Season of the Malignant
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| Release Date | July 20, 2023 |
| Genre | Multiplayer Action RPG |
| Price | TBC |
| Rating | M |
| Online | YES |
| Developer | Activision Blizzard |
| Publisher | Activision Blizzard |
Season of the Malignant for Diablo 4 is the First Season of Diablo 4. Season of the Malignant features new threats that players will have to defeat with the help of a new character known as Cormond. This page will cover all relevant information for Season of the Malignant prices, rewards, notes, and other helpful information for this battle pass. Please see Battle Pass Guide and Seasons for more info.
Diablo 4 was released initially for Early Open Beta on March 17 – 19th, Open Beta on March 24 – 26th, and the full release was on June 6th, 2023. Diablo 4 is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.
- You can visit the Malignant Tunnels page for helpful information on the new special locations.
- Check our Malignant Hearts page for an in-depth guide and list of all Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Table of Content
- Diablo 4 Season Pass Overview
- Preparing for a New Season in Diablo 4
- Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Key Features
- How to Access the Season of the Malignant in Diablo 4
- Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant New Features
- Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Gallery
Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Seasonal Pass Overview
A new threat falls upon Sanctuary again. After Lilith's defeat in Diablo 4, Malignant Monsters have come to wreak havoc. These abominations roam free and threaten the safety of the people and wanderers must investigate the source of these Malignant Monsters with the help of Cormond, a new character added to Season of the Malignant.
These Malignant Monsters possess powerful Malignant Hearts that wanderers can harness for themselves through the help of Cormond, a priest from the Cathedral of Light. To do this, players need to partake in a ritual to cleanse these hearts and make use of them.
The Season of the Malignant also introduces new Enemies, mechanics, quality-of-life updates, and cosmetics earned from the battle pass. Players will get to play a seasonal character and play in the seasonal realm and enjoy new features such as the following:
- NEW Malignant Monsters
- NEW Varshan the Consumed
- NEW Ritual: Cage of Binding
- NEW Malignant Hearts
- NEW Malignant Tunnels, Enemies, Legendary Aspects, and Unique Items.
Transform Malignance into Vengeance
With the arrival of Malignant Monsters in Sanctuary, wanderers must turn these monsters' strength against them. Wanderers will be able to collect Malignant Hearts from Partly Corrupted enemies, which is a type of Malignant Monster. These Malignant Hearts will be needed to perform a ritual on the Cage of Binding. A successful ritual comes with a lot of preparation, and this ritual is no different. During the ritual, these monsters will turn into a full-pledged corrupted enemies, which makes them more powerful. However, defeating them in this form will cause them to drop a gem version of their Malignant Hearts that can be socketed into Special Infested Sockets in your accessories, replacing a traditional gem.
These Malignant Hearts have 4 categories:
- Devious
- Brutal
- Vicious
- Wrathful
Season 1 of Diablo 4 will introduce 32 Malignant Hearts under 4 categories that will provide new and unique buffs and bonuses. The more powerful these Malignant Monsters get, the stronger their Malignant Hearts grow. More bonuses await you as you level up the Seasonal Realm. These Malignant Hearts are considered a season-specific feature, which means that these items will not be carried over to the Eternal Realm.
A New Boss is Upon Us: Varshan The Consumed
The threat becomes even more imminent each day and there are also new dungeons to explore. The Malignant Tunnels is the newest dungeon, among many new dungeons. This dungeon features a dark tunnel and is the home to Varshan the Consumed, together with various Enemies and Elites. Visit the dungeon to try and defeat the newest boss in Diablo 4, only here on the Seasonal Realm.
Season of the Malignant: NEW Gear and NEW Cosmetics
It's time to go hunting again for new gear in Diablo 4 with the arrival of 6 new Unique Items, and 7 new Legendary aspects. Along your journey in the new Season of the Malignant, there will be more powerful options for each class. Players are encouraged to create a new character and try out different builds for a Class, or simply experiment with something new. The system of creating a Seasonal Character is a chance to get creative while fighting demons, as you collect and earn new gears for your character.
Discover new equipment and pursue new options for your class in the upcoming Season 1 of Diablo 4. The first season will go live on July 20 and is available to all owners of Diablo 4.
Preparing for a New Season in Diablo 4
Seasons in Diablo 4 means you also get seasonal characters. All your characters will start anew, and players will all begin to farm and level up their characters. Luckily, there are some progress, details and explorations that will translate over to the new pass such as:
- Overall Story Progress
- Altars of Lilith
- Map Discovery
- Renown
- Potion Charges
- Skill Points
At the moment, these are known to last across all seasons so players will not have to re-do them again. Players will be able to focus on the Battle Pass Content and enjoy it whether Free, Premium, or Accelerated Battle Pass. Players can also choose whether to play in the Seasonal Realm or the Eternal Realm. Eternal Realm refers to the regular Diablo 4 but without the Seasonal features such as rewards, journey, and new items.
Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Key Features
- New enemy type: Malignant Monsters
- New boss: Varshan The Consumed
- New dungeons and questline: Malignant Tunnels and Cormond's Questline
- New Season Journey and Seasonal Battle Pass: Earn various rewards as you progress in the season journey and battle pass
How to access Season of the Malignant?
To participate in the new upcoming season on July 20, Wanderers must create a new character on the Seasonal Realm. This is a free feature offered to all owners of Diablo 4. However, players must have completed the Main Campaign on at least one of the characters on the Eternal Realm, or Season 0. Once the main campaign has been completed, Wanderers can now participate in Season of the Malignant. To begin, players will be given the option to:
- Skip the Campaign
- Mount is available immediately for use on Seasonal Realm
- All Altars of Lilith are unlocked, and the Renown Points will be retained
- All previously discovered maps and the corresponding Renown Points will be retained
Once the season ends, which is roughly 3 months or October 9, the progress that you have made on the Seasonal Realm will be transferred to the Eternal Realm. This includes all the items you collected on your Seasonal stash, but season-specific features such as the Malignant Hearts will not be carried over.
Earn Rewards with Season Journey and Battle Pass
Discover the source of the Malignant Monsters and your efforts will be rewarded through the Season Journey. The Season Journey is broken down into Chapters, each with its own corresponding tasks to complete. As you progress in your discovery, you will earn rewards such as Legendary Aspects, A unique Title, and a new Scroll of Amnesia. This new item will provide Free Skill Tree and Paragon Board Reset, which usually costs almost a million if you're in the Endgame levels of 70+.
Aside from that, participating in the Season Journey will also grant Wanderers Favors, which is the currency needed to level up the Battle Pass levels, whether Free, Premium, or Accelerated. Favors are granted by killing Enemies, completing quests, and more on Diablo 4.
How to Get Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Battle Pass?
Season of the Malignant is a free seasonal pass for all owners of Diablo 4. There is an upcoming battle pass that will be featured as well including Free Battle Pass, Premium Battle Pass, and Accelerated Battle Pass. Check out the details below:
| Battle Pass Tier | Price | Rewards |
| Battle Pass | Free | ?? Free Tiers |
| Premium Battle Pass | ?? Platinum | ?? Premium Tiers and a total of ?? Tiers |
| Accelerated Battle Pass | ?? Platinum | ?? Tiers, ?? Skips, and a total of ?? Tiers |
Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant New Features
New Equipment and Materials
- NEW 32 Malignant Hearts
- NEW 6 Unique Items
- NEW 7 Legendary Aspects
Cosmetics for Diablo 4
- NEW Transmog for all Classes
New Local Events and Mechanics
- Cage of Binding - A ritual that will turn Malignant Hearts into a gem version that will replace traditional gems for Accessories.
- Varshan the Consumed - New boss that can be found in Malignant Tunnels is coming to Season of the Malignant
Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Completion Tips
Battle Pass Progression Diablo 4
When players complete objectives, they are granted Favor which unlocks additional Season Journey Chapters. The higher the levels of the Season Journey Chapters that are unlocked, the more difficult these challenges will get. These objective requirements will range from collecting materials to completing dungeons to participating in local events.
It is known that the Battle Pass will take roughly up to 80 hours to unlock fully over the three months (90 days) of the duration of the Battle Pass. Players will be able to unlock 1 Tier a day to complete the Battle Pass by the end of the Season.
Leveling Up Battle Pass in Diablo 4
Players can complete Objectives for each Chapter of the Season Journey to progress through the Battle Pass to earn rewards. Favor will be rewarded to players upon completing the objectives as well as general gameplay with a Seasonal character. Favor unlocks additional Chapters of the Season Journey and additional Tiers of the Seasonal Battle Pass.
Aside from Favor, players can also purchase the Accelerated Battle Pass to unlock 20 Tier Skips or purchase Tier Skips individually with Platinum. However, to unlock these Tiers, players will need to earn Smoldering Ash by progressing the Battle Pass and leveling up Seasonal characters to a required level. Purchasing Tier Skips is different from unlocking these tiers.
Season of the Malignant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What gets Carried over in Seasons?
Blizzard has confirmed that players will need to create a new character every new season. Some attributes will be carried over across seasons such as renown, map discovery, Altars of Lilith, potion charges, skill points, and overall story progression. This means that players will be able to fully enjoy and explore the new season as soon as it releases.
What are the cosmetics included in the Battle Pass?
The Battle Pass includes a variety of cosmetics that players can use to customize their characters. The majority of the Battle Pass rewards consist of cosmetics for your Armor or Weapons, Backpacks, Mounts, and Emotes.
The exclusivity of the items ranges from whether players stick with the Free Battle Pass or choose to purchase the Premium Battle Pass or the Accelerated Battle Pass.
When is the release date of Season of the Malignant in Diablo 4?
The Free Battle Pass is offered to every player who owns Diablo 4, and each season lasts about 3 months. Season of the Malignant will be released on July 20. Starting that day, you will be able to enjoy the Free Battle Pass or opt for a premium battle pass. Check out Battle Pass Guide for more info.
What is a Battle Pass?
Diablo 4's Battle Pass acts as a reward system that allows players to complete specific tasks and challenges in return for rewards you can get for free as well as premium rewards by purchasing the Premium Battle Pass or the Accelerated Battle Pass.
There will be a wide range of new quests, objectives, items, and multiple ways to earn in-game currency all across the three different Battle Passes. Players will need to note that the main campaign must be completed before taking part in the new content added in the first seasonal update.
The Battle Pass is available for a limited time of 3 months, and a new one will be released afterward. The Battle Pass is a way to keep players engaged and coming back for more.
Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant Gallery
