Diablo 4 Season 1 will release July 20, Blizzard revealed in a new livestream that also included a host of new details about the upcoming content update.
Titled Season of the Malignant, the new seasonal content will bring with it a brand-new quest line featuring “new faces and new enemies, new powers, the first Season Journey, and the first Battle Pass.” It takes place after the events of the main campaign and introduces a new character in Cormand, an ex-priest from the Cathedral of Light who is trying to stop the spread of the Malignant.
Season of the Malignant features a “dangerous new threat” in the form of Malignant Monsters spreading throughout Sanctuary. Any elite monster will be able to spawn as a Malignant Monster with additional powers. Malignant Monsters can be defeated by drawing out their corruption and trapping their Malignant Hearts, which can then be inserted into rings and amulets.
A new threat is corrupting Sanctuary 💀#DiabloIV Season of the Malignant is coming July 20th.
Will you be ready? pic.twitter.com/bJYo5f1xyB
— Diablo (@Diablo) July 6, 2023
To battle the creatures, Blizzard says Season of the Malignant will include new builds that are “stupidly powerful” thanks to the new Malignant powers. Blizzard also hinted as a new boss monster, new legendary items, new unique items, and more. The new items won’t be season exclusive, Blizzard says, and will appear in the Eternal Realm too.
Players will be able to jump into seasonal realms and start a new character from Level 1, though some features will only be available after beating the main campaign. The new “Season Journey” will take place over seven chapters, with each chapter featuring multiple objectives that can be completed for rewards like Favor, which can be used to open up rewards in the Diablo 4 battle pass. According to Blizzard, the battle pass includes a free tier where everyone can earn seasonal boosts in order to accelerate progress. The paid tier also includes exclusive cosmetics.
Blizzard has previously confirmed that Diablo 4 will continue evolving and expanding “for years to come.” This includes two confirmed expansions as well as a robust roadmap. The Season of the Malignant patch will drop on July 18, with new items and balance changes available on Eternal Realm from that time.
Diablo 4 released last month to critical acclaim, with our reviewer writing, “Diablo 4 is a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down.”
For more, keep an eye out on our ever-evolving map of Sanctuary, which will help you get through Diablo 4’s myriad quest.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
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