Analyzing the comprehensive content of Diablo 4 season 1

Diablo 4 Season 1, Season of the Malignant, introduces new features and content, including capturing Malignant Hearts, replayable dungeons, and a new boss. Players can also participate in the Season Journey and unlock rewards through a battle pass. The patch for the new season has received mixed reviews from players.

Players have expressed their dissatisfaction with the recent 1.1.0 patch for Diablo 4, but despite the controversy, the first season of Diablo 4, Season of the Malignant, is set to release today. This patch was meant to complement the new features introduced in the new season, so if you're curious about the changes, be sure to check out the patch notes.

Now, let's dive into the new content and features that Diablo 4 Season 1, Season of the Malignant, brings to the table.

As promised by Blizzard, the story will progress with each season of Diablo 4. A new corruption has arisen, leading to the emergence of malignant monsters throughout Sanctuary. Players will join forces with Cormond, a former priest of the Cathedral of Light, who possesses a technique to capture the Hearts of the Malignant Creatures.

To embark on this new questline, you must have already completed the campaign. This applies whether you finished the campaign in the new season or if you had previously completed it with a pre-season or Eternal Realm character.

To begin the new quest, you can find Cormond in Kyovashad.

As you capture these corrupted creatures, they will drop their Malignant Heart. By using a new quest item called the Cage of Binding, you can capture the Malignant Heart and harness its power.

This is the main highlight of the new season. Each Heart corresponds to one of four unique colors and types. The orange Vicious Heart focuses on offensive power, the blue Brutal Heart on defensive power, the pink Devious Heart on utility power, and the black Wrathful Heart on super power. Each Malignant Heart has its own effect, with a total of 32 possibilities. There are four unique Hearts for each class and 12 available to all classes.

In this season, jewelry will no longer have normal sockets but will instead have malignant sockets. These sockets align with the colors of the Hearts, with the Wrathful Heart fitting into any socket.

Additionally, you can salvage Malignant Hearts that are of no use to you and convert them into Ichor. This Ichor can then be used to craft new Hearts, allowing you to create one more suited to your build.

New replayable dungeons called Malignant Tunnels have also appeared across Sanctuary. There are a total of six unique dungeons, each filled with Malignant Monsters that must be defeated. Inside these dungeons, you will encounter malignant outgrowths. By using Malignant Invokers, you can draw out fully corrupted enemies from these outgrowths. Defeating these powerful creatures will result in them dropping a specific type of Malignant Heart. This feature allows you to farm for a specific heart type instead of relying solely on random chance.

Once you have vanquished enough Malignant Monsters, you will face Varshan the Consumed, an all-new boss introduced in Season of the Malignant.

Fans of Diablo III will recognize the return of the Season Journey. This feature is divided into chapters, each containing tasks for you to complete during the season. As you progress, you will unlock season-exclusive rewards such as titles and cosmetics. Your seasonal character will also receive rewards to give you a head start, including Legendary Aspects and consumables.

Completing chapters in your Season Journey will also earn you Favor, which is used to progress the battle pass. The battle pass consists of a free track and a premium track. In total, there are 27 free tiers and 63 premium tiers. The free tiers grant Smoldering Ashes that can be used to purchase Season Blessings, providing bonus experience, gold, or obols.

The premium track includes the rewards from the free track, as well as platinum and cosmetic rewards such as armor sets, mounts, and mount armor.

If you purchased the Digital Deluxe or Ultimate Edition of Diablo 4, you will have an unlock token for the premium Battle Pass. Make sure to consider the rewards of this Battle Pass before using the token, as it can only be used once.

That covers everything coming in Diablo 4 Season 1, Season of the Malignant. The season launches on July 20 at 1PM EST. Get ready to dive into the new content and embark on exciting adventures in Sanctuary!