Diablo IV: Season of the Malignant

This is the first Season for Diablo IV, categorized as a 'Season' update, focusing on temporary narrative and gameplay additions. You investigate a new corruption, hunting 'Malignant Monsters' to harvest build-altering 'Malignant Hearts' with the help of Cormond. Progression involves completing the Season Journey for rewards like skill resets and climbing the 90-Tier Battle Pass for temporary Season Blessings that boost XP or Gold. This content complements the core experience, offering a focused, time-limited adventure available on PC and consoles.

This content represents the first seasonal update for the core game, launching on July 20, 2023. It introduces a new, temporary narrative layer focused on a spreading corruption within Sanctuary. Players will encounter a fresh threat known as Malignant Monsters—decaying abominations driven by a new, twisted form of Lilith’s influence. This season offers a self-contained storyline where Wanderers team up with Cormond, a former priest, to investigate this malady and learn how to combat it. As a seasonal offering, this content is designed to be experienced alongside the ongoing main narrative, providing a focused, time-limited adventure that complements the core experience.

What is the core focus of this seasonal update?

The central theme revolves around the "Malignancy," a corruption infecting the armies of the Burning Hells. The primary gameplay loop introduced involves hunting down these Malignant Monsters to harvest their core—the Malignant Hearts. These Hearts are not merely loot; they are converted into powerful, build-altering powers that players can utilize for the duration of the season.

The narrative progression involves assisting Cormond, who trains players in the specific mechanics required to capture and utilize these Malignant Hearts. The overarching goal is to trace this corruption back to its source before it fully overwhelms Sanctuary.

New Gameplay Mechanics and Progression Systems

The introduction of Malignant Hearts is the defining mechanical feature of this season. These function as unique, temporary power sources that can significantly alter character builds, offering new avenues for experimentation outside of standard gear and skill progression.

Progression is structured around two main systems:

The Season Journey: This is broken down into Chapters containing specific tasks. Completing these tasks rewards players with items such as new Legendary Aspects, a Mastery Title, and a Scroll of Amnesia, which allows for a complete reset of the Skill Tree and Paragon Board.
The Battle Pass: This system features 90 Tiers, divided into 27 Free Tiers and 63 Premium Tiers. Progressing through the Battle Pass earns Favor, which is also gained naturally through standard gameplay activities like killing demons and completing quests.

Season Blessings and Temporary Bonuses

Rewards earned from the Free Tiers of the Battle Pass include Smoldering Ashes. These Ashes can be spent on Season Blessings, which grant temporary bonuses to the acquisition rates of Experience, Gold, or Obols. These specific bonuses are active only until the conclusion of this specific season.

Platform Availability and Context

This seasonal content is available across all platforms where the parent game resides, including PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. As a seasonal update, it functions as an episodic addition to the main game, rather than a standalone title or a permanent expansion.

What additional content is included in this Season?

This update focuses entirely on the seasonal narrative, mechanics, and progression systems described above. It is structured as a time-limited event complementing the ongoing world of the core game.

What is the core focus of this seasonal update?

New Gameplay Mechanics and Progression Systems

Progression is structured around two main systems:

The Season Journey: This is broken down into Chapters containing specific tasks. Completing these tasks rewards players with items such as new Legendary Aspects, a Mastery Title, and a Scroll of Amnesia, which allows for a complete reset of the Skill Tree and Paragon Board.

The Battle Pass: This system features 90 Tiers, divided into 27 Free Tiers and 63 Premium Tiers. Progressing through the Battle Pass earns Favor, which is also gained naturally through standard gameplay activities like killing demons and completing quests.

Platform Availability and Context

What additional content is included in this Season?

This update focuses entirely on the seasonal narrative, mechanics, and progression systems described above. It is structured as a time-limited event complementing the ongoing world of the core game.