Error 37?" We first encountered this error on May 8, 2012, one week before the launch of Diablo 3. Blizzard warned us that we might get this error when we tried to enter the game on launch day, and they said, "(open in new tab) Don't worry. Just give it some time and try again."

Of course, there was much to worry about: the launch of Diablo 3 was, as we (very mildly) stated in our summary (open in new tab) of the situation on launch day, "unstable". Servers were crushed and people struggled to gain entry for hours: our "review of the moment (opens in new tab)" reflected the mood of the place, calling the rash of errors, disconnections, and progress resets "utter bullshit."

Blizzard was able to stabilize the situation for most players within a day or two, and we ultimately gave the game an excellent 90% rating. However, the scars remain on Metacritic (open in new tab), where Diablo 3 still has a low 4.2 rating with over 10,000 user reviews to date.

And the confusion reverberated beyond review scores and angry comments: Blizzard's refusal to refund disgruntled players in Korea led to formal complaints and strict guidance from the country's Fair Trade Commission. The attitude was quickly corrected, and within weeks Blizzard's "no refunds" policy was out of date (opens in new tab). (At least in Korea.)

And years later, fans have not forgotten:

What was particularly infuriating about the Error 37 debacle was that players could no longer access Diablo 3 at all, even if they wanted to play the single-player campaign. Diablo 3 is always online, even if you're playing alone: Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime said that after Diablo 3 launched (and while players are still at the mercy of its various problems), being connected to the Internet full-time Morhaime explained that it is "critical" to Diablo 3's "long-term integrity (open in new tab)."

(Morhaime also defended the infamous Diablo 3 auction house, where Blizzard sought to "provide convenience and peace of mind" for players who might be tempted to buy and sell items using third-party marketplaces) He stated. The auction house was eventually discontinued more than a year after Diablo 3's launch (open in new tab), but the requirement to be always online remained).

The whole thing was such a mess that a meme was born:

I remind you of this because the long-awaited Diablo 4 (opens in new tab) is finally here and public beta testing is imminent. First, a closed beta test for everyone who pre-ordered the game will run from March 17 at 9 a.m. PDT until March 20 at 12 p.m. PDT. The open beta will take place one week later, from March 24 at 9:00 a.m. PDT to March 27 at 12:00 p.m. PDT. Remember that North America is currently in daylight saving time, but Europe is not, so you may need to adjust your timing depending on where you live.

Preload for both beta sessions will begin at 9:00 am PDT/12:00 pm EDT on Wednesday, the day before March 15 and 22. The closed beta test will include the Barbarian, Rogue, and Sorcerer classes, while the open beta will add the Necromancer and Druid.

And in case you forgot (it's a long story, after all), Diablo 4, like its predecessor, will not have an offline mode (opens in new tab). Back to the beginning: we have come a long way since 2012, and at this point it is almost a given that an Internet connection is mandatory. That said, online gaming always seems to fall flat on its face to some degree when it first opens its doors. The "Diablo 4" beta (opens in a new tab) may be following in that tradition (frankly, I'd be surprised if it wasn't), but let's hope we don't have to endure error codes that are common enough to become memes.