Diablo 4’s first season, Season of the Malignant, is set to launch on July 20, just six weeks after the game’s release. During a recent livestream, Blizzard Entertainment provided an overview of the new seasonal mechanics, which coincide with the announcement of a new class for Diablo Immortal.
In Season of the Malignant, players will venture into a side story that takes place after the main campaign of Diablo 4. As evil forces continue to threaten the world of Sanctuary, a new corrupting curse emerges.
Players will receive a summons from Cormund, a new character, to the capital city of the Fractured Peaks, Kyovashad. There, they will embark on a quest to capture corrupted hearts and harness their power to combat the spreading blight.
Powerful New Tools for Each Class
As part of the seasonal mechanics, Diablo 4 introduces new and powerful tools for each class. While playing in Season 1, players have a chance to encounter Malignant monsters, formidable foes that drop special Malignant Heart items upon defeat.
Interacting with these hearts respawns the enemy, making them even more challenging to overcome. If players manage to triumph, they will be rewarded with a Caged Heart, a powerful item that can significantly enhance their abilities throughout the season.
Caged Hearts possess their own Legendary-level powers, such as electrifying enemies with critical hits. Players can socket these hearts into their jewelry items, taking advantage of the festering sockets that drop on rings and amulets during the entire Season of the Malignant.
These sockets come in red, blue, or yellow colors, corresponding to different heart powers. While like-colored sockets can be matched, players also have the opportunity to use a rare fourth color of heart in any of the three sockets.
“Stupid Broken” Powers and Exciting Builds
Season of the Malignant introduces 32 new powers exclusive to the Malignant Heart system. Tim Ismay, the lead producer for seasons in Diablo 4, describes these powers as “stupid broken,” offering players the opportunity to experiment with new and interesting builds during Season 1.
To acquire specific Malignant Hearts, players can break down existing hearts they find in the game world for a special crafting currency. Accumulating enough currency allows them to enter the Malignant Tunnel, a new activity space filled with Malignant monsters. By defeating a special enemy at the end, players are guaranteed to receive a Malignant Heart of their chosen color.
Additional Content and Non-Seasonal Characters
Season of the Malignant also introduces new story content unrelated to the main plot of Diablo 4, a new boss monster, as well as new Legendary Powers and Unique items.
These additions will be available in the Eternal realm, where non-seasonal characters reside. To access the Season of the Malignant content and increase their season pass level, players must create a new seasonal character from scratch on July 20.
Blizzard emphasizes that all seasonal purchases are purely cosmetic, ensuring that players cannot buy in-game power with real-world cash, distinguishing Diablo 4 from Diablo Immortal.
Balancing and Regular Patches
Blizzard assures players that patches during Diablo 4’s seasons will be regulated and aim to strike a balance between nerfs and buffs. While the studio swiftly addressed overpowered builds and items during the early days of Diablo 4’s launch, they plan to minimize significant changes each season unless necessary.
With only two weeks until the start of the new season, players have much to prepare for. Completing the campaign and discovering all the Altars of Lilith will ensure a thrilling and action-packed experience in Diablo 4’s Season of the Malignant.
