Diablo 4 season 1 release date and time
Diablo 4 will begin its first post-launch season soon, called the Season of the Malignant, where players will be able to continue the game’s story after beating the main campaign. While players will have to create a new character to experience what the season has to offer, there will be new powers that can significantly alter builds to be much more powerful. This guide will show Diablo 4 players when the first season will start and what will come with it.
When does the first season of Diablo 4 start?
Diablo 4 Season 1: Season of the Malignant will be available for servers in all regions on Thursday, July 20th. Blizzard hasn’t announced an exact time when the season will launch, but it has provided a countdown on the game’s official website. According to the timer, the season will start at 10am PST/1pm EST for North America or 6pm BST for those in the UK.
While the season doesn’t officially start until the 20th, the game will receive an update on July 18th that adds core gameplay changes to the Eternal Realm, such as quality of life improvements and additional Legendary and Unique gear. Blizzard is really encouraging players to log in during the two-day period to ensure all current progress transfers successfully before players can create their seasonal characters on July 20th.
Blizzard revealed that the first season will last about three months, while all seasons will be a minimum of 12 weeks. That puts the start of Season 2 sometime in October 2023.
The main feature of Season of the Evil One in Diablo 4 is the new Evil Heart mechanic. These items are gems that can be slotted into any of a character’s three gem slots, but provide bonuses comparable to Legendary-type gear. There will be over 30 Evil Hearts that can be earned by defeating certain Elite enemies.
The feature will tie into a new quest line for the season, where players team up with former Cathedral of Light priest Cormond to uncover the source of the evil threat before it spreads throughout the Sanctuary. Season of the Evil One will also add a new boss fight, six unique items, seven Legendary Aspects, and cosmetic rewards obtainable in both free and paid levels of the Battle Pass.
Diablo 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.