Diablo IV Season 1, Season of the Malignant, begins July 20: New dungeons, monsters and more

Blizzard Entertainment's hit action-RPG Diablo IV is about to enter its first season of new content for its many online players. It's being called Season of the Malignant, and it will officially launch on July 20.

Blizzard's website states:

A deviant form of Lilith’s sinister machinations has given birth to a new threat, Malignant Monsters. These decaying abominations roam Sanctuary in a frenzy, mindlessly attacking anyone in range without hesitation. Wanderers will investigate this mysterious malady in a new Questline with the help of Cormond, a former priest of the Cathedral of Light, who also trains you to capture the Malignant Hearts fueling these foul beasts and convert them into build-altering powers. The malignancy that’s taken hold of the Burning Hells’ armies cannot remain unchecked—you must snuff it out at the source before all of Sanctuary becomes its thrall.

The season will have a number of new monsters that have been either partly or fully corrupted. Killing one of these enemies will result in them dropping a Malignant Heart, which when captured will provide some new bonuses.

The new season will also feature Malignant Tunnels, some new replayable dungeons that are full of the new corrupted monsters. You may also face off against a new boss, Varshan the Consumed.

Players who participate in Diablo IV's first season will also get some additional rewards, and new accessories, armor, and equipment will be available to purchase as well.

Before the first season begins, Blizzard plans to release a big 1.1.0 patch for Diablo IV on July 18, according to team member Adam Fletcher on Twitter. So far there's no word on what the patch will contain. Hopefully, it will add the promised support for DirectStorage for PC gamers.