Diablo 4 battle pass: Season of the Malignant start date, price & microtransactions
Don't pass on this battle.
Diablo 4’s first season will be upon us later today, giving us more reasons to jump back into Sanctuary and fight with hellish foes. So that you don't miss the Season of the Malignant start date, you must be sure to have a Diablo 4 battle pass, but fret not – we’ll be keeping you right with everything you need to know about the price and microtransactions.
To get the game in-shape for the new season, Blizzard dropped the latest Diablo 4 patch, which has made huge changes to how certain classes play, so it is well worth checking out before jumping into the action. If you noticed any server downtime - it was probably this being added in.
There will be plenty of free and premium reward tiers waiting for players to unlock, which we’ll be covering in length later on, but read on to get the lowdown on all things Season of the Malignant!
When does the Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass start?
The Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass start date is today, Thursday 20th July, it has been confirmed by Activision Blizzard.
You can check out its reveal trailer below:
An official blog post details the first season and what we can expect of it, including a release timer!
What is the UK start time for Diablo 4 season 1?
The Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant start time in the UK is set for Today at 6pm BST on Thursday 20th July. This is according to the countdown timer on the official site.
Before we dive into its details, it’s worth pointing out that you will need to complete the Diablo 4 campaign to unlock Season 1. Get out there and finish that story if you haven’t already done so.
These seasons count as post-game content, so you'll need to create a new character to play through the Season of the Malignant content.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
How much does the Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass cost?
There are three versions of the Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass available: Free, Premium and Accelerated. The details of each Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass tier can be found below:
- Battle Pass | Price: Free | 27 reward tiers
- Premium Battle Pass | Price: 1,000 Platinum (£8.39) | 63 reward tiers (cosmetic items and Platinum) | Coldiron Armour Set (all classes, Base + Awoken versions) | Warded Mustang Mount (Base + Awoken versions) | Coldiron Barding Mount Armour (Base + Awoken versions)
- Accelerated Battle Pass | Price: 2,800 Platinum (£20.99) | 63 reward tiers (same as in Premium above) | All Premium content | 20 Tier Skips | "On the Warpath" emote
Each of the two Premium Season 1 battle passes in Diablo 4 will need to be bought with Platinum, the title’s in-game currency. Fortunately, the Premium passes include Platinum as rewards, so you will be able to put any earned towards battle passes in the future.
It's worth noting that each battle pass comes with 20 Smoldering Ashes.
You should be able to purchase the battle pass when it goes live.
What’s included in the Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass? Season of the Malignant rewards
As its release date is still a little bit away, we do not yet know the individual rewards included in the Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass. We do know, however, how the whole thing works and the kind of rewards you can earn, including the "Eldritch Monster" Seasonal Title.
After completing the game’s campaign, you will have access to Season 1 content, including its new questline. This includes the Season Journey and battle pass. Once you've completed the base game, create a Seasonal character to take part in the new Season of the Malignant content.
The Diablo 4 Season Journey is where you’ll find your Season Objectives. Objectives are split into Chapters comprising of several gameplay challenges including completing dungeons, defeating enemies and more.
In the new questline, you'll encounter corrupted enemies. Defeat the new powerful foes to earn Malignant Hearts and unlock new Malignant Powers. A new boss battle awaits, too, within the Malignant Tunnels.
To level up your battle pass, you will need to complete these objectives to unlock Favor, which is “used to level up through the Tiers of the battle pass.” You can also unlock Favor by “completing quests, slaying monsters, participating in events, and more.”
It’s definitely worth keeping track of Season Journey objectives, however, as completing all objectives in a chapter will reward you with “Seasonal rewards, such as useful Crafting Materials and Legendary Aspects for your Codex of Power.”
As of writing, we know that you can unlock the following Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass rewards:
- Cosmetics
- Emblems
- Emotes
- Gold
- Platinum (Premium tiers only)
- Smoldering Ashes
- Titles
- A Mastery Title
- Scroll of Amnesia (free Skill Tree and Paragon Board reset)
- Seven new Legendary aspects
- Six new Unique items
Smoldering Ashes can be spent on Season Blessings. These “provide you with a bonus to earning XP, Gold, or Obols,” and more than one Season Blessing can be activated at once and will last until the end of the Season.
What can you buy with microtransactions in Diablo 4?
You can purchase in-game cosmetics, including armour, from the item shop. It’s definitely worth mentioning that Diablo 4 is not pay-to-win. All items you can purchase with your own money are purely cosmetic.
As per the official blog post, “the Shop is intended to be an avenue of self-expression for our players, and they can interact with it as much or as little as they desire during their time in Sanctuary.”
Items for sale in the shop rotate on a regular basis, so it’s worth checking in frequently if you’re after nifty new armour sets to show off to your mates. You’ll need to purchase Platinum with your own money to pick things up from the shop.
Subscribe to our free Gaming Newsletter for weekly insights, and visit our Gaming hub for all the latest news.
Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide.
Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home — subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast
Authors
Toby Saunders is a freelance writer specialising in Video Game journalism. He has a wealth of experience in the field and is published on many different websites including PCGamesN, Nintendo Life and Pocket Tactics. He has a degree in Film Studies (he gets to write about Film and TV occasionally, too).
