new tab)" to the systems that players are accustomed to in Diablo 3.
A small number of Diablo fans will get a first look at what Blizzard has cooked up on that front by way of an endgame beta test. The test will be closed and confidential, meaning testers will not be allowed to share or talk about their experiences, and will presumably have to sign a non-disclosure agreement to that effect. To an extent, that ship has sailed already thanks to a recent leak of test footage(opens in new tab) (ironically, only the second-biggest leak(opens in new tab) of the weekend), but Blizzard has other reasons for focusing on the end of the game rather than the beginning.
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