Diablo IV’s highly anticipated season 1 update is set to release on July 20, approximately six weeks after the game’s successful launch. This update, known as the “Season of the Malignant,” was showcased during a recent live stream by the developers. The stream provided an in-depth look at the upcoming content, including new quests, items, and enhancements to the battle pass. As the name suggests, this season introduces a fresh questline where the realm of Sanctuary is being slowly corrupted by a devastating plague. This plague transforms all living beings into Malignant Monsters, imbuing them with new and dangerous abilities.
The new chapter takes place after the main campaign of Diablo 4, where players defeated Lilith, the Daughter of Hatred, in order to purge Sanctuary of evil. The season serves as a side story within the expansive open world of the game. Season 1 will commence at 10:30 pm IST/10 am PT.
Players will find themselves summoned back to Kyovashad at level 1, where they will meet Cormand, a former priest from the Cathedral of Light. Cormand will assign a new task to players: to extract the infected hearts from the Malignant creatures and utilize them to enhance their own power. Elite monsters encountered in the game world have a chance to spawn as Malignant versions. Defeating these adversaries will result in the drop of an exposed Malignant Heart. Interacting with this item initiates a ritual that summons an even more formidable version of the elite enemy, accompanied by a group of corrupted mobs. Eliminating this enhanced foe rewards players with a Caged Heart, which can be slotted into rings or amulets, significantly boosting their power. This system allows players to create unique and powerful character builds that the developers hope will be well-balanced.
Throughout Diablo IV’s season 1, all ring and amulet drops will feature colored sockets: red, blue, or yellow. These sockets will only accept Malignant Hearts of the corresponding color. Players must search for specific colors of items to match with the appropriate hearts. However, there is a possibility of discovering a mysterious fourth color of heart, which can be socketed onto any piece of jewelry. A total of 32 Malignant Heart powers can be collected, and players will encounter even stronger versions as they progress further in the game. Unwanted hearts can be broken down into crafting materials, which can then be used to create Invokers. These Invokers become available once players complete the Diablo IV season 1 campaign and can be utilized in the Malignant Tunnel to hunt for guaranteed hearts. It is worth noting that Malignant Hearts are rare finds in the overworld, so players must be persistent in their search.
Seven Chapters, New Rewards, and the Battle Pass
The season 1 journey in Diablo IV will consist of seven chapters, each offering its own objectives and rewards, including new items and Favor. Favor is a vital component for progressing through the game’s battle pass system, as it allows players to unlock various rewards. The more Favor earned, the more tiers players can unlock. It is important to mention that there are two types of battle passes available: a free tier accessible to all players, offering in-game boosts, and a paid Premium Tier that exclusively provides cosmetic rewards.
At launch, Diablo IV featured an in-game shop that solely offered cosmetic skins, without any pressure to make purchases. Moving forward, Blizzard Entertainment aims to continue this trend, focusing on expanding the game in the years ahead. The studio is already actively developing two expansions for Diablo IV.
Diablo IV is available on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.
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