Unveiling the Sinister Secrets of Diablo 4: Decoding Season 1’s Malignancy

Diablo 4 Season 1: A Guide to the Malignancy

Introduction

The highly anticipated Diablo 4 Season 1 is set to bring a host of exciting changes to Blizzard’s beloved RPG. With new build options, fearsome enemies, and a fresh storyline, players can look forward to an immersive gaming experience. In this guide, we will delve into the details of the Season of Malignance, including its start date, new content, and the intriguing mechanic of Malignant Hearts.

The Start Date

Diablo 4 Season 1 is scheduled to commence on July 20, 2023, and will run for a period of three months, concluding around October 20, 2023. The season patch will be available for download on July 18, 2023, introducing non-seasonal changes, such as class tweaks, to the game.

The Season Storyline

Season 1 of Diablo 4 presents a captivating side story that unfolds after the main campaign events. Players will embark on a mission to resolve the conflict between Lilith and Inarius, guided by a character named Cormond. As a former priest at the Cathedral of Light, Cormond is determined to eradicate the Malignance, a strange corruption that transforms creatures, humans, and demons into bloodthirsty monsters.

Malignant Hearts and Build Possibilities

One of the standout features of Diablo 4 Season 1 is the introduction of Malignant Hearts. These items, which resemble gems, come in four varieties, three of which are color-coded to fit into matching-colored slots in your rings and other jewelry. The fourth, universal Heart can be placed in any slot. Malignant Hearts provide character-specific buffs and abilities, thereby opening up exciting new build possibilities. For example, one Heart demonstrated by the development team during the reveal livestream imbued enemies with electricity following a critical strike, potentially altering your character’s role in multiplayer sessions.

There are a total of 32 types of Malignant Hearts to discover, with different gear offering a chance to drop slots in varying colors. As you progress through the season’s story, you’ll encounter stronger Hearts, and unwanted Hearts can be salvaged for crafting materials.

Acquiring Malignant Hearts

Acquiring Malignant Hearts involves confronting formidable Elite foes. Defeating an Elite exposes their corrupt heart, and by using a Cage of Binding on it, the Elite will respawn as a more challenging opponent accompanied by new spawns. Triumph over this enhanced version, and you’ll obtain their Malignant Heart. Additionally, certain areas will feature Malignant Tunnels after completing the season’s story, leading to Malignant Outgrowths at the end. By utilizing invokers, which are special items crafted from salvaged Malignant Hearts, you can activate a node on the growth and spawn an Elite, resulting in a Malignant Heart that matches the node’s color.

Character Data and Season Progression

In Diablo 4 Season 1, players will need to create a new seasonal character to partake in the majority of the Malignant’s challenges. However, significant portions of your character data from the Eternal Realm, Diablo 4’s endgame content, will carry over. This includes map exploration, regional renown points earned, and activated Altars of Lilith.

While aspects such as XP, gear, and character progress will not transfer, Blizzard advises players to log into the character with the most extensive progress before the season update patch goes live on July 18. This progress will then be saved to your account and applied to every character you log in as, whether they are seasonal characters or those on the Eternal Realm. This feature grants your new seasonal character a significant head start in terms of renown, potions, and skill points.

The Season Journey

Each Diablo 4 season will feature a Journey, which consists of chapters containing objectives that can be completed to earn progress towards your battle pass. These objectives encompass various activities, such as clearing cellars or defeating specific enemy types. It is worth noting that you do not need to complete every objective to progress the Journey, giving you the freedom to focus on the objectives that interest you personally. Alongside rare items, completing Season Journey chapters will reward you with new Aspects that cannot be obtained through regular dungeon completion.

The Battle Pass

Diablo 4 Season 1 introduces a battle pass system with both a free track and a paid track. It is important to note that the items obtained through the battle pass are purely cosmetic and do not affect gameplay. Players can earn Favor, the currency used to level up the battle pass, by completing objectives, quests, defeating enemies, and earning XP in Diablo 4. Additionally, if you have a seasonal character, you can also earn battle pass Favor by playing in the Eternal Realm. This ensures that players have ample opportunities to progress and unlock a variety of cosmetic rewards, including mounts and armor for your mounts. Notably, many of the character cosmetics are usable across all classes.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, Diablo 4 Season 1 promises an engaging and rewarding gaming experience for fans of the franchise. With the introduction of Malignant Hearts, players can explore new build possibilities and discover powerful buffs and abilities. The season’s storyline, along with the battle pass and the Season Journey, add depth and variety to the gameplay, ensuring that players have plenty of goals to strive for throughout the three-month duration. Whether you’re a seasoned Diablo player or new to the series, Diablo 4 Season 1 offers an exciting opportunity to dive into the dark and treacherous world of Sanctuary.