If you’re churning through Diablo 4 Season 1, you’ll need to know how to get Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 before long. They’re the curios new collectibles the entire month’s long debut season revolves around. Without them, you’ll get little out of the new mechanics designed to spice up the post-game crawl and incentivise new character creation. Here’s how they work, and how to get them.
Malignant Hearts are pretty useful. Like rare equipment and aspects, they’re proposed to have a significant impact on performance. If you’ve gone through the campaign thinking the gem and socket feature lacked variety or depth, you’re in luck. Malignant Hearts, for this season, at least, are poised to spice it up.
What are Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4?
Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 are a new type of item that you can put in the sockets of your jewelry. But they’re far more interesting than those coloured stones from the base game.
In Season 1, items can occasionally have colour-specific sockets. Rather than dictate the type of gemstone that can be inserted, they specifically relate to the three colours of Malignant Heart you can put there. For example, a yellow Malignant Heart can be used only with an item that has a yellow socket.
Malignant Hearts give your character some really powerful abilities, like allowing you to cast chain lightning when you crit. There should be 32 abilities in total, but we’re still waiting on specifics. With a bunch of sockets available, the number of intertwining abilities you could gain are hard to imagine.
How to use Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4
As we already mentioned, Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 can be used the same way you use your Gems. The only difference is that you have to find the right socket. However, we didn't mention the fact that there are actually four types of Malignant Hearts. The first three are Yellow, Red, and Blue and you can use them as we have described.
The fourth type of Malignant Heart is a bit different. It is very rare and can be put in a socket of any color. So, if you get a powerful heart of this type, consider yourself lucky.
To use them, you should be able to simply drag and drop them from your inventory onto the gear with the corresponding socket. Malignant Hearts are single-use, so choose where you place them wisely. If you think you’re due a gear upgrade, consider waiting for that.
How to get Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4
To get Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4, you have to search for Malignant enemies. These are typically elite monsters with a unique aura. You’ll know when you see one.
Once defeated, a Malignant monster drops a Malignant Heart. Use it with the Cage of Unbinding to summon a stronger version of this Malignant monster and a few weaker demons. Defeat this one to get a Caged Heart.
What are Malignant Tunnels in Diablo 4?
Malignant Tunnels are special dungeons that you can visit to farm more Malignant Hearts. You have a huge chance to encounter Malignant enemies there, but this is not the most important feature of these instances. You can find some special cocoons in these tunnels.
These cocoons have three colored elements that require you to use an item called the Invoker.
How to get the Invoker in Diablo 4
This item can be crafted from the materials that you get for salvaging Malignant Hearts. With the help of the Invoker, you can choose the colur of this cocoon. For example, you can interact with an element that glows blue and spawn a Malignant monster of this respective type.
For now, that should be about everything you need to know about Malignant Hearts in Diablo 4 Season 1. Just be aware that they’ll be scrubbed from existence once the season ends, with bonuses and effects removed as your seasonal character returns to the non-season roster. And while you are here, make sure to check our guide on how to get Gallowvine in Diablo 4, how to get Reddamine in Diablo 4, and how to get Howler Moss in Diablo 4 if you’re up for some crafting.