The first of many seasonal content updates for Diablo 4 was officially revealed as the Season of the Malignant, launching July 20. With that comes a slew of gameplay changes like new enemies, dungeons, gear, and socket items called Caged Hearts that seem to be legitimate game-changers. While nearly every game under the sun seems to have a seasonal model or battle pass to throw your way, as an ongoing RPG, Diablo 4 lends itself well to this type of structure. That extends to the upcoming narrative-driven questline--new characters, enemies, storytelling opportunities, and lore to explore are also on the table when it comes to seasonal updates.

We spoke with senior writer Ben Chaney and quest designer Madeleine James about the Season of the Malignant from a story perspective and how this affords them room to try new things with Diablo 4 as it evolves. This new threat is pitched as a plague that has spread across Sanctuary in the aftermath of the base game's main story, and at the heart of it is a newcomer named Cormond who calls on you to help battle the Malignant. But it appears to be more than just a mob-killing endeavor and perhaps another foray into Diablo 4's more human side amid the demon-hunting.

At the center of the seasonal questline is this newcomer: an ally who's a former priest from the Cathedral of Light. James mentions that Cormond is on the same level as a core character in the main campaign, with a fresh design and unique voice acting. Chaney describes him as a character who's an ordinary person trying to overcome an extraordinary situation. He's just a guy driven out of his small village who believes there's a cure for the Malignant corruption that's taken over, and we'll be helping him find his way.