Closed beta testing for Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls will begin by the end of the year, Blizzard announced Tuesday.
Diablo 3's first expansion pack is currently in a 'Friends and Family Beta,' limited to close acquaintances of Blizzard staff. However, the developer said members of the press and 3,000 of its most active players will also be invited to join before the closed beta begins.
Battle.net users who want to participate in the closed beta must indicate their interest by opting in under their Beta Profile Settings.
Blizzard said invitations will be extremely limited, but those admitted will be able to experience the in-progress version Reaper of Souls in its entirety, minus the final battle.
Reaper of Souls adds a new class called the Crusader and another act to the game's campaign in which players battle against Death itself. A patch to remove Diablo 3's derided auction house and rework its loot system will release independently of the expansion in March.
Both the original game and its expansion will be included in Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition on PS4.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...y-end-of-year/