A new corruption has emerged in Sanctuary! Diablo IV is a living game that is designed to be evolving and expanding for years to come, and the team is kicking off the start of the long-term content schedule with the very first season of the game, Season of the Malignant, coming 20 July.
On Diablo’s latest live stream, associate game director Joseph Piepiora, lead game producer Timothy Ismay, and associate director of community Adam Fletcher talked about what’s coming this season, including a brand-new questline with new faces and new enemies, new powers, the first season Journey, and the first Battle Pass.
Following the tradition of previous Diablo games, the seasons give all players an opportunity to start the season journey fresh with the new features and gameplay mechanics that have been added. With everyone on an even playing field, players can try out new classes and build that they have been curious about or journey through the season with an established favourite class/build while engaging in the seasonal mechanics for a new experience. Levelling up a new character doesn’t require starting from scratch, as it brings with it the previous renown gained from discovering the map and the benefits from the Altars of Lilith players have found. If you have the mount unlocked, you will also be able to use it immediately on your new character. After each season concludes, all characters will be migrated to the Eternal Realm, where players will be able to access them permanently.
Season 1 details:
- A new adventure arrives: A dangerous new threat roams the land in the form of Malignant Monsters. Team up with Cormond, a former priest, to stop the spread of the Malignant at all costs.
- Fight the infestation: Destroy these Malignant Monsters by drawing the corruption from them and trapping their Malignant Hearts, which can then be inserted into Rings and Amulets.
- No prior experience required: New players will be able to jump into seasonal realms and play through the main campaign as they learn the basics and then go straight into the season content and new systems introduced. They will also be able to progress along parts of the season journey and battle pass as they play. Hardcore players will be able to create new characters and experiment with new builds or classes as they play through the season journey. Seasons add an entirely new way to customise characters and build up their power as they take on end-game challenges.
- Season journey: This multi-chapter objective system rewards players for completing each chapter. With multiple chapters, you can earn favour from rewards which will progress the Battle Pass.
- Battle pass: By earning favour through regular gameplay or purchasing optional tier skips, players can earn rewards as they complete Battle Pass tiers. The Battle Pass offers a free tier where everyone can earn season boosts to accelerate player progress. If a player chooses to purchase the paid tier, they can also earn exclusive Battle Pass cosmetics.