Now that Diablo 4’s first season, the Season of the Malignant, is underway, many players are running into one quest that is a little challenging to complete: the Holding Back the Flood quest. Why? Because there isn’t much to go on, so completing it feels almost impossible.
How to complete the Holding Back the Flood quest, explained
Once you’ve started working through the Season of Malignant content, you’ll encounter the Holding Back the Flood quest in your quest journal. However, to complete it, it says that you must complete Chapter One and Chapter Two of the Season Journey—and that’s it, there’s no other context.
The trick to completing this Diablo quest is to look for the Season Journey tab, which was added at the beginning of season one.
How to find the Season Journey tab in Diablo 4
You’ll find the Season Journey tab in Diablo 4 pretty quickly if you follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Season Pass screen (On PC, the shortcut is “U,” and on the console, open Menu and tab across).
- Click on the Season Journey button, which reveals a list of objectives and Chapters you need to complete to continue to progress.
You’ll complete the Holding Back the Flood quest in Diablo 4 by completing all the objectives under Chapters One and Two of the Season Journey tab.
How to complete Chapter One Seasonal Objectives
In order to progress to Chapter Two of the Seasonal Objectives, nine out of 11 of the objectives from Chapter One need to be completed. Thankfully, the majority are simple.
- The Hangman’s Garden: Collect [15] Gallowvine, found nearly anywhere
- Heart of Corruption: Collect a Malignant Heart, available after completing or skipping the campaign
- Den of Evil: Complete any dungeon found on your map
- Trouble in the Wilds: Complete a World Event found on your map
- Into the Frozen Dark: Complete [3] Dungeons in Fractured Peaks
- What Lurks Below: Complete a Cellar
- Kind Stranger: Complete [5] priority or side quests
- Keeper of the Keys: Collect a Whispering Key, sold at the Purveyor of Curiosities
- Waste Not: Salvage [10] normal items at the Blacksmith
If you are looking to unlock the Chapter Two Seasonal Objectives as quickly as possible, we recommend skipping Into the Frozen Dark and Trouble in the Wilds, as these are the most time-consuming.
How to complete Chapter Two Seasonal Objectives
Like Chapter One, nine out of 11 objectives from Chapter Two need to be completed in order to progress. They are of varying difficulty and length, taking a while longer than the initial set of objectives.
- Undertaker: Complete [10] Cellars
- Stopping the Spread: Collect [3] Malignant Hearts, available after completing or skipping the campaign.
- Ruins Reclaimed: Conquer a Stronghold
- Gemcutter: Craft any Chipped gem at the Jeweler
- A Torch in the Depths: Complete [5] Malignant Tunnels, available after completing or skipping the campaign
- Baptized in Blood: Reach level 25
- Vivisector: Collect [15] Demon Hearts, found from killing Demons or in Cellars
- A Warrior of Taste: Change your gear’s appearance [5 times] at the Wardrobe
- Lighting the Way: Interact with [10] Waypoints for faster travel to new places
- Spit and Polish: Upgrade an item twice at the Blacksmith or Jeweler
- Finer Clarity: Upgrade your potion to Minor at the Alchemist
Most of these objectives can be ticked off while you progress and level, but the two to skip in order for quicker access Chapter Three quicker are A Torch in the Depths and Ruins Reclaimed.
