With Diablo 4’s first season, Season of the Malignant, dated to start on July 20, some might be wondering how do seasons work in Diablo 4? Well, we have a handy “cheat sheet” if you will, of the upcoming season, what free rewards are in store, the different Battle Passes and more all in one place.

• Related Reading: Diablo 4 Season 1 New Content and Details – New Boss, Malignant Powers, Unique Items and More Confirmed

How Do Seasons Work in Diablo 4?

Diablo 4 Season 1 Start Time:  July 20, 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT/July 21 1 a.m. HKT

• 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 customize 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 Chapter, you can earn Favor from rewards which will progress the Battle Pass.
• Battle Pass: By earning Favor 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.

How Does Seasonal Characters Work in Diablo 4?

With Season of the Malignant beginning on July 20, we wanted to take a moment to equip you with everything you need to know about Seasons.

To participate in Seasons, a new character must be made on the Seasonal Realm. You do not need to purchase a Battle Pass or any add-ons to play the Seasonal content, but you must have completed the campaign on either the Eternal or Seasonal Realm with at least one character. Once you have completed the Campaign, any Seasonal character will start the game with:

• The option to skip the Campaign.
• Your Mount available immediately.
• All previously discovered Altars of Lilith unlocked, and the corresponding Renown for them.
• All previously discovered areas of the map revealed, and the corresponding renown for them.

Once the Season has ended, the character you made and its progress will be transferred to the Eternal Realm. All items you collected, including in your Seasonal stash, will be transferred too. You can take this character into Sanctuary whenever you please, but Season-specific features such as Malignant Hearts will no longer be accessible.

Diablo 4 Season 1 “Season of the Malignant” Features:

• NEW QUESTLINE
  Sanctuary has been corrupted, overtaken with an infectious turmoil creating abominations that roam freely. But who is to blame for this new wave of corruption? Partner with Cormond, a former priest of the Cathedral of Light, to discover the source and stop the spread of the Malignant at all costs.
• NEW POWER
  Defeat these powerful, corrupted enemies to harness their Malignant Hearts. With over 30 new Malignant Powers to wield, the might of the Malignance is yours for the taking.
• NEW BOSS BATTLE
  Scour the Malignant Tunnels to search for the catalyst of corruption. Make your stand against Varshan the Consumed and uncover the secrets of the Malignant.
• NEW GEAR
  With 6 new Unique items to discover and 7 new Legendary aspects to earn along the Season Journey, there are more powerful options to harness for every class.

Season 1 Journey and Battle Pass Comparison Chart:

• SEASON JOURNEY
  Complete chapters of the Season Journey to earn rewards, including new Legendary aspects, a Mastery Title, and a Scroll of Amnesia which provides a free Skill Tree and Paragon Board reset. Plus, earn favor toward the Battle Pass along the way.
• SEASON BLESSINGS
  Use the Smoldering Ashes you earn in the Battle Pass to upgrade all your seasonal characters with increased XP gains, better chances for rare materials when salvaging items, and more.
• SEASONAL TITLE
  Show off that the only thing more frightening than the Malignance is you with the “Eldritch Monster” title.
• CLOTHING & WEAPON TRANSMOGS
  Collect a weapon transmog for each of Diablo’s five classes and Artisan’s clothing that’s designed to be mixed and matched with other armor sets to create a unique look for your character.

Diablo 4 Premium Battle Pass Rewards:

• COLDIRON ARMOR SET
  This armor was forged for the sole purpose of resisting the malignance spreading across the land.
• WARDED MUSTANG MOUNT
  Expand your stable with 2 versions of the new Warded Mustang mount.
• COLDIRON BARDING MOUNT ARMOR
  Adorn your new steeds with mount armor inspired by the malignance taking over Sanctuary.
• WEAPON SKINS, MOUNT TROPHIES, EMOTES, PLATINUM, AND MORE
  Explore a range of cosmetics to earn along the Premium Battle Pass. Collect a weapon transmog for all 19 weapon types. 2 emotes for each class let you threaten your enemies or find a little time to play around with malignant heart cages. 2 headstones even let you die in style. Adorn your horse with 5 new mount trophies.
• “ON THE WARPATH” EMOTE – ACCELERATED BATTLE PASS
  Show everyone you’re ready for battle when you slam your banner down, signaling to enemies that you’re ready for a fight. This emote is only included in the Accelerated Battle Pass.

• Related Reading: Diablo 4 Season 1 Battle Pass and How Seasonal Characters Work Explained

Diablo 4 Season 1 FAQ:

HOW DO I ACCESS THE SEASON CONTENT? DO I NEED A BATTLE PASS TO PLAY?

Once the Season starts, log onto the game, create a new Seasonal character, and enjoy! If you have not completed the campaign yet, you will need to complete it on one character to gain access to seasonal content. The Free Battle Pass is automatically available to all Seasonal characters. Get the Premium or Accelerated Battle Pass to earn additional rewards.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY CHARACTER/PROGRESSION AFTER THE SEASON ENDS?

The character and progress on that character is transferred to the Eternal Realm. You can play this character whenever you want in the Eternal Realm. Specific Season-only features will no longer be accessible in the Eternal Realm. For example, at the end of Season 1, Malignant Hearts will disappear and be unslotted from jewelry at the end of the season. Infested sockets will become normal sockets. Learn more at https://news.blizzard.com/diablo4/23967322/.

HOW CAN I PROGRESS THROUGH THE BATTLE PASS? WHAT IS FAVOR?

You progress through the Battle Pass by earning Favor. You earn Favor by just playing the game (ex. Killing monsters, completing Campaign and Side Quests, or completing objectives in your Season Journey). You can also progress through the Battle Pass by buying Tier Skips which each cost 200 Platinum.

WHAT ARE SMOLDERING ASHES?

Smoldering Ashes is a currency used in the Battle Pass to earn specific bonuses known as “Season Blessings” for the current Season. Players earn Smoldering Ashes by progressing the Battle Pass. By collecting Smoldering Ashes you can apply bonuses to your Seasonal characters. These bonuses last for the Season and only apply to Seasonal characters.

WHAT ARE TIER SKIPS?

Tier Skips are a currency that are applied immediately to obtain 1 full tier in the Battle Pass.

I PRE-PURCHASED THE DIGITAL DELUXE OR ULTIMATE EDITION WHICH CAME WITH A BATTLE PASS. HOW DO I REDEEM IT FOR SEASON 1?

If you’ve pre-purchased a Battle Pass, the purchase button in the Seasons section will be replaced by an option to activate either your Premium or Accelerated Battle Pass.

Don’t forget, there is a patch set for release this July 18 that is for Season 1. While the season won’t officially start until July 20, Blizzard has confirmed that changes and other improvements will be available once the patch is installed. Once that’s out, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.