Diablo 4 Season 1: Everything You Need to Know

Season 1 Start Date

The highly anticipated Season 1 of Diablo 4 started on July 20th. The preseason patch dropped on July 18th.

Check out our Season Checklist, as it will give you some useful tips and tricks on how to best get around Season 1 of Diablo 4:

Diablo Seasons Explained

Overview of Seasons

If you’re new to the Diablo universe, you may be wondering, “What exactly is a Season in Diablo 4?” A Season in Diablo 4 is an opportunity for all players to start anew, immersing themselves in new content or a captivating theme that spans a period of roughly three months.

The concept of seasons in Diablo games breathes new life into the experience. You create a fresh seasonal character who, upon the season’s conclusion, becomes a non-seasonal character. The best part is that if you have completed the campaign at least once with any character, be it seasonal or non-seasonal, you are free to skip the campaign and dive headfirst into the exhilarating grind.

Seasons offer a fantastic opportunity to experiment with new characters or intriguing builds that have caught your attention. Furthermore, the anticipation of balance changes and new items added to the game keeps things exciting. These adjustments disrupt the established meta, injecting a refreshing twist into the gameplay after the initial launch period.

Talking about intriguing builds and an established meta, you might want to explore our class build tier list. If you are interested, feel free to check it out here:

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a curious newcomer, Seasons provide a chance to craft a new chapter in your Diablo journey. Don’t miss the opportunity to etch your story in the annals of Diablo 4’s inaugural Season!

Seasonal Characters

How does a Seasonal Character work?

• If you have completed the Campaign you will be able to skip the campaign on a new seasonal character right away.
• You will have your mount from the beginning if it has been unlocked on any character
• All Altars of Lilith and discovered areas will be unlocked and you will receive the Renown for them if you have unlocked them previously

At the end of the season your seasonal characters and your seasonal stash will be transferred to the Eternal Realm which is where all of your non seasonal characters are currently located.

Season of the Malignant

NOTE: Make sure you complete the storyline on Tier 1 or 2 otherwise you will not receive the Invoker of Varshan Recipe and will not be able to make the Tier 3 or 4 versions of them on that character!

Season Start

We highly suggest you complete the main campaign and completely explore the map as well as find all of the Altars of Lilith before the season starts as the completion and renown from them will carry over into the season. On that note you MUST login on your characters that have the most completion after the patch on the 18th to make sure that your progress will carry over into the season and beyond.

If you have completed the campaign and choose to skip it upon season start (which we highly suggest you do) you will start in Kyovashad at level 1 and will be able to immediately start the season story.

If you have done all the things we suggested here you will start the season with enough renown to start with 4 extra potions and 4 extra skill points.

Keep in mind that your current characters will stay on the Eternal Realm and you will still be able to play them along with the class updates and the new uniques and legendary aspects you just won’t be able to access any season specific content with them.

Required Renown for Season 1

• Fractured Peaks: 900
• Scosglen: 850
• Dry Steppes: 955
• Kehjistan: 1000
• Hawezar: 950

To reach max renown in each zone, you will need to do either 12 dungeons and 30 side quests, or all dungeons and 10-15 side quests.

If you want to get fast renown in Season 1, you may want to split your party and complete different dungeons at the same time. This way, everyone in the party will get credit for each dungeon, even if they weren’t there.

Of course, this strategy assumes that you have already conquered all three strongholds and unlocked all the waypoints in the map, so that only certain renown activities are left to do.

Season Mechanic

The Season of the Malignant special mechanic is the addition of Malignant monsters. Once you have completed part of the beginning of the Season Story questline up to the point that you have gotten the Cage of Binding you can start finding Partly Corrupted enemies which are a type of Malignant Monster, upon defeating them a Malignant Heart will drop and you will use the Cage of Binding on it to spawn a Fully Corrupted enemy. Once defeated it will drop a Malignant Heart that will correspond to the type of Malignant Monster it was. These Malignant Hearts can then be socketed into special colored sockets in Jewelry.

You will inevitably end up with extra Malignant Hearts you don’t want to use and the good news is you can salvage them into crafting materials that will allow you to create Invokers that you can use in Malignant Tunnels to target farm specific colors of Malignant Hearts.

For more information on Malignant Invokers, check out our guide here:

Malignant Tunnels are special dungeons in the world that will be highly replayable and will have a much higher chance for Malignant Monsters to spawn, they are also the only place that you will be able to find the new boss that is being added in this season Varshan the Consumed.

Malignant Hearts

The Malignant Hearts you get from completing Seasonal Content will come in 4 different colors

• Pink called Devious that go in Devious/Pink sockets
• Orange called Vicious that go in Vicious/Orange sockets
• Blue called Brutal that go in Brutal/Blue sockets
• White called Wrathful that are rarer and can go in any color socket

Any socket that is rolled on Jewelry after completing the season 1 quest line will roll as one of the 3 special sockets and you may also put a regular gem in them if you don’t have a Malignant Heart you want to socket at that time.

Malignant Hearts cannot be removed but they can be replaced so be careful when placing them into your gear!

For a more detailed look at Malignant Hearts check out our guide on them here:

New Uniques and Aspects

This season will introduce 6 new Uniques and 7 new Legendary Aspects. As we get more info on them we will post them here and be ready for our amazing build writers to update and create new and exciting builds with them!

For more information on all new Uniques and Aspects, visit our guide here:

Update: We have now also confirmed that one of the new Uniques will be an Uber Unique and be extremely rare!

Season Journey

We have recently gotten a little bit more information on the Season Journey and how it will work in Season 1 of Diablo 4.

As you can see it will be similar to the way the seasons in Diablo 3 were structured. You will follow along the chapters completing different objectives to unlock rewards and progress the season story.

Your goal should be to complete all 7 chapters so that you can unlock all the rewards. Below we will go into more detail on each Chapter, it’s rewards, and give our suggestions on which ones are easiest to do.

Note: Our suggestions on which are easiest to complete will be marked by an asterisk *, for when you do not have to complete all of them

Chapter 1

The Season Journey will help you through the game and reward you along the way. Each objective completed gives Favor to progress the Battle Pass. Get out there and slay some demons!

Rewards: First Journey Cache (contains herbs and jewelry), Ancestral Charge Aspect (Barbarian), Subterranean Aspect (Druid), Gore Quills Aspect (Necromancer), Pestilent Points Aspect (Rogue), Searing Wards Aspect (Sorcerer).

Objectives (Must complete 7/9 to finish the chapter)

• * Den of Evil – Complete any Dungeon found on your map.
• * Heart of Corruption – Collect a Malignant Heart, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• * Into the Frozen Dark – Complete 3 Dungeons in Fractured Peaks.
• * Keeper of the Keys – Collect a Whispering Key, sold at the Purveyor of Curiosities.
• Kind Stranger – Complete 5 priority or side quests.
• * The Hangman’s Garden – Collect 15 Gallowvine, found nearly anywhere.
• * Trouble in the Wilds – Complete a World Event found on your map.
• Waste Not – Salvage 10 Normal items at the Blacksmith.
• * What Lurks Below – Complete 1 Cellar.

Chapter 2

Continue your journey. Secure Strongholds to gain access to new Waypoints and Dungeons. Complete Cellars and Dungeons for resources, and gear to increase your power. Keep your Elixirs stocked and mind your Gems.

Rewards: Second Journey Cache (contains Scattered Prisms and jewelry), Bold Chieftain’s Aspect (Barbarian), Shockwave Aspect (Druid), Exposed Flesh Aspect (Necromancer), Surprise Aspect (Rogue), Frozen Orbit Aspect (Sorcerer)

Objectives (must complete 9/11 to finish this chapter)

• * A Torch in the Depths – Complete 5 Malignant Tunnels, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• * A Warrior of Taste – Change your gear’s appearance 5 times at the Wardrobe.
• * Baptized in Blood – Reach level 25.
• * Finer Clarity – Upgrade your potion to Minor at the Alchemist.
• * Gemcutter – Craft any Chipped gem at the Jeweler.
• * Lighting the Way – Interact with 10 waypoints for faster travel to new places.
• Ruins Reclaimed – Conquer a Stronghold.
• * Spit and Polish – Upgrade 2 items at the Blacksmith or Jeweler.
• * Stopping the Spread – Collect 3 Malignant Hearts, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• Undertaker – Complete 10 Cellars.
• * Vivisector – Collect 15 Demon Hearts, found from killing Demons or in Cellars.

Chapter 3

Reach greater heights. Upgrade your gear, indulge in Curiosities, achieve mastery, stockpile survival tools, and fight the largest monsters in Sanctuary. From here, your journey becomes even more challenging.

Rewards: Third Journey Cache (Contains Legendary Salvage and jewelry), Encroaching Wrath Aspect (Barbarian), Dire Wolf’s Aspect (Druid), Decay Aspect (Necromancer), Imitated Imbuement Aspect (Rogue), Unbroken Tether Aspect (Sorcerer).

Objectives (must 10/13 objectives to finish this chapter)

• * A Master at Work – Complete 5 World Events with Mastery.
• * Champion of the Lost – Conquer 5 Strongholds.
• * Corruption Cleansed – Complete 5 Malignant Tunnels, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• * Exceptional Potency – Upgrade your Potion to Moderate at the Alchemist.
• Grim Reward – Obtain 10 Caches from the Tree of Whispers, earned by completing Whispers.
• * Hunter’s Whisper – Complete 10 Whispers, available after reaching a certain point in or completing the Campaign.
• Purging the Plague – Use Wrathful malignant invoker in a Malignant Tunnel after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• * Risk and Reward – Buy 5 items from the Purveyor of Curiosities.
• Shards of the Fiends – Collect 5 Scattered Prisms, found from killing world bosses or treasure goblins.
• * Steel from Iron – Upgrade two items at the Blacksmith or Jeweler.
• * Touching the Eternal – Unlock 4 Aspects in the Codex of Power through completing Dungeons.
• * Transfer of Power – Imprint an Aspect at the Occultist.
• * Wonders Distilled – Craft 5 Elixirs of any time at the Alchemist.

Chapter 4

Ready yourself and venture into the most dangerous place of all – the more hellish shadows of the world, places where Mephisto’s hatred has left lingering traces. Enter the nightmare.

Rewards: Fourth Journey Cache (contains some Malignant Hearts, Forgotten Souls, and jewelry), Earthquake Aspect (Barbarian), Lightning Dancer’s Aspect (Druid), Coldbringer’s Aspect (Necromancer), Umbrous Aspect (Rogue), and Gravitational Aspect (Sorcerer).

Objectives (complete 9/12 objectives to finish this chapter)

• * A Legend at the Forge – Upgrade an item at the Blacksmith or Jeweler.
• * A Trail of Mighty Corpses – Kill 100 Elite Monsters.
• * A World Apart – Change the World Tier. Look for this on your Map.
• Benevolent Wanderer – Complete 25 priority or side quests.
• * Gifts of the Ancients – Unlock 15 Aspects in the Codex of Power through completing Dungeons.
• * Hardened by Battle – Reach level 50.
• * Heartrender – Collect 10 Malignant Hearts, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• Legacy of the Sanctuary – Equip a Legendary item in every slot.
• * Miracles of Alchemy – Craft 10 Elixirs at the Alchemist.
• Quelled Hatred – Purify 1,000 Seeds of Hatred in hostile areas. Look for this on your Map.
• * The Father’s Gate – Complete the Cathedral of Light to unlock the Nightmare World Tier.
• * The Stuff of Legends – Collect 5 Coiling Wards, found by salvaging Legendary Armor.

Slayer (Chapter 5)

You are now inarguably a paragon. Strengthen your glyphs through ventures into nightmare dungeons, continue to upgrade your legendary items, venture into places where Hel itself intrudes upon Sanctuary. You can handle it.

Rewards: Fifth Journey Cache (contains late game resources, Nightmare Sigils, and fine jewelry), Craven Aspect (You gain 20-40% increased movement speed when moving away from Slowed or Chilled enemies).

Objectives (complete 9/11 objectives to finish this chapter)

• * A Boon in the Tide – Open 1 Tortured Gift of any time during a Helltide.
• Cut the First Ear – Kill another player in PvP.
• * Exceeded Potential – Improve a Paragon Glyph to rank 4 after finishing Nightmare Dungeons.
• * Keymaster – Craft 2 Nightmare Sigils at the Occultist.
• * Prophecy Manifest – Open a Tortured Gift of Mysteries during a Helltide.
• * Restored Glory – Upgrade 2 items at the Blacksmith or Jeweler.
• * Scourge of the Malignant – Complete 15 Malignant Tunnels, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• * The Depths of Fear – Use 5 Nightmare Sigils to empower dungeons, and then complete them.
• * The Paragon’s Path – Unlock 15 Paragon nodes after reaching level 50 through using Paragon points.
• Wrath’s Beating Heart – Acquire a Wrathful Malignant Heart, available after completing or skipping the campaign.

Champion (Chapter 6)

At this point, you know how to get stronger, and what challenges lie in store for you. Can you overcome them?

Rewards: Sixth Journey Cache (Contains late game resources, Nightmare Sigils, and jewelry), Audacity Aspect (When there are at least 5 close enemies, Stun them for 2-4 seconds. This can only occur once every 20 seconds.)

Objectives (must complete 9/11 to finish this chapter)

• * A Fiend Brought Low – Kill a World Boss in Nightmare.
• * Ancestral Artisan – Upgrade 3 items at the Blacksmith or Jeweler.
• * Crown to Foot – Imprint 10 Aspects at the Occultist.
• Lilith’s Undoing – Purify 5,000 Seeds of Hatred in hostile areas. Look for these on your Map.
• * No Mere Mortal – Unlock a Legendary Paragon node after reaching level 50 through using Paragon points.
• * Pilgrimage of Nightmares – Complete a Tier 15 Nightmare Dungeon.
• Reaching for Greatness – Improve a Paragon Glyph to rank 20 after finishing Nightmare Dungeons.
• * Tempered by Hellfire – Reach level 75.
• * The Gathering Fires – Acquire 1,000 Cinders during Helltides in Nightmare.
• * Threshold of Damnation – Complete the Fallen Temple to unlock the Torment World Tier.
• * Wrath’s Vengeance – Defeat the Nightmare Echo of Varshan after completing the seasonal storyline.

Destroyer (Chapter 7)

Complete your Paragon journey. Defeat the most challenging foes. Fully immerse yourself in the ordeals you face.

Rewards: Seventh Journey Cache (contains late game resources, jewelry, and a Scroll of Amnesia, which refunds all allocated Skill and Paragon Points).

Objectives (you must earn 6/8 to finish this chapter)

• * Annointed Immortal – Reach level 100.
• Blessed Mother Departed – Kill the Echo of Lilith in the Archives of Issalia in Torment.
• * Heads of the Snake – Kill 5 Helltide Commanders during Helltides.
• * Lord of the Nightmares – Complete a Tier 43 Nightmare Dungeon.
• Mephisto’s Bane – Purify 10,000 Seeds of Hantrd in hostile areas. Look for these on your Map.
• * Shattered Fiends – Kill 15 World Bosses in Torment.
• * The Spoils of Hell – Open 3 Tortured Gifts of Mysteries during Helltides.
• * Wrath’s Dying Breath – Defeat the Tormented Echo of Varshan after completing the seasonal storyline.

Season Battle Pass

There will be 3 tiers of the battle pass released with each season, a free tier, a premium tier (around $9.99 USD), and an accelerated premium battle pass (around $24.99USD) which will come with a special exclusive cosmetic.

For those not wanting to buy the battle pass, rest assured that only the free track of the battle pass will offer gameplay-related benefits, and the premium and accelerated premium battle pass will offer cosmetic only rewards.

Season Rewards

Some of the rewards you can get from the free battle pass are:

• Scroll of Amnesia (single use full skill and paragon tree reset item)
• New Title
• New and exciting Transmogs
• Blessings (which we go into more detail below)

Smoldering Ashes

One of the biggest rewards from the free battle pass are called Smoldering Ashes, a unique currency that can be used to unlock and upgrade season blessings which will be active for all of your characters in that particular season. We have luckily received a sneak peak image of what the blessing interface will look like along with a few of the blessings themselves being revealed.

If you want to know more about Season Blessings, you can check out our detailed guide here: