A Deep Dive Into Witch Class Gameplay In Path Of Exile 2
Greetings, Exiles! I’m sure you all have received the sad news recently that Path of Exile 2 closed beta, originally scheduled for June 7, 2024, has been postponed, with the developers stating that it will be released “towards the end” in 2024.
However, this also means that we have more time to prepare for a better gaming experience when we enter POE 2. In this guide, we will reveal the gameplay of Witch. So, Witch main players, please don’t miss this guide.
Minion Mechanics
In Path of Exile 2, you can play as Witch, Mistress of Death and Decay, commanding your hordes of the undead and launching attacks on enemies.
Most classes have access to some kind of minions, but if you want to control an army, Witch may be the ideal class choice for you.
In POE 2, most minions do not need to be summoned manually. Celebrant Sceptre gives the player a couple of free warriors, as well as another resource called Spirit, which you can use to acquire any minions you want. You can see this Spirit Bar above the mana.
On the skills screen, you can choose the composition of your army and choose between the various minion variants available. Since this is a level-two area, we can only afford one more minion. However, when minions die, they are automatically resurrected as long as no other minions have died recently. So, before your next battle, all your minions will be resurrected.
You can also command your minions with a dedicated button, telling them to move to a specific location, attack a specific enemy, or even open a chest or portal for you.
We also have temporary minions. Besides this, many minions have command skills that depend on the type of minion you summoned.
Skills
Next, let’s talk about the spells available to Witch class.
Unearth
First up is Unearth, which creates some bone constructs if it kills a monster or hits the corpse of a monster. They can’t take many hits and have a limited lifespan, but you can build a proper army with them.
Contagion
I also use some debuffs with monsters when my minions attack. The first one we can use here is Contagion. If a monster dies with Contagion, it spreads to nearby enemies. And with each spread, the damage increases. So it’s a good idea to try to keep the infection going.
If any corpse is infected when you summon minions, then the minions will also be infected. Every time they hit an enemy, they will continue to infect the enemy. So it’s great to have an army of infected hordes of the undead.
Essence Drain
We can also use another chaos debuff called Essence Drain. This effect has a higher degen on a single target. If the monster is also infected with Contagion, then Essence Drain will spread as well, which can turn into a real disaster.
Bone Storm
I can use a channeling skill like Bone Storm, which creates a devastating burst of sharp spikes. Note that the longer you channel this skill, the more damage it will cause.
Pain Offering
We also have a skill called Pain Offering. These skills allow you to pierce one of your skeletons with a big spike of bone to buff all of your other minions. It makes all of our other minions faster and do more damage.
Profane Ritual
After a battle, we usually have some extra corpses that we don’t want to waste. Profane Ritual can generate Power Charge by consuming corpses, which can buff some of my other spells. If we use it to summon Zombies, we can create more powerful super Zombies that don’t even need corpses to summon them.
We can also use Power Charge to channel Bone Storm. If I do this, it adds a devastating AoE.
Minion Types
Finally, it’s time to focus on the types of minions that Witch can summon.
Zombies
The first one that comes to mind must be Zombies, which are extremely tanky minions. Although they require corpses to summon and won’t resurrect if they die, they are quite tough and can increase the number of your minions.
What’s more, many minions also have command skills. You can command them to deploy Gas Cloud Arrow on the battlefield to deal some sustained damage.
Skeletal Arsonist
In addition, we can summon Skeletal Arsonists, who can throw small Fire Grenades. Besides this, they have a command skill that can detonate your minions with low health. When you see the red indicator, use this skill and the minion will explode.
These bone constructs are especially good because they expire quickly, anyway. So, you can go and farm this area’s boss, Carrion Crone, with all the tools you find to earn a good amount of POE2 Currency.
Storm Mages
That’s the type of minions you can get in the level two area. But let’s see what the higher level minion gameplay is like.
In a level 30 area, besides still having our trusty warriors, there are many types of minions to choose from, such as Brutes for stunning or Ice Mages for freezing, most of which come with their own special abilities or command skills.
You can also stun enemies by using multiple Storm Mages: a Cleric to heal and revive my minions, and Reavers for high damage. You can also enrage them before the fight to slowly kill them, but Cleric should be able to keep enemies alive while my minions attack.
Storm Mages has a useful skill if a lot of your minions die. He can summon a Lightning Storm to hit the location of each Dead Skeleton in your army.
Monster Corpse
In POE 2, even non-boss monsters can be very devastating, such as Faridun Impaler. It has a wide variety of abilities and is difficult to defeat. But maybe we can make better use of its corpse.
By using Bind Spectre gems, we can take the corpse of any enemy and capture its spirit so that I can use it as a minion. Any monster can be captured, but the spirit cost depends on how powerful the monster is.
Such a powerful enemy requires a lot of spirit, so I have to summon a lot of other minions, but it does seem worth it. If Spectre dies like other minions, it will respawn after a short time.
All in all, Witch in Path of Exile 2 seems to have received some amazing quality of life updates to cater to her unique play style. Her various minion mechanics and gameplay will bring a lot of fun to the game. Even for those who don’t like minion builds, the diverse gameplay of Witch class will make you shine!
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Path of Exile 2 1.0 will officially launch on December 11th, bringing with it a new class - Duelist.
Duelist is the game's second hybrid Strength/Dexterity class. Its passive skill tree starts at the bottom center, in the same area as Mercenary. This advantageous starting position allows Duelists to easily specialize in various talent nodes such as armor, evasion, melee, and projectiles, providing players with a high degree of build freedom.
Weapons and Combat Style
Duelist's signature weapon is the sword, which can be chosen as follows:
- One-handed sword: Dual-wielding/Single-wielding (with shield or staff)
- Two-handed sword: For higher damage output
The core of swords in Path of Exile 2 lies in stance switching and a smooth combat experience. Players can seamlessly switch between different skills, weaving together various stances to create chained, coordinated combos.
Notably, swords possess a unique Parry mechanic - the ability to parry when dual-wielding swords. This mechanic provides Duelists with a crucial defensive tool, allowing them to unleash powerful attacks in melee combat while also deflecting fatal blows at critical moments.
Unlike other melee classes in PoE 2, Duelists have a complete stance system. Combat isn't simply about pressing skills and waiting for cooldowns; it revolves around switching between ready stance and blood/sand stance.
Many sword skills have different effects in ready stance, and the performance of subsequent skills changes upon entering blood/sand stance. This stance-driven design gives Duelists a higher skill ceiling and greater combo depth.
It's clear that Duelists' high build freedom is reflected not only in the skill tree but also in weapon combinations. For players who want to explore diverse combat styles using different swords, Path of Exile 2 currency reserves are equally important. After all, a complete build requires not only a suitable weapon but also proper equipment and continuous enhancement to truly unleash its full potential.
Core Skills Explained
Bloodied Blade
Bloodied Blade is the key skill for entering Blood Stance. Using this skill after parrying an enemy will apply bleeding to the target. If Frenzy Charge is consumed, each hit will apply bleeding to all targets hit. The character will automatically enter Blood Stance after the attack ends.
Sand Scour
Sand Scour is one of the primary means for Duelists to enter Sand Stance. Using this skill causes the character to step back slightly and inflict a heavy stun on armored enemies. A successful hit will enter Sand Stance.
If Frenzy Charge is consumed, Sand Scour gains additional effects. In combos, this skill is often used in conjunction with Engage (mentioned later) to create a rhythmic cycle of stepping back and then dashing forward.
Cyclone
Cyclone is one of the most iconic skills in PoE. In Duelist's two stances, Cyclone is presented in two distinct versions:
- Blood Stance: Presented with a red effect, focusing on damage output and granting additional attack bonuses.
- Sand Stance: Presented with a yellow effect, it fires sand discs while rotating, increasing area-of-effect damage.
This stance-switching design gives the classic Cyclone different tactical values in different scenarios - switch to Blood Stance for maximum damage against bosses, and switch to Sand Stance for efficient clearing of mobs.
Perforate
Perforate is a classic skill from PoE 1, but it has been redesigned. Unlike the original version which stabs the ground to summon spikes, the new version stabs enemies, penetrating the target and striking all enemies behind it. The skill performs three rapid, consecutive stabs, with the final strike always inflicting bleeding.
In Blood Stance, multiple spikes erupt from the ground, hitting enemies multiple times; in Sand Stance, the spikes spread outwards. However, using this skill in a ready stance allows you to skip the first two thrusts and directly deliver a higher-damage, guaranteed-bleeding finishing blow.
Earth Rend
Earth Rend can be understood as a sword-based version of Earth Shatter from PoE 1. Upon use, it creates a fissure in front of you, ending with a blade. If used in a ready stance, blades will be generated along the entire path of the fissure.
While the skill itself doesn't deal high damage, its true value lies in its synergy with other skills - the generated blade can be detonated, enhanced, or converted by subsequent skills, making it a cornerstone of the entire sword combo system.
Blade Conduit
Blade Conduit infuses the blade generated by Earth Rend with lightning damage. When used, the character uses their sword as a lightning conduit, summoning a surging nova around themselves and leaving shocked ground. This skill converts 100% of physical damage into lightning damage.
Blades enhanced by Blade Conduit gain additional lightning damage. Furthermore, Shocked Ground works exceptionally well with Cyclone - causing a shock with every spin.
Blade Plunge
Blade Plunge is the ultimate combo skill with the highest damage potential in the entire sword skill tree. Similar to Earth Rend, it plunges the sword into the ground, creating three fissures around the character, each ending in a blade. You can channel to detonate all blades - not only those generated by Blade Plunge itself, but also those generated by Earth Rend.
Extending the channel time grants supercharge to the blades, further increasing their damage and area of effect. Crucially, this skill utilizes stance synergy:
- Blood Stance: Creates a Blood Pool at each blade location, dealing continuous damage.
- Sand Stance: Creates a Sand Disc at each blade location, dealing continuous damage.
Since the area-of-effect damage from multiple blades stacks, this combo's single-target burst damage is already terrifying.
Summary
As a major addition to Path of Exile 2 version 1.0, Duelist offers players who enjoy melee swordplay a new option that combines depth of gameplay with flexible build options. Its unique stance switching mechanism and rich sword skill set allow for high versatility in clearing maps, single-target burst damage, and survivability.
For players who love melee combat and pursue the ultimate in skillful gameplay, Duelist will undoubtedly be one of the first features to experience upon the official launch of Path of Exile 2. As more game content is revealed, we look forward to seeing this class shine even brighter on the continent of Wraeclast.
Path of Exile 2 Forbidden Rites, is about to be released. The new economic environment, new challenges, and a batch of gameplay adjustments should have made this update another noteworthy addition before 1.0. However, for some long-time Runes of Aldur players, the focus has shifted elsewhere.
They aren't necessarily against GGG creating a new economic environment, nor do they simply want all players to stay in the old league.
The real controversy stems from the fact that, as the duration and league positioning of Forbidden Rites have become clearer, some players have found that their judgments about the future of Runes of Aldur over the past few months may not align with GGG's final plans.
As a result, the debate is no longer simply about whether GGG should launch another league. It's increasingly about how the developers communicated the change.
Changing Expectations
This round of controversy initially arises from players' differing understandings of the positioning of 0.5.5.
Some players previously understood it as a short-term Fresh Economy Event running parallel to Runes of Aldur.
Under this expectation, Runes of Aldur would remain the main League for a longer period before PoE 2 update 1.0. Continuing to farm resources, improve their characters, and invest large amounts of Currency into crafting and trading high-end gear still made sense.
This assessment began to change after the announcement of Forbidden Rites event.
Besides Fresh Economy, 0.5.5 would also bring Ritual adjustments, Sacred Plume, Forbidden Wildwood, Trial of Chaos, and Expedition-related changes, as well as independent Challenges and Rewards. More importantly, Forbidden Rites wouldn't end quickly but would continue until around 1.0.
However, the premise that 0.5.5 was originally only supposed to last a month is not definitively confirmed. Therefore, this controversy is difficult to directly attribute to the developers breaking their promises. Some players did indeed continue playing Runes of Aldur based on the expectation of a short-term event, but the current arrangements differ from what they initially anticipated.
Trading Pressure
Forbidden Rites and Runes of Aldur will exist as two independent Leagues running in parallel. Players who switch to Forbidden Rites Event will need to start over in Fresh Economy, and the gear, Currency, and trading resources accumulated in Runes of Aldur cannot be transferred.
If this shift is short-lived, the impact may be limited. However, Forbidden Rites will continue until around Patch 1.0. Once players shift their primary time to the new League, they may have little incentive to return to Runes of Aldur.
This is particularly sensitive for trading Leagues. The high-end market in Runes of Aldur is already not very active; some expensive Rares may struggle to sell even after price reductions. If a portion of players who regularly farm and craft gear, and are willing to invest hundreds or even thousands of PoE 2 Divine Orbs, shift to the new economy, high-end trading may shrink further.
Once the cycle of farming, trading, and leveling slows down, the incentive to remain in the old League will also decrease.
Promoting a New Economy
From the developers' perspective, this arrangement isn't hard to understand.
PoE series has always relied on new Leagues and economic resets to bring players back. Everyone starts from scratch, giving players who have already left a reason to return and temporarily narrowing the gear and wealth gap established in the old Leagues.
If Runes of Aldur was only going to remain the main League for such a short time, some players may question why they invested so heavily in it in the first place.
However, when this new League might continue until Patch 1.0, and there are independent Challenges and Rewards, the incentive to return is obviously much stronger, and it also makes it easier for developers to obtain more testing and feedback before the official release.
As a result, more players will shift their time and resources to Forbidden Rites, and the active player count and trading demand in Runes of Aldur may decrease accordingly.
Information Flow
League-based games inherently have cycles. Gear depreciates, markets reset, and Leagues eventually end. When players choose to enter PoE 2, they have already accepted these changes.
However, if a new economic environment lasts for several months and significantly alters the player base and trading activity of the old League, players should be informed much earlier about its duration, the future positioning of the old League, and how the two will coexist before Patch 1.0. This information shouldn't be pieced together from scattered replies and player accounts.
More problematic is that this experience could influence long-term players' future choices.
A player who leaves after a month or two may barely be affected. But the experience is very different for someone who has spent months farming currency, upgrading gear, and pushing a character toward completion.
If they eventually find that the assumptions behind that investment have changed, they may approach the next league very differently. Once they reach the mid-to-late game, they may stop investing much earlier, settle for a character that is good enough, and wait for the next reset.
If more and more long-term players begin making this choice, the impact won't just be on Runes of Aldur, but on the activity levels of every subsequent League in the mid-to-late game.
With Patch 1.0 still under development, changes to League plan are not surprising. However, when such changes are significant enough to influence whether PoE 2 players continue farming, crafting gear, and staying in their current League, the later this information is communicated, the more likely players are to find that their earlier investment decisions were based on assumptions that no longer hold.
Whether this controversy will ultimately cripple Runes of Aldur remains to be seen, but when changes to League plans can affect players' investment decisions, changes should clearly be communicated much earlier.
During Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5 reveal livestream, the official details of this update were confirmed. While the highly anticipated swords will not be implemented in Patch 0.5.5, the livestream still revealed a significant amount of key information about sword skills.
POE 2 Patch 0.5.5 is an Economy Reset, where players will create brand-new characters on a separate event server. Runes of Aldor League will remain available, so players can continue their journey without losing access to unfinished challenges. This update also introduces several major improvements, which will be explained below.
Balance Changes
The balance patch originally planned for Patch 0.5.5 is not yet complete and will instead be delayed until the full 1.0 release. As a result, this patch contains No Balance Changes.
This means that previously powerful builds will remain strong, allowing players to continue using the builds you are already familiar with.
For players who have not yet completed their endgame progression or challenges, Runes of Aldor League will remain open, with no forced migration to the new event.
Forbidden Rites
A new Forbidden Rites event will be added to the campaign. This content belongs to Ritual system, where after defeating a Boss, that Boss carries over into the next Boss encounter, creating a continuously stacking challenge.
As the battle progresses, the difficulty gradually increases, but the rewards become more generous as well. This provides a more efficient way to acquire gear during the early progression stage, helping players strengthen their characters more quickly.
Forbidden Rites will run alongside Runes of Aldor. If you are satisfied with your existing character and progression, you can simply ignore this event and continue playing without any disruption. If you want a Fresh Economy and a brand-new progression experience, you can join the event instead.
The event will also introduce a separate Challenges list, with exclusive cosmetic or visual effect rewards available for completion. The challenges are not particularly difficult, so regular players will also have a good chance of completing them.
Trial of Chaos Rework
Trial of Chaos was previously considered relatively thin on content. After the update, players will be able to progress through 30 Trial floors consecutively and challenge all Bosses within the same run before ultimately facing Trialmaster.
Furthermore, the developers have improved the quality of life by adding a Leave and Return feature. Players can leave the trial area and then return to continue, a fantastic feature for those who enjoy helping others complete Ascension Trials.
The development team has removed many of the largely useless Corrupted Items from Trial and replaced them with direct currency drops. An additional Chest has also been added to provide extra bonuses.
The impact of Trial of Chaos's Debilitating Affixes on early progression has been significantly reduced. The difficulty now increases in a smoother and more gradual manner, while the later stages retain their original level of challenge.
The previously frustrating Escort Missions and mechanics such as picking up Cores have been replaced with Kill Challenges. Elevator movement speed has also been increased, making the overall pace much faster and more satisfying.
Trial of Chaos rework is not exclusive to the 0.5.5 event. Instead, it will become a permanent core improvement introduced with the patch. This significantly increases its replayability and usefulness, and it could even become one of the preferred ways to obtain PoE 2 currency.
Endgame Improvements
Fortress Nodes
Previously, players had to defeat Arbiter of Divinity and complete all five areas inside Fortress one by one to unlock Atlas Passive Skill Tree points.
Now, defeating any Arbiter will immediately unlock all the map nodes inside Fortress, granting all of its Atlas Passive Skill Tree points at once. This change significantly reduces the time required for endgame progression.
Abyssal Ravines
Abyssal content will introduce new Ravines, which can be seen on Atlas Maps as a long green path.
These areas add several new nodes that can increase monster density and difficulty, while a Boss awaits at the end.
Expedition
Although the event will not include Runes of Aldor content in every area, Expedition, Farrow, Dannig, and other related mechanics will remain available. They will also continue to function normally in the standard league.
Expedition can now be encountered starting from Act 4, and new Expedition Tablets will also be introduced. These Tablets can roll various modifiers, such as causing two complete Expeditions to appear in the same area or creating two separate Remnant encounters.
The modifiers on Expedition Tablets will include enhancement effects provided by Aldurs Saga. This means players can roll Aldurs Saga-like bonuses on their Tablets and obtain more generous rewards from Grand Expeditions.
Sacred Bloom and Wildwood
In the endgame Atlas system, Patch 0.5.5 introduces a brand-new consumable item called Sacred Bloom. After using a Sacred Bloom, you can attach a Wildwood area to an Atlas Map of your choice.
Once you enter Wildwood, you will need to collect three different types of Wisps: Primal, Vivid, and Wild. Wisps you collect will empower all monsters in the map, making them more difficult to defeat while also increasing their drop rewards.
Although PoE 2 Patch 0.5.5 does not include balance adjustments, it still provides an excellent opportunity for players who enjoy starting fresh. The patch also delivers substantial Quality of Life improvements, making it worth revisiting the game while waiting for the arrival of 1.0 in December.
Path of Exile 2 boasts a wide variety of legendary gear. Some of these are considered mainstream gear, used by almost all players due to their immense power. However, many legendary items are rarely used and end up being sold to merchants.
GGG will be releasing even more legendary gear in future Patch 0.5.5 and Patch 1.0. But before then, I want to highlight some legendary items in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 that are underestimated but actually very powerful, and don't require a huge investment.
The Bringer of Rain Decorated Helm
The Bringer of Rain Decorated Helm is a legendary item with a significant cost. The obvious downside is that you lose an armor slot, which is undoubtedly a huge loss, but as the saying goes, the greater the investment, the greater the reward.
Its advantage is that it allows you to equip two-handed weapons with one hand, and The Bringer of Rain Decorated Helm gives you Giant's Blood Keystone passive without having to meet those maddening three-attribute requirements.
Therefore, this legendary item grants you immense freedom in character building. It allows two-handed melee builds to be geared in entirely new ways. Of course, you have to make some sacrifices, such as giving up the chest armor, but the build ideas this item offers are definitely worth exploring, and that's the essence of legendary items.
Frankly, I think The Bringer of Rain Decorated Helm will become even more interesting with the addition of more content in Path of Exile 2, such as two-handed swords. So, if you didn't notice this unique item in Return of the Ancients, be sure to check it out.
Twisted Empyrean Aberrant Sledge
This is a new legendary two-handed hammer added in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0. Although its usage rate is low, I think it provides a completely new way of building around hammer weapon skills.
Twisted Empyrean Aberrant Sledge doesn't follow the traditional path of stacking health; instead, it encourages players to stack mana and convert that mana into additional frost damage. This is what attracts me most about this item; it means skills like Volcanic Fissure can truly crush enemies and deliver a satisfying screen-clearing experience.
In addition, it boasts an extremely high critical hit rate, making it ideal for classes like Monk. However, it's not a weapon that can be freely paired with any build to instantly overwhelm opponents. Building a character around it requires some planning, and that's precisely the charm of this unique weapon.
I believe it's one of the few unique weapons that can truly rival rare weapons in its class because its critical hit rate and skill level bonuses are simply too powerful.
Sacred Flame Shrine Sceptre
This item was released quite early, but to be honest, it never really became part of the mainstream gameplay, things only changed with the arrival of Return of the Ancients.
In Patch 0.5.0, if you obtain the affix that increases physical damage, you can craft a very powerful sceptre and further enhance its attributes through rune forges without incurring a huge PoE 2 Currency cost.
However, I think the truly interesting aspect of Sacred Flame Shrine Sceptre lies in its synergy with Blistering Bond Ruby Ring. The ring allows fire damage to be counted as bleed damage, and since Sacred Flame Shrine Sceptre' damage is inherently fire damage, this weapon can have a double bonus from the ignite effect.
This combination is niche, but it can be incredibly powerful. Furthermore, it can be developed in some very interesting defensive directions. For example, you can equip Chernobog's Pillar Blacksteel Tower Shield to maintain damage output while stacking a large amount of block chance.
Splinter of Lorrata Hardwood Spear
Next, let's look at Splinter of Lorrata Hardwood Spear. This unique weapon might be a bit controversial, so let me analyze it for you.
This weapon allows you to stack an almost unlimited number of poisons on enemies, and each attack applies poison. The main problem is that this weapon's physical damage is shockingly low, making it difficult to deal effective damage.
Now, PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0 gives it a chance: you can use Runeforging system to upgrade unique weapons, improving their base stats and revitalizing previously unusable weapons.
While the numbers aren't huge, this significantly increases the weapon's usability. You can then pair Splinter of Lorrata Hardwood Spear with Original Sin Amethyst Ring to convert elemental damage into chaos damage, not only compensating for Original Sin's shortcomings but also further boosting poison damage.
However, the obvious drawback is that you need to sacrifice a ring slot for this, which is where Ritualist becomes a very interesting option. The extra ring slot allows you to use Original Sin Amethyst Ring without completely sacrificing other rings, meaning you can still get the fixed damage and other stats you need.
Splinter of Lorrata Hardwood Spear isn't the kind of weapon that automatically becomes stronger just by equipping it. You need to build your build around it, find ways to compensate for its weaknesses, and fully utilize its uniqueness. When you do that, it becomes a very powerful weapon.
This concludes our analysis of four underrated items in Path of Exile 2 0.5.0. If you haven't tried them yet, go ahead and give them a shot to prepare for Patch 0.5.5 and Patch 1.0.
Path of Exile 2's Gamescom 2026 presentation brought a 1.0 trailer along with the exact release date. Exiles can finally breathe a sigh of relief without worrying that the game will be delayed into next year.
In the official trailer, new classes and weapons were also showcased. More information will be revealed during the livestream on August 27 and at ExileCon 2026, which will take place on November 7–8, 2026. Let's first go over everything that is currently known.
Path of Exile 2 1.0 Release Date
The full 1.0 release of Path of Exile 2 will officially launch on December 11, 2026, and the game will continue to follow a Play for Free model.
The official website has already opened registration for the 1.0 release. Taking part will unlock a series of exclusive cosmetic rewards.
Registration Rewards
Alongside the release date announcement, the official team also launched the 1.0 Registration page. Players can visit the relevant page on the official website and submit an email address to complete registration, unlocking milestone rewards shared across the entire player base.
Once the number of registrations reaches specific milestones, all players, regardless of whether they already have an account, will receive the corresponding Microtransaction Cosmetics.
These rewards are exclusive to the registration campaign and will never be added to the in-game Store, making them particularly valuable for collectors. After the official release on December 11, the rewards will be distributed through MTX Codes sent via email.
Milestones rewards:
- 500,000: Soulflame Crown Helmet Attachment
- 1 million: Soulflame Weapon Effect
- 2 million: Soulflame Portal
- 3 million: Chained Chimera Wings
- 4 million: Scourgeborn Boar Pet
You do not need to link the registration to an existing Path of Exile account, and any email address can be used. After registering, you will not receive spam emails. The official team will only send notifications about major updates or important 1.0 information.
New Class: Duelist
Path of Exile 2 was originally announced with 12 classes, with each class having three Ascendancies. At present, players can choose from eight classes.
This does not necessarily mean that the official team will be able to release all four remaining classes with 1.0. Although PoE 2 has delivered substantial amounts of content with each update, the development pace is not quite fast enough to accomplish that.
PoE 2 1.0 may simply mean that the campaign will be completed, while new Ascendancy updates for existing and upcoming classes could continue after the 1.0 release. It may not be until the end of 2027 that all classes are finally available.
The official trailer has already revealed the next class coming with 1.0. Based on previously announced information, the new class should be Duelist.
The character's equipment and combat style in the trailer make it possible to clearly identify at least 2 Ascendancy classes.
Gladiator
Gladiator primarily uses Dual Swords or a Sword and Board setup. Its core mechanics are expected to revolve around Max Block, continuing the defensive and counterattack-oriented identity of the original Gladiator. This should be particularly appealing to players who prefer a steady balance between offense and defense.
Slayer
Slayer primarily uses a Two-Handed Sword and focuses on high damage output and area control, giving it a more aggressive playstyle. Although one-handed swords also appear in the footage, the character's main combat stance is still centered around two-handed weapons.
The return of these two Ascendancy classes means that Path of Exile 2 will preserve the classic class structure of the original game while giving sword-based weapons an entirely new skill ecosystem.
Sword Skills
The trailer showcased a large number of sword-specific skills, including reworked versions of classic PoE 1 skills as well as completely new abilities. Below are some of Path of Exile 1 skills shown in the trailer:
- Dual Strike: A rapid two-hit attack while dual-wielding.
- Cleave: A sweeping area attack that is well suited for clearing groups of enemies.
- Lacerate: A classic PoE 1 Bleed skill that leaves tearing marks on the ground when attacking.
- Lightning Strike: Calls down a bolt of lightning in front of the character.
- Whirling Blades: A rapid spinning dash that combines mobility with damage.
- Flicker Strike: Teleports your character to nearby monsters and attacks with a melee weapon.
Patch 0.5.5
Beyond the trailer, the official team will also hold a Reveal Livestream at 12:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time on August 27, 2026, which is 3:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time. This livestream is highly likely to reveal the specific details of Patch 0.5.5.
It is important to note that PoE 2 Patch 0.5.5 will not be a full League, but rather a transitional Event.
It will include an Economy Reset, meaning participating players will need to create new characters and will not be able to carry over their PoE 2 currency or equipment from Patch 0.5.0.
There will also be a large number of balance adjustments, which may leave some players unhappy, but these changes are also intended to prepare the game for 1.0.
Patch 0.5.5 may introduce adjusted versions of mechanics from previous Leagues, but it is unlikely to include a completely new League mechanic.
There are approximately three months left until the full 1.0 release of Path of Exile 2. If you are excited about the game, don't forget to register on the official website and keep an eye on August 27 Reveal Livestream and ExileCon 2026. The official team may reveal even more information.
Gamescom 2026 will take place from August 26-30, 2026, and for Path of Exile 2 players, this event is far more important than a regular offline convention. The official organizers will not only participate in Gamescom but have also specifically reminded players to pay attention to Opening Night Live.
This kind of preview easily leads to the guess that they have some truly noteworthy content prepared. It's worth noting that Gamescom 2026 coincides with the near end of Path of Exile 2 Early Access, while ExileCon will be held in early November this year, where a significant amount of information related to 1.0 official release is expected to be revealed.
Gamescom is unlikely to reveal all the major content at once, but it's also unlikely to only bring some minor updates. Let's predict what POE 2 will announce to attract more new players.
Swords and Duelist
If Gamescom 2026 aims to attract both new gamers and existing PoE 2 players, then Swords and Duelist are clear choices. Swords are the most easily understood fantasy weapon by a broader gaming audience; the developers don't need to explain complex mechanics or spend time explaining what a new system actually is.
They only need to show a character wielding a giant sword, quickly clearing monsters in Path of Exile 2, at Gamescom - that's enough to create a visual impact, and the audience will understand what they're trying to convey.
Swords will naturally make Duelist the focus of discussion. Players have been anticipating Duelist for a long time, and the developers must demonstrate what Melee and Swords can actually do in PoE 2. For veteran players, seeing Duelist officially unveiled will certainly be a pleasant surprise.
Act 5
My second prediction is Act 5. Compared to other content that requires extensive explanations of game systems, Act 5 is much more intuitive for a broader gaming audience.
This is a crucial piece of content in PoE 2 that we haven't truly experienced yet, and a long time has passed since its initial reveal. The final version is likely to differ completely from what we remember and imagine.
Act 5 offers a wealth of material for demonstration, including new boss fights, monsters, story beats, areas, Path of Exile 2 Currency, and NPCs. The developers don't need to spend a lot of time explaining Atlas and Ascendancy; a single exciting boss fight is enough to tell the audience: this is Path of Exile 2.
It would be even more logical if Gamescom demo included Act 5. We could see Act 5 at Opening Night Live first, and then experience a portion of it ourselves in Gamescom demo. This would be a completely new experience for both newcomers to PoE series and veteran players.
Patch 1.0
The third prediction is the official release date of Path of Exile 2 Patch 1.0. Originally, ExileCon seemed more suitable for announcing the full details of 1.0 release, but Gamescom Opening Night Live has a much larger audience.
In fact, Early Access release date for PoE 2 was previously announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live, so using Gamescom again to announce this important milestone isn't unprecedented.
If the official team wants to let more players who aren't closely following PoE 2 know that the game is about to enter version 1.0 and will be free to play, then Gamescom is clearly a better fit than ExileCon.
A short release date trailer, along with some previously unrevealed bosses, areas, or cinematic elements - even just about a minute - can achieve excellent promotional results, while ExileCon can handle a more comprehensive announcement of PoE 2 content.
Patch 0.5.5
Jonathan Rogers has confirmed that Path of Exile 2 will release Patch 0.5.5, so the question isn't whether it will appear at Gamescom, but how much content they plan to reveal at Gamescom.
Patch 0.5.5 may introduce new mechanics and potentially involve adjustments to Atlas Masters, Ascendancy Classes, Skills, or existing class balance. If POE 2 aims to keep players engaged before the official 1.0 release, Gamescom presents a suitable opportunity to announce Patch 0.5.5.
However, Gamescom is unlikely to release full patch notes directly. A more plausible scenario is a preview of some content, announcing the release date, or a short gameplay teaser.
Classes
Currently, Path of Exile 2 class roster still has some noticeable gaps. Shadow is one such class that hasn't been proclaimed, and Daggers and Traps haven't yet become fully usable content for players.
Previously, some PoE 2 showcases had already hinted at Shadow and Daggers, so a formal demonstration at Gamescom isn't out of the question.
Shadows are well-suited for large-scale gaming events, and like traps, they are easily understood ARPG elements. Furthermore, titles like Diablo Rogue have proven the powerful appeal of this type of class.
If PoE 2 team can showcase a representative Traps or Master Trap spin gameplay, it could certainly leave a lasting impression. They don't even need to reveal the entire class; showcasing one or a few skills, sword gameplay, or unique items, accompanied by a short animation, would be enough to generate buzz.
Path of Exile 2 team might announce multiple pieces of content at Gamescom 2026, grouping them into a single trailer. For example, they might first showcase Swords, then have Duelists appear in Act 5's Gameplay, followed by partial information about Patch, and finally leave more content to be revealed at ExileCon 2026.
This way, we can generate enough buzz at Gamescom 2026 without revealing all the content of ExileCon beforehand.
