After announcing earlier in September that it was “very close”, Blizzard has confirmed that the closed public beta for Diablo III has now begun, with the first wave of invites being sent out today.

More invites will be sent out over the course of the beta to those who have opted in via Battle.net, though more will be given out through competitions and promotions.

Those that do get in will be able to play through the game’s first act as any of the five hero classes — barbarian, witch doctor, monk, demon hunter or wizard — which will allow players the chance to fight the Skeleton King, as well as meeting up with other players and playing with the crafting system in Diablo III.

“This closed beta test is an important milestone for us as we enter the final stages of development on Diablo 3,” said Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime.

“Our goal is to create the best action role-playing game experience to date, building on everything we’ve learned since the release of Diablo 2 and incorporating the powerful features of the new Battle.net platform. We hope players enjoy participating in the beta test and we look forward to hearing their feedback.”

Have you had an invite yet? Let us know in the comments below.

Thanks, Eurogamer.