What Are Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 – Answered

Diablo 4 promises to expand into the far future, as Estuar is a place that is rife with problems. But in Diablo’s Season of the Malignant, there’s an entirely new item to farm. And they’re worth getting a cemetery’s worth. Here’s what Malignant Hearts are in Diablo 4.

What Are Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 – Answered

A new blight has stricken Sanctuary. A malignance, which has rooted itself in the monsters surrounding each city, town, and settlement. But by killing these corrupted creatures, you’ll get something in return. A Malignant Heart.

Malignant Hearts are like gems and aspects all rolled into one. But significantly better than both. Here’s how to get Malignant Hearts, how their mechanics work, and what effects you can expect.

How to Get Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4

In Season 1, players who have completed the campaign will notice that certain Elite monsters will carry a “Malignant” title in their name. By killing a Malignant Elite, a purple Malignant Heart will drop. If you have a Cage of Binding, a new item in Season 1, you’ll start a ritual.

This ritual will draw all the other Malignant enemies in the area. A new, more powerful version of the Malignant Elite you initially killed will then spawn. Kill this extra powerful Malignant enemy and it will drop the Caged Heart.

How do Malignant Hearts Work in Diablo 4?

Once you get a Caged Malignant Heart, you can socket it into your jewelry. Note, a Malignant Heart that’s been socketed can’t be taken out. But it can be replaced. By socketing a new Malignant Heart on top of an old one, you destroy the original Malignant Heart.

Malignant Hearts fall into five categories, which are based on color. Brutal Malignant Hearts will be blue and can only be put into infested sockets of blue socket jewelry. Green Malignant Hearts will only socket into jewelry with green sockets. White Malignant Hearts can be put into any socket.

If you have a Malignant Heart that isn’t the color you need, you can salvage it. Doing so will give you material with which you can craft an Invoker. Invokers can be used in a new type of dungeon called ‘Malignant Tunnels’. By using an Invoker in a Malignant Tunnel, you can farm Malignant Hearts of your desired color.

Related: All Revealed Battlepass Rewards for Diablo 4 Season 1 (So Far)

The Effects of Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4

While Malignant Hearts seem to function like gems, they offer the same powerful aspects as Legendary items. There are 32 Malignant Heart powers but only one is currently known.

• Caged Heart of the Picana (Vicious Heart)
  • Critical Strikes electrically charge the enemy for 2.89 seconds, causing lightning to arc between them and any other charged enemies dealing 64 lightning damage.

These Malignant Hearts are meant to alter and diversify end-game builds, and they’ll very much be worth the farm.

If you want all the juicy details dropped during the Developer’s Update, from Malignant Tunnels to battle pass secrets, check out our breakdown here: Diablo 4 Season 1 Details Revealed.