Is ‘Diablo 4: Season of the Malignant’ worth your time?

After the successful launch of Diablo IV, Blizzard Entertainment seems even more excited to pump out fresh content for fans of the game. Their latest release, “Season of the Malignant,” which is accessible with a free or premium battle pass, might not be an expansion, but it does offer hours’ worth of new questlines, amazing armor for all build types, unique dungeons, and a whole lot of malignancy.

So, what’s all about? Mashable has got you covered.

The plot is pretty basic

Trouble befalls Sanctuary once again after the player character completes the main story campaign in the Seasonal realm.

Lilith’s evil minions are back with a bang this time: Their hearts have been corrupted with malignance, and the player character must defeat hordes of decaying Malignant monsters and collect their hearts to gain power bonuses or enhance skills.

As far as the story goes, it’s run-of-the-mill offering little to surprise seasonal or even casual RPG gamers. In the good old “seek aid from a sidekick who’ll guide you through the deep, dark world” fashion, players meet Conrad, who is a former priest of the Cathedral of Light and trains the player character in defeating the abominations, collecting hearts, and achieving new build powers.

With Conrad, Sanctuary’s hero must roam several Malignant dungeons throughout the 90-tier season to find and destroy the final boss — Varshan the Consumed, who is unique from all the base game bosses and offers a fun challenge for players.

A dungeon crawler that’s a little underwhelming

Here’s what players need to note: If you’re the kind of gamer who loves a great story with elaborate cutscenes and an unexpected climax, you probably won’t find one here. However, if you want to grind through some new dungeon locations, gain powerful bonuses like permanent slow auras or the ability to auto-cast corpses, and create game-breaking builds, then “Season of the Malignant” is definitely for you.

Also, if you’re worried about losing access to the Mount, the Altars of Lilith, and your previously discovered map locations, fret not because your progress will be transferred to the season.

As players progress through the game, they will acquire powers from Malignant Heart gems and other rewards like new Legendary Aspects and the Scroll of Amnesia.

There’s a downside, though — content available through the free version of Battle Pass is pretty underwhelming, with access to only 27 tiers out of 90 and subpar armor rewards. Players must upgrade to the Platinum Battle pass to access Mount Armor, Awoken Armor, and other rewards.

Diablo players can access content from the Season of the Malignant until October 17, 2023, post which a new season is expected to drop.