Diablo 4 Season 1 will launch July 20, Blizzard revealed in a brand new livestream that additionally included a number of recent particulars concerning the upcoming content material replace.
Titled Season of the Malignant, the brand new seasonal content material will convey with it a brand-new quest line that includes “new faces and new enemies, new powers, the primary Season Journey, and the primary Battle Cross.” It takes place after the occasions of the primary marketing campaign and introduces a brand new character in Cormand, an ex-priest from the Cathedral of Gentle who’s making an attempt to cease the unfold of the Malignant.
Season of the Malignant encompasses a “harmful new menace” within the type of Malignant Monsters spreading all through Sanctuary. Any elite monster will be capable to spawn as a Malignant Monster with extra powers. Malignant Monsters will be defeated by drawing out their corruption and trapping their Malignant Hearts, which may then be inserted into rings and amulets.
A brand new menace is corrupting Sanctuary ?#DiabloIV Season of the Malignant is coming July twentieth.
Will you be prepared? pic.twitter.com/bJYo5f1xyB
— Diablo (@Diablo) July 6, 2023
To battle the creatures, Blizzard says Season of the Malignant will embrace new builds which are “stupidly highly effective” due to the brand new Malignant powers. Blizzard additionally hinted as a brand new boss monster, new legendary gadgets, new distinctive gadgets, and extra. The brand new gadgets will not be season unique, Blizzard says, and can seem within the Everlasting Realm too.
Gamers will be capable to soar into seasonal realms and begin a brand new character from Stage 1, although some options will solely be obtainable after beating the primary marketing campaign. The brand new “Season Journey” will happen over seven chapters, with every chapter that includes a number of aims that may be accomplished for rewards like Favor, which can be utilized to open up rewards within the Diablo 4 battle go. In response to Blizzard, the battle go features a free tier the place everybody can earn seasonal boosts with the intention to speed up progress. The paid tier additionally consists of unique cosmetics.
Blizzard has beforehand confirmed that Diablo 4 will proceed evolving and increasing “for years to return.” This consists of two confirmed expansions in addition to a strong roadmap. The Season of the Malignant patch will drop on July 18, with new gadgets and stability modifications obtainable on Everlasting Realm from that point.
Diablo 4 launched final month to crucial acclaim, with our reviewer writing, “Diablo 4 is a surprising sequel with close to good endgame and development design that makes it completely excruciating to place down.”
For extra, preserve an eye fixed out on our ever-evolving map of Sanctuary, which is able to allow you to get by Diablo 4’s myriad quest.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.
