How to avoid beta key scams for The War Within and other Blizzard games

Spring is here in the northern hemisphere, which means the birds are migrating, flowers are blooming, and  The War Within is accepting signups for beta testing — and Cataclysm Classic‘s beta is ongoing (you can still sign up via an opt-in on the website). While the development teams will sometimes have additional methods for getting into a beta test — those who prepurchase the Epic Edition of The War Within are guaranteed access — for now this is the only way to sign up.

That’s pretty exciting, but the problem with being excited about beta invites is you start to let your guard down, and that can make you more likely to jump on beta key scams. When betas start, scammers get busy setting traps: you might receive an email saying you’re invited to the beta, and just need to click a legitimate-looking link and enter your info to confirm. Even with the relatively straightforward method for accessing Cataclysm Classic or The War Within closed beta, players should still be wary — especially those who already signed up or prepurchased a version with included access and are expecting an email. If you jump on something like that without thinking before you know it you might no longer be in control of your account. So to quote the opening of Hill Street Blues, let’s be careful out there.

How to check that you got into the The War Within beta (and other Blizzard beta tests)

Normally if you want to participate in a beta test, you need to make sure you’ve signed up for an invite. Beware of clicking login links in emails! Even if you’re positive the email is genuine, go to your account page directly to enter your username and password — don’t do it from a link. This is especially good advice if you don’t remember opting in to the beta test.

Typically the Blizzard email does not link you to a login page or any site that asks for your password: every link is to a news article or to download the Battle.net desktop app. That’s one of the signs that the email is legitimate; the words you need to be looking out for at all times is “log into your account now” because that is what you don’t want to do.

If you’re waiting on early beta access you don’t need to wait on an email, though — you can check the Battle.net launcher to see if you have access. Sometimes, you may need to restart your launcher for alpha and beta tests to appear. The beta should appear in the Game Version dropdown list under In Development. You can also log into your Battle.net account and see if the beta is listed under your games.

Remember to be safe when it comes to your account information, and never give it out in the hopes of receiving a key or invite. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Originally published September 20, 2022; updated April 17, 2024