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The Season of the Malignant has begun, and players are already asking questions — like how you start Season 1 in Diablo 4. The developers haven’t made the process totally clear, and even while creating a new character, you might be confused how to actually send your hero to the Seasonal Realm. You have to make a new character, and you have to complete certain requirements before the seasonal content will begin. You can do it at Level 1 or Level 50. How you prepare changes everything.
And yes, you can still create Eternal Realm heroes even after Season 1 has begun. We’ll get into that below. And learn more about the Seasonal Realm system here. If you can’t decide whether to skip the campaign or not, we have a few ideas here.
More Diablo 4 guides:
All Guides & Walkthroughs | Class Overview | Necromancer Shadowblight Minions Build | Barbarian Unconstrained Berserk Build | Golem Summoning | Accessibility Options To Change First | Potion Upgrades & Increase Max Capacity | Unlocking Horses | Silent Chests & Whispering Keys | Secret of the Spring Quest Solution | Early Game Loot Farm
How To Join The Seasonal Realm
Seasons work different in Diablo 4. To experience the Season of the Malignant, active from July 20th through October 17th, you’ll need to create a new character. Yes, you can’t use your standard characters. All the new content is available on a Seasonal Realm that will close permanently on July 20th. Your gear will carry over, but the character will be lost — at least, that’s how developers at Blizzard have described the process so far.
- How To Start Season 1: Select [Create New Character] on the main menu. Go through the standard customization process.
- Go to Finalize -> and check Skip Campaign if this option is available.
- Input a name, then select [Start Game]. After starting, a menu will pop-up allowing you to choose your realm.
There are two realms — the Seasonal Realm and the Eternal Realm. The Seasonal Realm is where you’ll find Season 1 content. The Season of the Malignant content, including Malignant Hearts are only available in the Seasonal Realm. This a temporary realm that will close on October 17th — so you’ll want to join early.
The Season 1 content is only available after completing the campaign. If you want to start experiencing the seasonal content right away, select [Skip Campaign] on character creation.
How To Begin The Season 1 Questline
Once you’ve made your character and joined the Seasonal Realm, you can begin to level up and experience new content like Malignant Hearts and infected enemies.
- Talk to Vyrtan (Green Marker) in Kyovashad to start the “Burning from Within” quest. He’s standing next to the Kyovashad Waypoint.
- You’ll be sent to a green marker to the north — travel to the northernmost section of the circle to find Cormond. He’ll flee into the Forest Clearing cellar.
- Defeat the strange demon and interact with the heart. Cormond will leave and you’ll find his travelling workshop outside.
Continue this quest to acquire the Bag of Cages key item. This begins the “Plague of Hatred” quest — which takes you to the Orbei Monastery in the Dindai Falts of the Dry Steppes. Progress this storyline and you’ll eventually be able to capture Malignant Hearts and equip them to your gear.
This is just the beginning of Season 1. There’s a lot more to learn, and jumping on early will give you a strong head start — and plenty of time — to reach max level while grinding dungeons and collecting powerful new gear.
