Blizzard announced Season 1 «Season of the Malignant» for Diablo 4 during their Developer Update Livestream. The «Malignant» Season mechanic can spawn any Elite as «Malignant» which drops Malignant Hearts that can be socketed into gear for powerful effects. This will open up the possibility of new and powerful builds for every class! Diablo 4 Season 1 Developer Update Liveblog Diablo 4 Season 1 Starts July 20 Here are all the currently known details for the Malignant mechanic for Diablo 4's Season 1 «Season of the Malignant»:Malignant Hearts provide build-defining powers!
BlizzardNew Questline will introduce the Malignant and explore their story. Malignant Hearts will drop from Elite enemies with the Malignant affix. Any Elite can spawn as «Malignant». There are 32 different Malignant powers associated with the Malignant Hearts in total that are «Aspect-like» in terms of power. Malignant Hearts powers will lead to new powerful builds for all classes. Malignant Hearts can be socketed into any Jewelry with «Infested» sockets. All sockets on Jewelry will be «Infested» during Season 1, even those that are added by the Jeweler. Infested sockets come in 3 different colors. Malignant Hearts come in 4 different types—one for each socket color and one that fits in any socket. Malignant Hearts get destroyed when they are removed from a socket. Malignant Tunnels are new areas throughout Sanctuary where players will be able to target-farm specific Malignant Hearts. New Boss Battle against «Varshan the Consumed» in the Malignant Tunnels.What do you think of this mechanic so far? Let us know in the comments below!
Read more on wowhead.com