Malignant Hearts are a brand-new item in Season 1 of Diablo 4 and they can completely transform your build.
The highly anticipated Season 1 of Diablo 4 has arrived, bringing a wave of exciting opportunities for players venturing into the Seasonal Realm. Among the myriad of fresh content, such as a new gripping questline, unique items, and legendary Aspects, a novel addition awaits those daring enough to embark on this journey – Malignant Hearts. These enigmatic entities represent a unique form of Aspects, available exclusively for insertion into designated sockets on rings and amulets. They come in four distinct types: Vicious Red, Brutal Blue, Devious Purple, and Wrathful Black.
The allure of Malignant Hearts lies in the specialized benefits they grant your jewelry in Diablo 4. As you dive into Season 1, you’ll have a grand total of 32 Malignant Hearts to uncover, promising you an exhilarating challenge ahead. But before you can contemplate which precious pieces of jewelry to enhance with these coveted Hearts, the first step is to learn the art of locating them within the realms of Diablo 4.
Finding Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4
Discovering Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 is an exclusive experience found within the Seasonal Realm. To embark on this journey, you’ll need to create a fresh character to gain entry. Once in the Seasonal Realm, make your way to the town of Kyovashad, nestled in the Fractured Peaks. There, you’ll encounter a new NPC named Cormond, who will guide you through the Season 1 questline, centered around confronting the newly corrupted foes known as Malignants.
As you face these Malignant adversaries, you’ll find that they are the source of Malignant Hearts. However, acquiring these hearts is not as simple as looting them like other items in Diablo 4. Instead, you must defeat a Malignant monster categorized as “Partly Corrupted.” Upon defeating such a monster, a heart will drop, but you won’t be able to collect it unless you possess the Cage of Binding.
The Cage of Binding plays a vital role in capturing the Malignant Heart. Regrettably, you’ll only gain access to it at the end of the Season 1 questline. Once in your possession, you can use it on a dropped Malignant Heart, causing the defeated Malignant Monster to transform into a Fully Corrupted enemy. At this point, you’ll face a new, more powerful opponent, and if you triumph, a Malignant Heart will drop for you to collect and add to your inventory.
Apart from utilizing the Cage of Binding, you can also obtain Malignant Hearts by completing Malignant Tunnels. These dungeons present more Malignant Monsters and introduce a fresh enemy type called Outgrowths. Upon reaching the end of these Malignant Tunnels, you can use a Malignant Invoker, which will summon a Fully Corrupted enemy. Repeat the process of defeating the enemy and claiming the Malignant Heart it leaves behind. For your convenience, you can craft Malignant Invokers at Cormond’s Wagon, which will become accessible at some point during the Season 1 questline.
Using Malignant Hearts
Upon acquiring a Malignant Heart, the first step is to identify its type, which must align with the socket type on the jewelry you intend to embed it in. For instance, if you come across a Vicious (red) Malignant Heart, it must be placed into a jewelry socket of the same classification. However, there is an exception for Wrathful Malignant Hearts, as they can be fitted into any socket without restriction.
In case you possess a ring or amulet lacking a heart socket, you have the option to visit the Jeweler, who can add one for you in exchange for gold and materials. This process will grant a randomly colored socket to your ring or amulet.
The significance of Malignant Heart colors extends beyond aesthetics, as each hue offers distinct bonuses. Refer to the list below to see the bonuses associated with each type:
- Vicious Red: Offensive bonus
- Brutal Blue: Defensive bonus
- Devious Purple: Utility bonus
- Wrathful Black: Super Power
The choice of bonus to enhance your build rests entirely on your preferences, but Blizzard recommends diversifying the selection of Malignant Heart types to optimize the benefits from your gear.
