Before every new season of Diablo 3 comes a Public Test Realm (PTR) phase, where Blizzard allows players to test out the new content and provide feedback. With the PTR for Diablo 3 Season 28 beginning soon, Nephalem across Sanctuary are eager to jump in.
This guide outlines the expected release date window for Diablo 3 Season 28's PTR phase, alongside how you can join in on the action right away and copy one of your live characters over, so let's get started.
Update on 9 May 2023: We've updated this article with the latest Diablo 3 Season 28 PTR information. The new PTR for Season 28 has ended and the Rites of Sanctuary has been released.
- Diablo 3 Primordial Ashes: How To Get More in Season 28
- Diablo 3 Season 28: All Seals, Legendary Potions & Powers
- How To Unlock Seals & Legendary Potions: Diablo 3 Season 28
- Unlock Wings of Terror Cosmetic in Diablo 3 Season 28
- All Diablo 3 Season 28 Balance Changes: Monk Passive, Active Skills & Runes
- Diablo 3 Season 28 Item Balance Changes For All Classes: Sets & Legendaries
Diablo 3 Season 28 PTR Release Date Confirmed

The exact release date for the Diablo 3 Season 28 PTR to begin is 31 January 2023!
How To Join New Diablo 3 Season 28 PTR

First and foremost, you will have to have a Diablo III game license attached to your Battle.net account. This account needs to be in good standing.
With that information in mind, follow the steps below to join the Diablo 3 PTR for Season 28 once it launches.
- Step 1: Restart the Battle.net desktop app.
- Step 2: Navigate to the Diablo III tab on the left-hand menu.
- Step 3: On the Diablo III screen, there is a drop-down menu right above the "Play" button (note that this may say "Install" if you do not have Diablo III currently installed). Select "PTR: Diablo III" from this drop-down menu before proceeding.
- Step 4: Click Install to begin the installation process.
Your PTR account will be created automatically if you do not already have one. PTR testing for the new Diablo 3 season is only available on PC.
How To Copy Diablo 3 Characters to the Latest PTR?

You can also only copy a Diablo 3 character to the PTR every 24 hours. Follow the official steps below to copy a Diablo 3 character to the Season 28 PTR.
- Step 1: Log into the live game and then log out.
- Step 2: Log into PTR client and create a level 1 character. After you're done, return to the main character screen.
- Step 3: Click on the "PTR Copy" button located in the upper right-hand corner. (The PTR Copy button will not appear in-game until you have created a new level 1 character.)
- Step 4: Select your region.
- Step 5: Click "Copy." This will copy all characters on your account from the selected region.
- Step 6: You will be disconnected from the PTR client.
- Step 7: Log back in. Your copied characters will be available for play.
Remember, if you copy characters from a different region, previous PTR characters will be lost. Take this into account if you plan on copying a live character over to the PTR for Diablo 3 Season 28.
We will endeavor to update this article once more information about Diablo 3 Season 28's PTR becomes available, so you can test out the new content by joining in after copying your character over. Stay tuned, Nephalem!