As discovered and published by Reddit user iV1rus0, the footage consists of two pieces, one lasting 5 minutes and the other 38.
It is currently unknown who leaked the clip and why it was disseminated, but a conversation audible in the shorter video suggests that whoever captured the footage was not the person playing the game.
Instead, it appears that the gamer was streaming their footage online, most likely using Discord, where others could witness it.
The video contains many watermarks with the wording “Private Test Build” and an ID number, making it likely easy for Blizzard to determine who streamed the video and take the necessary action.
It is unknown how the user acquired access to the game, but one possibility is that it is related to the ongoing “friends and family” alpha test that has been running for the past month. Therefore, the streamer may be related to a Blizzard employee.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time footage from the game has been leaked; footage from Diablo 4’s Alpha Test was also leaked previously. However, unlike the last leak, which only showed snatches of menus and character creation, the more recent film shows over 40 minutes of genuine gameplay, including exploration and combat, providing a much closer look at how Diablo 4 will play. Fans will have a much better idea of how Diablo 4 will look when it arrives in 2023, in addition to the already announced closed beta.
While Activision-Blizzard will undoubtedly investigate the source of the leak and will most likely do everything possible to prevent more leaks, the clip might potentially fuel interest in the game by providing fans with their first major look at Diablo 4’s gameplay. While the developers would have preferred to introduce the game in a more controlled manner, akin to the introduction of Diablo 4’s Necromancer class, early reactions to the gameplay provided by the leaked footage have been positive, which bodes well for the game’s formal release.
