Blizzard has released details on the upcoming Diablo 3 2.76 PTR that will be running August 15-August 29. More specifically, this update highlights what will be coming to Diablo 3 Season 29: Visions of Enmity.

If you've played any Diablo 3 season you'll quickly notice this upcoming season looks pretty monumental in comparison. On the flip side, Diablo 4's recently released first season, Season of the Malignant, is pretty lackluster.

I've gotta admit, it's a bit odd that after a decade of 28 pretty simplistic seasons for Diablo 3, we're just now getting a feature-filled season that includes a new mode, an intriguing new seaso??nal theme, and some bigger class balance changes.

Is Diablo 3 about to get a better season than Diablo 4?

[caption id="attachment_396258" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Popular ARPG mode Solo Self Found coming to Diablo 3

First is a new single-player mode with its own unique Leaderboards for seasonal content. SSF is a very popular mode in Path of Exile, so it makes sense for it to come to the action RPG. In this mode, it's a truly single-player experience. You can't group with others, ever, meaning you can't trade and will never get an ex??perience bonus for group play.

This mode has been requested for a while because, in the current state of Diablo 3, a group of four is always the fastest to progress each season. That's? fine, but having a separate leaderboard that acknowledges solo play is definitely not a bad thing. Furthermore, SSF mode will also be available on Hardcore mode, meaning you only have one life.

[caption id="attachment_396260" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Season 29 is Visions of Enmity and will have a Paragon Ceiling

Diablo 3 Season 29 is titled Visions of Enmity. Disturbances around Sanctuary have created pocket dimensions that can be accessed by stepping into Diablolical Fissures. These special area??s have a chance of spawning by slaying demons in the op??en world. Inside are unstable visions with powerful enemies who can create further fissures, amplifying the potential rewards along the way.

Furthermore, some monsters will h?ave new affixes including Enervating, which creates an AoE around the monster that redu??ces player movement speed and cooldown reduction. There's also Necrotic, which reduces players healing until they are healed above 95%, and Resource Leech, which causes hits to remove 65% of the player's maximum resource.

A Paragon Ceiling is also coming for the first time in Seas??on 29. Players will only be able to assign 800 Paragon Points in total to their character, with 200 for each category. In previo??us seasons, there was no cap on Paragon Points but it would take longer to get each subsequent point. Furthermore, you can now put up to 200 Paragon Points in each specific attribute as opposed to the previous limit of 50.

Fi?nally, several big class?? balances are coming, especially to Crusader, Demon Hunter, and Witch Doctor.

Diablo 3 Season 29: Visions of Enmity will be available on the PTR for two weeks from August 15-August 29. If you're interested in joining, you can find more details on the official PTR Preview post.

The post Diablo 3 is getting a better season than Diablo 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Can Diablo 4's first seasonal patch be saved?

Earlier this week patch 1.1.0 for Diablo 4 dropped in preparation for the first season, Season of the Malignant. But after players resoundingly disapproved of its many changes, Blizzard is hosting a?? Campfire Chat to talk about all the controversial updates made?? in patch 1.1.0.

Diablo 4 Campfire Chat set for July 21

A Diablo 4 developer Campfire Chat will take place on July 21 at 11 AM PDT. According to community development director for Diablo Adam Fletch??er, they've been hearing the feedback.

"We have been hearing feedback from players regarding some of the changes in 1.1.0 for #DiabloIV," Fletcher tweeted. "We are going to have a Campfire Chat later this we?ek ?on Friday to talk more about it."

//twitter.com/PezRadar/status/1681472781563891719

The Campfire Chat will have game director Joe Shely, associate game director Joseph Piepiora, and Flecther on the stream to discuss feedback they've received from the community, and detail what's coming for Diablo 4.

The Season of the Malignant

The first season for the ARPG had immense hype leading up to the patch. The developers had said ??the patch notes ??were over 6,600 words, giving many players hope that some big issues would be remedied.

With that big of an update, surely Necromancer minions would get a buff to have a viable summoner build. Surely, the Sorcerer class would get a proper rework to make them no longer the weakest class by far. Leveling to 100 in the pre-season proved to be quite a slog, so there had to be some experience changes on the way to make the leveling experience better, right? Well, I think the folks over on the /r/Diablo4 subreddit sum it up perfectly.

//www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/154ka5q/patch_notes_?summarised_in_one_line/

Then the patch notes released, and they are very disappointing. In fact, in some cases, these issues were amplified as opposed to remedied. Experience gains were nerfed across the board, ?including making boosting no longer a thing. The patc?h as a whole feels like it literally slowed the game down. Overall it feels like monsters die slower while hitting harder. All classes got a pretty hefty nerf, including the already weak Sorcerer.

In many ways, it feels like the game suddenly became less fun. But why? Players were complaining about the experience grind taking a bit too long, not that it needed to be longer. I don't think anyone felt their class was doing too much damage—except maybe this wonky Barbarian Rend Bleed build—and at least not enough to justify such sweeping nerfs. There's even a one-lin?e patch note about increasing the time it takes to teleport out of a dungeon from three seconds ??to five seconds. Why?

If I've learned anything from being a Blizzard fan for as long as I can remember, it's that this sort of thing can be commonplace. Until recently, World of Warcraft decisions often seemed to be made in spite of players, not with them. The players would complain, and then changes often brought the final results somewhere in the middle. As this is essentially the first big update, we'll learn a lot about the future of Diablo 4 based on what Blizzard does now.

Hopefully, Blizzard listens to the criticism from players. I'd really like to be able to play Diablo 4 for a long time.

The post Blizzard will talk about controversial Diablo 4 patch in Campfire Chat this Fr??iday appeared first on Destructoid.

Season of the Malignant is upon us

Players are not happy with the recent 1.1.0 patch for Diablo 4. Yet regardless of the controversy, the first season of Diablo 4, Season of the Malignant, releases later today. The patch was intended as a supplement to all the new features coming with the new season, so be sure to check out the patch notes if you're interested in the gritty changes.

However, here we're going to take a look at the new content and features introduced with Diablo 4 Season 1, Season of the Malignant.

[caption id="attachment_392606" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

All new questline

As Blizzard promised, the story will move forward with each season of Diablo 4. A new corrup??tion has caused malignant monsters to emerge across Sanctuary. Players will team up with a former priest of the Cathedral of Light named Cormond who has a te?chnique to capture the Hearts of the Malignant Creatures.

In order to embark on this new questline, you must have already completed the campaign. This counts wheth??er you complete the campaign in the new season or if you h?ave already finished it on a pre-season or Eternal Realm character.

You can find Cormond in Kyovashad to begin the new quest.

[caption id="attachment_392607" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Increase power with Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 Season 1

As you capture these corrupted creatures, they will drop their Malignant Heart. Using a new quest item, the Cage of Binding, you can captu?re the Malignant Heart to gain its power.

This is the primary special feature of the new season. Each Heart will correspond with one of four unique colors and types. The orange Vicious Heart focuses on offensive power, the blue Brutal Heart on defensive power, the pink Devious Heart on utility power, and the black Wrathful Heart on super power. Each Malignant Heart will have its own effect with 32 possibilities. There are four unique Hearts ?for each class and 12 available to all ??classes.

Jewelry in this season will no longer have normal sockets but instead malignant sockets. These sockets will correspond?? with the colors of the ?Hearts, with the Wrathful Heart fitting in any socket.

Finally, you will be able to salvage the Malignant H??earts that are of no use to you into Ichor. This Ichor can then be used to craft new Hearts, allowing you to try and create one more tailored to your build.

[caption id="attachment_392610" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Delve the Malignant Tunnels to find a brand new boss: Varshan the Consumed

New replayable dungeons have also popped up across Sanctuary in the form of Malignant Tunnels. There are six unique dungeons in total, each full of Malignant Monsters that need to be taken down. Inside you will come across malignant outgrowths. Using an item called Malignant Invokers, you can draw out a fully corrupted enemy from the outgrowth. Defeating the powerful creature will result in them dropping a specific type of Malignant Heart. This feature wil?l a?llow you to attempt to farm a specific heart type, as opposed to relying entirely on RNG.

Once you've decimated enough Malignant Monsters you will draw out Varshan the Consumed, an all-new boss with Season of the Malignant.

[caption id="attachment_392612" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Diablo 4 Season 1 debuts the Season Journey and Battle Pass

Diablo III players will recognize the return of the Season Journey. This feature is broken into chapters with tasks for you to complete while playing through the season. As you progress, you will unlock season-exclusive rewards such as titles and cosmetics. You will also receive rewards for your seasonal character to help jump-start y??our experience including Legendary Aspects and consumables.

Completing chapters in your Season Journey will also grant you Favor used to progress the battle pass. There's a free track and a premium track of the battle pass. In total, there are 27 free tiers and 63 premium tiers. The free tiers grant Smoldering Ashes that you spend on Season Blessings which p?rovide you with bonus experience, gold, or obols.

T??he premium track includes the rewards from?? the free track as well as some platinum and cosmetics including armor sets, mounts, and mount armor.

If you purchased the Digital Deluxe or Ultimate Edition of Diablo 4, you will have an unlock token for the premium Battle Pass. This token has one use, so make sure the rewards of this Battle Pass are of interest to you before using it!

That is pretty much everything that is coming in Diablo 4? Sea?son 1. Season of the Malignant launches on July 20 at 1PM EST.

The post Bre?aking down everything coming in Diablo?? 4 season 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

New Uniques, Legendary Aspects, and more

Diablo 4's season 1, Season of the Malignant, is just around the corner. We already knew the first season planned to bring some pretty big changes, but with the Diablo 4 version 1.1.0 patch notes releasing on July 18 we can now see the?? full scope of the update. Alongside the release of the patch notes, you can also now download Patch 1.1.0 on all platforms. The update is 9GB on PC and 11GB on consoles.

First and foremost, six new Unique items—including one Uber Unique—and seven new Legendary Aspects are in the update. Each class will receive its own new Unique alongside the Ahavarion Spear of Lycander, a super?? rare drop Uber Unique Staff from World Tier 4. The staff grants you a rand??om shrine effect for 10-20 seconds after killing an Elite enemy. This effect can only occur once every 30 seconds.

Furthermore, there are a ton of bug fixes and overall gameplay updates. There are some pretty big quality-of-life updates here including Altar of Lilith unlocks and Map discoveries being account wide. Support has been added to the PC version for the PS5 Dual?? Sense controller. Experience gains, gold drops, and item drops have been increased across the board.

Finally, all of the classes have had a balance check resulting in some nerfs and buffs. Most of this stuff will have to be playtested to get a full idea how the changes will play out, but at a glance it looks like a rough day to be a Rogue and a disappointing day to be a ??Sorcerer.

[caption id="attachment_392308" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Diablo 4 1.1.0 patch notes for July 18th update

This is a big update with a ton of patch notes. You can view the full list of patch notes here. If you wan??t to see the exact ch??anges, we've included them below.

New Unique Items and Legendary Aspects

New Unique items and Lege?ndary Aspects have been discovered in Sanctuary. Use them to enhance your characters in the Eternal or Seasonal Realm. These Unique items can be obt?ained 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 â€?World Tier 4): Gain a random Shrine effect for 10-20 seconds after killing an Elite enemy. Can only occur once every 30 seconds.

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.

7 New Legendary Aspects

General

• Audacity (Utility Aspect): When there are at least 5 Close enemies, Stun them for 2-4 seconds. This can only occur once every 20 seconds.
• Craven (Mobility Aspect): You gain 20-40% increased Movement Speed when moving away from Slowed or Chilled enemies.

Barbarian

• Ancestral Charge (Offensive Aspect): Charge calls forth 4 Ancients who also Charge, dealing 50-100% of normal damage.

Druid

• Subterranean (Offensive Aspect): Poison Creeper’s active also casts Landslide in a circle around you. Earth Skills deal 10-20% increased damage to Poisoned enemies.

Necromancer

• Gore Quills (Offensive Aspect): Blood Lance will consume Blood Orbs to also conjure lances from them. Each additional Blood Lance deals 20-50% of normal damage and prioritizes targeting un-lanced enemies.

Rogue

• Pestilent Points (Offensive Aspect): Every third cast of Puncture is Poison Imbued with 100-150% of normal potency.

Sorcerer

• Searing Wards (Offensive Aspect): After spending 200-100 Mana your next Firewall is free to cast and will destroy incoming Small Missiles.

Bug Fixes

Accessibility

• Made various improvements from an accessibility perspective—primarily, many fixes to the Screen Reader where it failed to read specific elements.

Challenges

• Fixed multiple issues where specific Challenges wouldn’t provide the proper rewards or could not be completed.
• Fixed multiple issues where certain Challenges could be progressed through unintended means.
• Fixed multiple issues where players could gain progress for certain Challenges through the actions of other nearby players.
• Fixed multiple instances where activities that should count towards the criteria for some Challenges were not counted.
• Fixed an issue where players would not receive notifications for when one of their friends completed a Challenge.
• Fixed an issue where Feats of Strength were not accounted for when calculating Challenge completion percentage.
• The Feat of Strength, Final Slayer of the First Mother, now requires you to slay the Level 100 Pinnacle boss solo. The Silence is Hellish challenge remains unchanged.
• Fixed an issue where The Feats of Strength, One of the First and Earliest Experience, did not display all the titles they rewarded.

Cooperative Play

• Fixed an issue where the camera wasn’t functioning properly when players were far apart in Local Co-Op.
• Fixed an issue where NPC conversation boxes would overlap if multiple Local Co-Op players talked to the same NPC at the same time.
• Fixed an issue where the Rogue's Inner Sight would only fill up for one of the players in a Co-Op session.
• Fixed an issue where the Dark Potential challenge would be granted to both players when either player completed it, regardless of the other player's progress.
• Fixed multiple instances where quest progress would not properly synchronize, or quest progression could be blocked for Local Co-Op players.
• Fixed multiple issues that occurred during cutscenes for Co-Op players.

Dungeons

• Fixed an issue where the player would not be able to receive enough animus to progress through the Hallowed Ossuary dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Stone carving in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon would duplicate.
• Fixed an issue where the Monster Regen affix in a Nightmare Dungeon would also affect structures in that dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Goatman and Shambling Corpse enemies would continuously respawn in the Forsaken Quarry dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Sentinel enemies would not have weapons in the Bastion of Faith dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Bastion of Faith dungeon could sometimes not be completed.
• Fixed an issue where the player could respawn behind a barrier in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the map for the Crusader's Cathedral dungeon was incomplete.
• Fixed an issue where the Curse of Indolence and the Curse of the Weak would stack even while the player was dead in the Fallen Temple capstone dungeon.
• Fixed multiple instances where the Fog Door could not be progressed through in some dungeons.
• Fixed an issue where the Monster Thorns affix in Nightmare Dungeons was reflecting Physical damage, it will now properly reflect non-physical damage.
• Fixed an issue where Blood Boils would not properly spawn in the Kor Dragan Barracks dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where Traps would deal more damage than intended.
• Fixed an issue where level scaling in the Level 100 Pinnacle dungeon was inconsistent.
• Fixed an issue where the Awakened Glyphstone wouldn’t spawn if the party leader left the dungeon before the dungeon was completed.

Gameplay

Barbarian

• Fixed an issue where the number of enemies to defeat for the Barbarian Class quest Masters of Battle was not displayed.
• Fixed an issue where Iron Maelstrom could be cast more than 3 times rapidly casting War Cry.
• Fixed an issue where stacking the Berserk Ripping, Skullbreaker, and Anemia aspects would allow the player to deal extreme amounts of damage.
• Fixed an issue where the outer edge of the quakes granted to Hammer of the Ancients via The Aspect of Ancestral Echoes was dealing far more damage than intended.

Druid

• Fixed an issue where Earth skills and the Pulverize skill would consume two Overpower buffs simultaneously.
• Fixed an issue where the bonus effect on Blood Howl from Nighthowler's Aspect would apply twice to Wolf companions but not at all for Ravens.
• Fixed an issue where Provocation passive stacks wouldn't update properly after adding more points to it.
• Fixed an issue where the automatic transformation from Insatiable Fury would cause the Ursine Strength key passive to not proc consistently.
• Fixed an issue where the Enhanced Pulverize buff would not remove itself while in town.
• Fixed an issue where seeking Tornados produced by Stormchaser's Aspect would not deal damage.
• Fixed an issue where Ravens' passive damage did not improve after the skill was upgraded.
• Fixed an issue where Rabies would deal no damage while standing very close to an enemy.
• Fixed an issue where Stormclaw's Aspect allowed Shred to do extreme amounts of damage.

Necromancer

• Fixed an issue where Necromancers could not obtain daggers from the Purveyor of Curiosities.
• Fixed an issue where the Necromancer’s Minions would have their life bonuses deactivated while in town.
• Fixed an issue where Bone Spear cast through Chilling Wind from an Elite enemy would increase the number of generated Echoes for that cast.
• Fixed an issue where Enhanced Bone Spear could cause erratic movement.
• Fixed an issue where cancelling Blood Mist when it's already off Cooldown would immediately recast it.

Rogue

• Fixed an issue where Shadow Step wouldn’t trigger the Aspect of Uncanny Treachery if the target was killed.
• Fixed an issue where Advanced Penetrating shot would not knock down other players in PvP play.
• Fixed an issue where Twisting Blades would not come back when the ability killed a Bloated Corpsefiend enemy.
• Fixed an issue where the Dash skill would not move the full distance if targeting an enemy while using a controller.
• Fixed an issue where the Eldritch Bounty Paragon node granted bonus resistances incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where Rapid Fire had an extra arrow VFX that behaved erratically.
• Fixed an issue where the Awakened Glyphstone wouldn't spawn for Rogue players using Improved Barrage.

Sorcerer

• Fixed an issue where the Firebolt Enchantment effect did not contribute to the Combustion key passive.
• Fixed an issue where the passive stacks generated by Align the Elements could partially reset in an unexpected way.
• Fixed an issue where casting Deep Freeze would prevent the Ice Shard Enchantment effect from triggering.
• Fixed an issue where Aspect of Control was applying its damage bonus 3 times for Staggered bosses.
• Fixed an issue where the Gravitational Aspect was appearing weaker on two-handed weapons or amulets.
• Fixed an issue where the Enchantment effect for Chain Lightning had no visual tracking bonus and could also unexpectedly drop off.
• Fixed an issue where Incinerate would immediately cost 30 mana when cast in addition to the consistent channeling mana cost. Incinerate now properly only costs mana as it is being channeled.

General

• Fixed multiple instances where players could unnaturally teleport during boss encounters.
• Fixed an issue where a chest in the Western Ways could be interacted with infinitely.
• Fixed an issue where the Eriman NPC couldn’t be interacted with in certain situations.
• Fixed an issue where otherwise breakable objects in the world would not be broken when evading through them.
• Fixed multiple instances where the player could avoid damage from bosses if they positioned themselves in a specific location.
• Fixed an issue where Forged Relics could not be interacted with.
• Fixed an issue where monsters with a Cold, Bleeding, Burning, or Corruption affix would freeze players in 1 hit in Nightmare Dungeons with the Cold Enchanted affix.
• Fixed an issue where Cold Enchanted monsters froze players more often than intended in higher World Tiers.
• Fixed an issue where a chest could spawn that would provide infinite loot.

Helltide and the Fields of Hatred

• Fixed an issue where the player could be damaged by the Helltide firestorm while standing in Jirandai.
• Fixed an issue where enemies resurrected by Shamans would continuously drop Aberrant Cinders in Helltide.
• Fixed an issue where Chain Lightning could bounce infinitely between the caster and other player characters standing in a Fields of Hatred town.
• Fixed an issue where Crackling Energy could hit other players in a Fields of Hatred town. (We know, shocking!)
• Fixed an issue where players could not see other players that they should when re-entering the Alzuuda Fields of Hatred Zone.
• Fixed an issue where certain areas in the Fields of Hatred would be incorrectly flagged as a Town, rendering players unable to cast Skills while still being able to be damaged.

Items and Aspects

• Fixed an issue where the Cost reduction bonus from the Ring of Starless Skies could unexpectedly drop off.
• Fixed an issue where the Aspect of the Protector would trigger its barrier effect after destroying a breakable object.
• Fixed an issue where the Ring of Misfortune had incorrect stats.
• Fixed an issue where the Ember Staff weapon didn’t apply the bonus damage to Crowd Controlled enemies, which is inherent for all Stave-type weapons.
• Fixed an issue where any character menu interaction would reset the bonus granted by the Inner Calm aspect.
• Fixed an issue where the Maximum Life affix on the Mark of the Conclave quest item was scaling improperly.
• Fixed an issue where Aspect power would also increase when upgrading an item at the Blacksmith.
• The level requirement for Sacred Items will now cap at level 60.
• The level requirement for Ancestral Items will now cap at level 80.
• Fixed an issue where the Mother's Embrace Unique Ring did not trigger properly with several abilities.

Monsters

• Fixed an issue where items of higher power than intended were dropping from rare monsters.
• Fixed an issue where the Warg's jumping attack dealt no damage when passing through the player.
• Fixed an issue where the Pitiless Gur monster would endlessly run around in circles.
• Fixed an issue where the lightning-enhanced Champion Goatman would fail to deal damage to the player.
• Fixed an issue where monsters with the Suppressor Affix would be immune to damage from abilities that started initially outside the immunity circle (Ex: when a Barbarian started a Whirlwind cast before getting within proper range of the Suppressor monster).
• Fixed an issue where clones of a monster with the Suppressor affix could also have the Suppressor affix.
• Fixed an issue where Treasure Goblins would behave erratically if initially engaged from a long distance.
• Fixed multiple other issues where monster behavior could not perform properly and could be exploited in some cases.

Quests and Events

• Fixed an issue where the progress bar could not fill during the Caravan Under Siege event.
• Fixed an issue where the Putrid Remains enemies could remain idle during the Defiled Ground event.
• Fixed an issue where Champion enemies could not spawn during the Ancient Obelisk event.
• Fixed multiple issues where using Traversals could cause Elite and Boss monsters to disappear during multiple events.
• Fixed an issue where Radiant and Greater Radiant chests would not spawn when completing the Fearful Bones event.
• Fixed an issue where the Cursed Chest event could not be completed.
• Fixed an issue where the Defiled Ground even in Hawezar would have a respawn point much further away than intended.
• Fixed an issue where unique drowned enemies spawned during events in the Forgotten Coastline could be invulnerable to damage.
• Fixed an issue where the Suppressor Monster Affix's effects would be active on containers and furniture inside the dungeon during the Remnants quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player could teleport through the Ancient Gate and block progression during the Storming the Gates quest.
• Fixed an issue where progression could be blocked during the Flesh and Blood quest.
• Fixed an issue where quest dungeons did not reset if the associated quest was abandoned.
• Fixed an issue where the quest tracker would be missing if the player re-entered the game during the Picking Through the Bones quest.
• Fixed an issue where not enough monsters would spawn to fulfill the requirements for completing the Hungering Necrolyte's Cache quest.
• Fixed an issue where an enemy was missing when progressing through the Lost Archives dungeon during the Legacy of the Magi quest.
• Fixed an issue where the Immemorial Inscription could not be read during the Augury of Bones quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player character couldn’t face to speak to an NPC when initiating dialogue for multiple quests.
• Fixed an issue where the ghost body of Bakira could remain visible after being defeated during the True Potential Rogue class quest.
• Fixed an issue where outside party members could influence the progression of the Bad Blood quest.
• Fixed an issue where the player could be blocked from reentering the bossâ€?area after dying during the fight against Elias in the Piercing the Veil quest.
• Fixed various other issues where quest progression could be blocked.

User interface and User Experience

• Fixed an issue where the mini-map didn’t accurately depict the game world during the The Blind Eye quest.
• Fixed an issue where the map was incomplete for the Loch Raeth region in Scosglen.
• Fixed an issue where a portion of the map was invisible in the Exalter Terrace dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the Mad Bomber title would not display for enemies encountered through the Whisper of the same name.
• Fixed an issue where articles in the News Feed could not be opened using Mouse & Keyboard.
• Fixed an issue where the You have cross network play enabled message was being sent to chat each time a campaign quest objective was completed.
• The Cult Leader Paragon passive no longer appears above hostile Minions in PvP.
• Fixed an issue where the bonus from the Ballistic Aspect displayed +0 to skills instead of +2 on the bonus bar.
• Fixed an issue where Sigil sorting was inconsistent between Inventory and the Stash.
• Fixed an issue where the Social tab on the Action Wheel editing window would be skipped when navigating on Controller.
• Fixed an issue where the amount of gold would not properly display when trading gold in large quantities.
• Fixed an issue where item comparison numbers would be inaccurate if the item in question had a Gem socketed that granted a stat that was also present on the base of the item.
• Fixed an issue where images would not properly load in the News Feed on the main menu.
• Fixed multiple issues with Map Pin functionality.
• Fixed multiple issues where Quest and Whisper markers weren't displaying properly.
• Various improvements to the consistency and clarity of Messaging, Skill description, and Tooltips.
• Various other UI and UX Improvements.

Miscellaneous

• Fixed an issue where the Completion music for defeating Avarice could start playing before the boss was defeated. (Always confirm your kills before celebrating, wanderers)
• Fixed an issue where players couldn't send Battle.net friend requests to friends playing on console.
• Fixed an issue where players could confirm if Hardcore mode was enabled after logging in with a new character.
• Fixed an issue where players that haven't unlocked a higher World Tier could be invited into a higher World Tier party.
• Fixed an issue where players couldn't transfer leadership of a Clan.
• Fixed an issue where the sender of the party invite would not be informed that the invite failed due to incompatibility with campaign prologue progress.
• Fixed an issue where Nafain's spear would duplicate in the cutscene where the player picks it up.
• Fixed an issue where Meshif's camel made no noises.
• Fixed an issue where there was no sound when Lorath kicks Meshif awake.
• Various other Improvements.

Loading Screen Updates

We've added more dynamic loading screens with the release of Season of the?? Malignant. This includes adding more assets to the loading screen, such as yo??ur player character.

Gameplay Updates

General

• Altar of Lilith Unlocks are now account wide.
• Map discovery is now account wide.
• Whispers will no longer reward Sigil Dust.
• Overall loot quality has been significantly improved for Silent Chests.
• The channel time for the Leave Dungeon ability has been increased from 3 to 5 seconds.
• We have generally reduced the tendency for many monsters to move around in combat, so that melee characters don't have to chase down their enemies as much.
• Added PS5 Dual Sense Edge Wireless controller support for PC.

World Tier

• World Tier II has had the following bonuses added:
  • Bonus Gold: Increased from 15% to 20%.
  • Monsters now drop 15% more items.
• Level scaling inside dungeons and most overworld territories has been adjusted in World Tiers III and IV. Monsters will begin to trail behind the player in Level after a certain point (up to a maximum of 5 Levels behind). This change does not affect World Bosses, Legion Events, Fields of Hatred, Helltide, or Nightmare Dungeons.

World Tier III Example:

• If the the player's Level is below 55, the monster's Level is 55.
• If the player’s Level is 56-60, the monster’s Level is 55.
• If the player’s Level is 61, the monster’s Level is 56.
• If the player’s Level is 62, the monster’s Level is 57, etc. (from this point the monsters will always be -5 until World Tier III's max monster Level of 70).

World Tier IV Example:

• If the player’s Level is below 75, the monster’s Level is 75.
• If the player’s Level is 76-80, the monster Level is 75.
• If the player’s Level is 81, the monster’s Level is 76.
• If the player’s Level is 82, the monster’s Level is 77, etc. (from this point the monsters will always be -5).

Experience

• Reward experience for completing Whispers in World Tiers III and IV has been significantly increased.
• We are adjusting bonus experience rewards for killing monsters that are a higher Level than the player.
  • Pre-Season of the Malignant bonuses:
    • 1 Level higher: +15%.
    • 2 Levels higher: +20%.
    • 3+ Levels higher: +25%.
  • Post-Season of the Malignant:
    • 1.5% bonus per Level up to 10 Levels.
      • Ex:
        • +1 level: +1.5%.
        • +2 levels: +3%.
        • +10 levels: +15%.
• We are also adjusting experience rewards for monster Level offsets for higher World Tiers.
  • Current World Tier Level offsets
    • World Tier II: Up to +3.
    • World Tier III: Up to +10.
    • World Tier IV: Up to +100.
  • We are changing this to
    • World Tier II: Up to +3 (Unchanged).
    • World Tier III: Up to +6.
    • World Tier IV: Up to +10.
  • For Example:
    • You are Level 1. Your friends bring you to World Tier IV and leave you at the entrance of a dungeon. They start killing Level 100 monsters.
      • Prior to Season of the Malignant, you get:
        • (Level 100 Monster XP) * (1 + 25%)
      • After Season of the Malignant, you get:
        • (Level 11 Monster XP) * (1 + 15%)

Helltide

• Helltide monsters are now 3 Levels higher than the player instead of 2.
• The Tortured Gift of Mysteries chest has had its cost increased to 250 Aberrant Cinders from 175.
• All interactable objects in Helltide zones now have a small chance of dropping Aberrant Cinders.

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No more item drops way over your level

Diablo 4 Season 1 is already full of updates aimed at improving the overall quality of life for players. But a recent tweet by the Associate Game Director of Diablo 4, Joseph Piepora, indicates another big change is coming. Starting in Season of the Malignant, Sacred Items will have a level requirement cap of?? 60, and Ancestral Items will have a level requirement cap of 80.

In the current system, these items have no such cap meaning you can be level 55 and get a Sacred Item drop that requires level 65. Levels don't come quite so easily in Diablo 4, so it makes it hard to get excited a?bout something you can't use for p??otentially days. It's always bittersweet when you see a cool drop, only to realize you won't be using it any time soon.

[caption id="attachment_388914" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Why is this such a big deal?

With the improved item level requirement caps, it will be a more streamlined process of gearing. Each item tier will now essentially have its own bracket. Sacred Items will essentia??lly be used up to level 60, after which you will begin looking for Ancestral Items.

It will also be a lot easier to obtain endgame gear for alt characters. If you are on a level 100 character in the existing format, you can get a nice Ancestral Item drop for another character, but it ma??y require level 100. With the new system, the absolute highest item level require??ment for such an item would be 80.

Honestly, the existing item-level cap system doesn't make much sense. It was probably more of an overlook on the part of Blizzard rather than an intended feature. This is just another overall win in the quality of life department for Diablo 4. Now all I want to see is some Sorcerer reworks.

Diablo 4's first seasonal update, Season of the Malignant, launches on all platforms ?on July 20.

The post Diablo 4 season 1 bringing a big change to item le??vel requirements appeared first on Destructoid.

Fight against the spreading malignance in Diablo 4 season 1

As part of the Diablo Developer Update for July, Blizzard has revealed the details for Diablo 4 season 1, titled Season of the Malignant. The first ever season will include an all new storyline as well as new features and systems to improve character power. An update with balance changes and new items will release on July 18, but the actual season will go live on July 20.

You will have to create a new character to experience the seasonal content, which has become pretty standard for the action-RPG genre. At the end of the season, your character can be transferred to the Eternal Realm. In other words, it will remain playable even after the release of future?? seasons.

Those that have no desire to play the new season can still play their existing character. However, while existing characters can experience balance changes from the patch, they will not have access to the season-specific content. New players will be able to jump right into the new season, but they will have to c?omplete the camp?aign to unlock the seasonal content.

[caption id="attachment_390556" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Activision Blizzard/Twitch[/c??aption]

Season of the Malignant features a new storyline

?The theme of season 1 picks up where the campaign ended. Corruption is spreading in the hearts of creatures throughout Sanctuary. A new malignance is turning them into bloodthirsty fiends determined to destroy everything.

A new character, Cormond, seeks your help in fighting back against the new threat. As a former priest o??f the Ca??thedral of Light, he thinks he has found the source of the corruption.

With your help, he believes he can turn the malignance against itself. This quest line will start in Kyovashad and be available right from level one in the new season.

[caption id="attachment_390555" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Activ?ision Blizzard??/Twitch[/caption]

Destroy creatures to claim their powerful malignant hearts

A unique system is also being added to Diablo 4. Throughout Sanctuary, every elite monster can spawn as a malignant variant. Defeating a malignant enemy will cause it t??o drop its malignant heart. Interacting with it will cause you to use a cage of binding in ??an effort to capture the heart.

In doing so, more powerful malignant creatures? will spawn and attack you to stop ?the process. Fending them off will allow you to claim the caged heart. These hearts can be socketed into jewelry.

In season 1, jewelry will have three possible socket colors: red, blue, and yellow. Malignant hearts will fit one of the specific color types, wi??th a fourth version that can fit any color. Socketing these hearts will grant you Malignant Powers. There are over thirty of these powers b??eing introduced, further expanding the ways to build your character. Higher world tiers will drop better versions of the hearts.

Even though grinding is a part of any ARPG, a system is in place to help you get the hearts you want. You can break down hearts you don't plan to use and receive a material used to craft an Invoker to target a specific power. You can than take the Invoker to a malignant tunnel, a mini-dungeo?n that spawns across the world. Inside you will fight more malignant monsters until you reach a malignant overgrowth at the end. Using the Invoker, you can destroy the overgrowth and reveal a powerful boss inside. Slaying the boss will net you a heart with the power you are looking for.

[caption id="attachment_390554" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screensho??t vi?a Activision Blizzard/Twitch[/caption]

Other new content includes the first Battle Pass

With the? first season comes the first Battle Pass as well. It will feature a free tier for all players that allows you to earn Season Boosts to accelerate progress, in addition to a titl??e and a few transmogs. An additional paid tier will offer exclusive cosmetics. As you play you will progress the Season Journey, a multi-chapter objective system. Doing so will earn you Favor that unlocks rewards on the Battle Pass.

Furthermore, the season will include a new boss battle: Varshan the Consumed. Players will also have six new Unique items and seven new Legendary As?pects to find.

Overall this looks like a solid first season. We get some new story, a big new system, and a much needed source for creating new builds. There is a bit of concern around adding more player power into the game this early. Typically such systems are not added to the core ??game after the season to prevent power creep and bloat of systems. We'll have ?to see what Blizzard chooses to do.

For those looking to prepare for the Season of the Malignant, I have a few recommendations. First, you want to complete the campaign on at least one character. This will let you jump into the new content when it releases. Furthermore, try to fully explore the world map and find all of the Altars of Lilith?. This progress will carry over into the new season, which will also start you off with a small Renown boost.

Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant releas??es on all platforms on July 20.

The post Diablo 4 sea??son 1 revealed: Season of the Malignant appeared first on Destructoid.