Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson says you'll likely see more Public Test Realms in Diablo 4, but it isn't guaranteed to be a fixture of every season.
Diablo 4 just recently introduced a Public Test Realm for the very first time, nearly a year after launch, as a way of testing out a substantial item rework before it launched as part of Season 4. In a recent interview with Windows Central, Fergusson is asked whether players can expect more PTR sessions for future seasons.
"That's a good question. I think that's sort of a TBD for us," Fergusson began, adding that Season 4 primarily had a PTR because the developer "needed to get more feedback than usual." Fergusson added, however, that Blizzard can still react to and patch elements of Diablo 4 quickly after they launch, like it did with Season 3 earlier this year.
"There's a lot of value you get out of the surprise and delight aspect that a PTR can, in some ways, take away some of the excitement. It can work for you or against you, depending on what you're trying," the Diablo 4 lead continued. If something really needs testing, Fergusson says, Blizzard will try and test it, but if there's anything to do with a "seasonal theme," the developer would rather hold it back for a surprise.
"So that's a very long way to say we're learning from this one, or we learned from this one. And we can pretty much guarantee that every season we're gonna have that conversation. Is it going to be in our best interest to get people playing earlier? And getting that feedback? Or is it better to surprise and delight with, Hey, here's a new theme you didn't know is coming. We've been really happy with this Season for PTR. So we will probably ended up doing more of them for sure," Fergusson concluded.
While that's obviously not explicit confirmation that more PTR servers will be coming to Diablo 4 in the future, it's at least an encouraging sign for those who enjoyed them. In fact, the recent Season 4 PTR seemingly didn't reveal everything for the new season, as Blizzard developers teased that elements like "small items" will still be revealed. A PTR doesn't have to spoil everything about a new season.
Look over our full Diablo 4 Season 4 guide for a look at when the new season will be kicking off next month.
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