World of Warcraft's new Diablo-inspired mode gets free playable demo for limted time

World of Warcraft players have an opportunity to experience something a little different this weekend, with Blizzard offering a free playable demo of Talebound, an upcoming action RPG-inspired game mode. Set to arrive as part of the Midnight expansion's forthcoming Echoes of the Worldcore update, Talebound takes players into the dark fantasy setting of Quillgrave, where a mysterious Storyteller draws adventurers into a series of sinister tales. Its action-focused gameplay and gloomy atmosphere may appeal to fans of Blizzard's Diablo franchise in particular.

The demo features three playable classes: Slayer, Inquisitor and Witch. Players can tackle three separate adventures, namely Darkhaven, Greenthistle Wood and Greywake's Expedition, with Normal, Veteran and Heroic difficulty settings available. Adventures can be experienced alone or alongside friends in co-op, offering several ways to explore the new mode before its eventual full release, the date of which is yet to be confirmed.

However, the availability window for the demo is fairly short: it can be accessed via World of Warcraft's Public Test Realm (PTR) until November 2 at 10am PDT. Importantly, a paid WoW subscription isn't required, making it accessible to former subscribers. Players simply need a Battle.net account, a capable PC and the separately installed PTR client. The steps are as follows:

1. Install and/or launch the Battle.net desktop app.
2. Create and/or log in with a Battle.net account.
3. Select World of Warcraft.
4. Choose Public Test Realm (Retail) from the game version selector.
5. Download and install the PTR client.
6. Launch it to access the Talebound demo.