As we approach the release of Diablo 4’s inaugural season, Season of the Malignant, there’s a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. Blizzard has been dropping tantalizing tidbits of information, and in this article, we will collate all these details into a comprehensive pre-release review.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
New Season 1 Uniques Revealed
In the Diablo 4 Patch 1.1.0 notes, Blizzard has listed one new General Unique item and one new Unique for each class. Diablo fans may recognize the names of several of these Uniques, as they have a history within the franchise – it’s lovely to see some old fan favorites returning!
New Unique items and Legendary Aspects
New Unique items and Legendary Aspects have been discovered in Sanctuary. Use them to enhance your characters in the Eternal or Seasonal Realm. These Unique items can be obtained from World Tier IV and the Legendary Aspects can be obtained from any World Tier.
6 Unique Items
General
- Ahavarion Spear of Lycander (Uber Unique Staff – World Tier 4): Gain a random Shrine effect for 10-20 seconds after killing an Elite enemy. Can only occur once every 30 seconds.
Developer’s Note: Ahavarion Spear of Lycander is an extremely rare drop. We wish you luck in recovering it from the armies of the Burning Hells.
Barbarian
- Azurewrath (Unique Sword): Lucky Hit – Your Core Skills have up to a 20% chance to Freeze enemies for 3 seconds and deal 0.75-1.5 Cold damage to them.
Druid
- Fleshrender (Unique One-Hand Mace): Debilitating Roar and Blood Howl deal 0.5-1.0 damage to Nearby Poisoned enemies.
Necromancer
- Lidless Wall (Unique Shield): Lucky Hit – While you have an active Bone Storm, hitting an enemy outside of a Bone Storm has up to a 5-25% chance to spawn an additional Bone Storm at their location. Each of your active Sacrifice bonuses increases the chance by 25% and the total number of additional Bone Storms you can have by +1.
Rogue
- Eaglehorn (Unique Bow): Penetrating Shot has a 30-80% chance to fire an arrow that bounces off walls and scenery. Hitting enemies from behind with Penetrating Shot will make them Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
Sorcerer
- The Oculus (Unique Wand): Gain the effect of the Teleport Enchantment for free. When you Evade using Teleport Enchantment, you are taken to a random location.
Developer’s Note: The Azurewrath and Fleshrender Unique Items have flat damage effects, which scale with power. For example, at 820 Item Power, Azurewrath deals between 3359-6718 damage.
Seven New Legendary Aspects
Firstly, Blizzard has clarified that there will be seven new Legendary Aspects in Season 1, one for each class and two general Aspects. This announcement has sparked debates within the community, with some players expressing concerns about the number of Aspects added for the first Season. However, these new Aspects will provide an alternate way to earn existing Aspects in Season 1, adding a fresh layer of strategy to the gameplay.
Gear Level Requirements Capped
Blizzard is set to introduce Level Requirement caps for Sacred and Ancestral gear during Diablo 4’s Season of the Malignant, a move that is likely to be welcomed by many players. The key points of this change are:
- Sacred items will now have a maximum level requirement of 60.
- Ancestral items will have a maximum level requirement of 80.
This change will simplify loot sharing between characters due to less restrictive level requirements on gear.
New Uber Boss: Varshan the Consumed
Next up, Blizzard has confirmed the addition of a new Uber Boss encounter for Season 1. Varshan the Consumed, referenced in both the Developer Livestream and Diablo 4’s Season of the Malignant Website, is set to provide a formidable challenge for players. The developers have teased that Varshan might not be a regular boss but an Uber Pinnacle encounter, adding a thrilling twist to the endgame content.
Understanding Renown Progression Transfer in Diablo 4
Blizzard has recently clarified the mechanics of Renown transfer in Diablo 4. This information is crucial for players planning their strategies for the Eternal and Seasonal Realms.
Adam Fletcher, Diablo 4 Global Community Development Director, shared the following on Twitter:
My #DiabloIV Friday tweet info dump:
Eternal Realm = Normal and Hardcore characters that are non-season.
Seasonal Realm begins 7/20 w/ Season 1.
Normal characters on the Eternal Realm will have map/altar progression carry over to normal characters in the Seasonal Realm.— Adam Fletcher (@PezRadar) July 15, 2023
In a series of tweets, Adam Fletcher, Diablo 4 Global Community Development Director, divulged the following key points about Renown progression transfer:
- Normal characters residing in the Eternal Realm will have their map and Altar of Lilith progression transferred to their Normal counterparts in the Seasonal Realm.
- Similarly, Hardcore characters in the Eternal Realm will see their map and Altar of Lilith progression carry over to Hardcore characters in the Seasonal Realm.
- It’s important to note that progress sharing is only possible within the same mode, i.e., Normal or Hardcore. There is no provision for crossover between these modes.
- Upon the release of the upcoming Patch, players who log into multiple characters will find that all their characters share the Altar of Lilith and map Renown’s progress, provided they belong to the same game mode (Normal vs. Hardcore).
Complimentary Access to Premium Battle Pass
Diablo 4 Deluxe or Ultimate Edition owners will be granted complimentary access to the Season of the Malignant Premium Battle Pass. This pass, packed with 63 additional tiers, two complete sets of cosmetic armor, premium currency, a mount, and cosmetic mount armor, significantly enhances the value of these editions.
As we prepare for the launch of Diablo 4’s Season of the Malignant, it’s evident that Blizzard has been meticulously crafting a season teeming with new content and challenges. From new Aspects and a formidable Uber Boss to a clarified Renown progression transfer system, unique items, and more, the Season of the Malignant is poised to be a thrilling chapter in the Diablo 4 saga.
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