How Diablo 4 multiplayer works in the open beta

Diablo 4 — An illustration of Diablo 4 character classes in combat, with a Rogue, a Barbarian, and a Sorcerer fighting goatmen and cultists.

Diablo 4 multiplayer is not only easy to set up, but provides a solid experience boost for hitting level 20 and earning the beta rewards.

Much like the Diablos of the past, Diablo 4 encourages you to play with other people. Players will even pop up from time to time while you're out exploring or completing world events. You can invite them on the spot or add them as a friend to group up later.

Each class can synergize with each other too, making even the most overwhelming demon hordes a mere distraction. Put a geared up Barbarian and a squishy Sorcerer into a group and the worst bosses in the beta will crumble. Well, maybe not the world boss.

Diablo 4 co-op on PC uses Blizzard's Battle.net launcher to add and invite people from your friends list. You can manage your friends all within the game by accessing the menu and clicking on the social tab or press O to open it directly.  Your friends don't have to be on the same platform (or in the same region) because Diablo 4 supports cross-play for every platform it's available on. 

How to group up for co-op in Diablo 4

The only requirement for Diablo 4 multiplayer is completing the roughly hour-long prologue by finishing the Rite of Passage quest in the city, Kyovashad. Otherwise, each player's level doesn't matter—the game will do the enemy difficulty scaling for you.

Here's all the steps to group up with your friends:

(Image credit: Tyler C. / Activision Blizzard)

(Image credit: Tyler C. / Activision Blizzard)

1. After completing the prologue, press Escape to open the options menu. 
2. Click the Social tab at the top or press O
3. If you need to add a friend first, click "Add a Friend" at the bottom and type their BattleTag (e.g. PCGamer#1993).
4. Click a friend in the list and then select "Invite to Party".

Once your friend accepts the invite, they will join your party. You can have four total players in a group at one time. And as long as you're in a group, you'll get a 10% boost to any experience you gain from killing monsters. Experience gains are shared between you and your party, but loot remains individual to you.