Unveiling The Core Content Of Path Of Exile 3.25 Settlers Of Kalguur League!
Path of Exile 3.25 is set to launch next week on July 26th, and here we’re unveiling some of the key content for Settlers of Kalguur League to help you get ready before you jump into the game!
In this guide, we’ll take you deep into the new Settlers of Kalguur Challenge League. We’ll cover the mechanics of League, the old and new crafting systems for League, the new trade market system for currency, overall balance improvements including two Ascendancy Class changes, endgame improvements, and some quality of life feature changes.
Settlers Of Kalguur Challenge League
In Settlers of Kalguur, you’ll meet some familiar faces from Expedition League. Dannig, Rog, Tujen, and Gwennen are Kalguuran people who are trying to establish trade between Wraeclast and their homeland.
They have recruited many outstanding people from Wraeclast, but they are also seeking the help of powerful Exiles like you.
You will first meet King’s Hand, Johan, at Lioneye’s Watch, where he is recruiting workers, traders, and Exiles. Johan has been sent here by order of King of Kalguur to build a new city called Kingsmarch, which is intended to be a trading center between Wraeclast and Kalguur.
He will take you to the planned location of Kingsmarch, and you will find that it will initially be just a tavern in a field. But with your help, it won’t stay that way!
It takes a lot to build a town. Kalguurans will ask you to find resources that can be used to start construction. During your adventure, you may find minerals such as Crimson Iron, as well as other valuable resources. But dangerous enemies will spawn as you get close, and once you defeat these monsters, the mineral deposits will automatically be marked as mineable.
We need to find people to do the hard labor. However, this is a trade expedition, and nothing comes for free. Miners, as well as other workers hired in Kalguur, must be paid in cold hard gold.
Eventually, you can build a Harbor and set up trade routes between multiple different Kalguuran and Karui ports. You can stack your resources on these ships and send them to any port, where your traders will haggle for the best deal.
Each port returns specific rewards based on what you send. They accept all types of resources, but will have a preferred type that they are currently willing to pay more for.
Currency Trade-Market
The next update is absolutely huge: Currency Trade-Market. Kalguurans have recruited an NPC from Heist league, Faustus. He allows you to trade currency and most other stackable items asynchronously with other players without being harassed by price manipulators and people who never respond.
All you have to do is select POE Currency you want, say what currency you have, and your ideal rate. Faustus will complete the trade for you, as long as there’s someone selling at the same or lower price on the other end.
Since Faustus is an expert at Black Market trade and shady deals, he also offers another service: offering Items for Gold. These items will spawn randomly, and on average, they will have better modifiers than normal. This can be an excellent way to get some targeted items during the campaign.
New Endgame Bosses
There are three endgame bosses in Settlers of Kalguur that will approach your operation and want a piece of the action. These bosses may capture and ransom your workers or even your ship. So you have to think about whether to deal with them head-on or pay them?
One of these bosses is Sasan, Bandit Lord. You won’t encounter this boss by chance. Instead, this unsavory character may enter your town at night and take your Atlas Runners hostage for ransom. What happens next is up to you. I want to remind you, though, that defeating these bosses can drop new unique items.
Massive Balance Overhaul
Next, let’s talk about the balance improvements in POE 3.25.
Gladiator Rework
The developers have finally rebalanced Gladiator. Like before, there are some passive skills you can invest in, such as Bleeding and Block. In addition, GGG has added new skills to it to replace some old skills. For example: War of Attrition, which is very useful for long-lasting boss battles.
Finally, there is a new highlight of the reworked Gladiator, that is, you can invest in the newly added Retaliation skills, but you need to meet specific conditions before you can use them.
New Ascendancy Class: Warden
Gladiator is not the only Ascendancy class that has changed. The developers directly removed Raider in POE 3.25, and added a new class in its place: Warden. This class is largely inspired by its predecessor from Affliction League, but there are some changes.
Warden now focuses on Elemental Attacks, changing the behavior of Shock, enhancing Freeze, and replacing Ignite with Scorch. The class also has Barkskin, a skill that can be used to mitigate the physical damage of hits. After a certain number of hits, it increases your Evasion, making it a good defensive option.
Finally, the last thing a Warden can specialize in is Tinctures. These are the replacement for flasks in Affliction League. Players can only have one Tincture active at a time, and they require a melee weapon to use. Once activated, they provide powerful buffs. They can drop as magic items, or they can be modified with currency to provide additional bonuses.
Core Mechanic Improvements
In addition to Ascendancy class, the developers have revisited many of the core mechanics. After this update, players can easily access them through passive trees, skill gems, and simple items, avoiding all the powerful mechanics being hidden behind layers of complexity.
Endgame Content
The arrival of each league introduces a lot of exciting endgame content, and POE 3.25 is no exception! Let’s take a look at the countless changes coming to Settlers of Kalguur.
First and foremost, the developers are changing many of Scarabs. In addition, they have also added an additional Map Device Slot that will be unlocked after completing your first 10-Way Maven Encounter. This simply allows for more Scarab combinations to be used on the map, resulting in more difficulty and more rewards.
If you’ve seen the trailer, you should know that new special encounters will be added to Endgame. One of these encounters is Nameless Seer, who lurks in Tier 16 and 17 maps. This NPC will offer you a selection of unique items, and you can pick one up for free.
In addition, the developers have made some updates to several league mechanics, such as Blight and Ritual. Some Atlas Passive Skills have changed, and double-anointed Amulets can now drop in Blight-Ravaged Maps. They’ve also introduced a new type of oil that can only drop from Blighted and Blight-Ravaged Maps.
Quality Of Life Changes
Finally, we come to some of the quality of life changes that the developers have added to the new leagues.
You no longer have to interact with Waypoints to unlock a vault. You can just walk over and they’ll automatically activate. And you’ll be able to pick up items from farther away when using a keyboard and mouse.
They’re also looking into adding Static Life bars to some bosses. Not all bosses will have them at the moment, but more will be added over time.
You can now view Divination Cards dropped on each map by hovering over them in Atlas.
When you die, you can now revive without having to reactivate all reservation effects, such as Auras and Heralds. You can start Harvest encounters with just one action.
The amount of Quality provided by currency items like Whetstones is now based on item level, not item rarity. These currencies now apply 20% of the quality to very low-level items, and that amount decreases as the item level increases.
In short, Settlers of Kalguur is a very experimental league, and its new mechanics will completely change the way you play the core game. The above we have shared are just some of the core content in POE 3.25, and there are many more contents that have not been touched. If you want to experience all the gameplay, then please get ready and enter the game together on July 26!
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In Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, there are some exceptionally rare items that represent the ultimate goal for many builds and can be worth hundreds of Divine Orbs.
Let's take a look at the endgame Unique items in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0 that require no complicated crafting and can drop directly, with values ranging from dozens to several thousand Divine Orbs. They are still a long way from a Mirror of Kalandra, but they remain highly desirable targets.
Here are 10 items most worth chasing in the endgame:
- Bursting Decay Unset Ring
- Choir of the Storm (Level 20 Lightning Bolt)
- Right of Passage Series
- Headhunter
- Palm of the Dreamer
- Prism of Belief Diamond
- Mageblood
- Runeseeker's Call
- The Last Flame and Temporalis
- The Gnashing Sash
10. Bursting Decay Unset Ring
Bursting Decay is an entry-level endgame Unique item that can randomly drop during Atlas content when exploring Corrupted Nexus areas. However, it cannot be obtained by gambling with an Orb of Chance.
An Uncorrupted Bursting Decay, regardless of whether it is identified, is currently worth around 40 Divine Orbs.
It is useful for life-stacking physical damage builds, but this playstyle is not particularly mainstream in the current League, so overall demand remains relatively low.
9. Choir of the Storm (Level 20 Lightning Bolt)
Choir of the Storm can randomly drop by defeating Breach Bosses and the additional monsters around them. It also cannot be obtained by using an Orb of Chance on a normal Jade Amulet.
The most important special effect of Choir of the Storm is that Critical Damage can ignore enemy Lightning Resistance, while also allowing Lightning Bolt to trigger.
A standard Choir of the Storm has little value. The real target is a version with Level 20 Lightning Bolt. An Uncorrupted version that naturally has the level 20 Lightning Bolt modifier is worth around 50–60 Divine Orbs.
If the boss drops a corrupted version, or if Lightning Bolt is below Level 20, its value drops significantly.
8. Right of Passage Series
Right of Passage has a chance to drop when Rare Monsters or Unique Bosses possessed by the corresponding Animal Spirit are defeated.
It always provides 15% increased Rarity of Items found and automatically triggers when you kill a Rare or Unique enemy. Once triggered, you become possessed by an Azmeri Spirit for 10–20 seconds and gain the special effect associated with that Spirit.
Right of Passage drops with a fixed Spirit variant, and the actual combat effects vary significantly between versions. Spirit of the Stag is worth around 80 Divine Orbs, while Spirit of the Cat is worth around 255 Divine Orbs.
An Uncorrupted version can have its duration modified to 18–20 seconds with a Divine Orb, and versions with this duration are worth more.
7. Headhunter
Headhunter has a chance to drop directly from monsters in any map content, provided the monsters meet the required level.
The value of an Uncorrupted version has been gradually declining and is currently around 70–80 Divine Orbs.
It can also have a chance to appear when using Remnants during Expedition to craft Rare Belts or Unique items.
Another option is using an Orb of Chance on a Heavy Belt. However, the success rate is extremely low, at roughly 1/2,000 to 1/3,000, so this method is not recommended.
A more efficient approach is combining Ritual with Head of the King. Since Headhunter can appear directly in Ritual Favours shop, this provides a more targeted way to farm it than simply running maps.
6. Palm of the Dreamer
Palm of the Dreamer is an extremely powerful Scepter that causes slain enemies to explode, dealing Chaos Damage equal to 25% of their maximum Life. This can significantly improve clear efficiency while farming maps.
Palm of the Dreamer drops directly in an Uncorrupted state. You need to corrupt one of the following three base Scepters to obtain it:
- Guiding Palm of the Heart
- Guiding Palm of the Eye
- Guiding Palm of the Mind
Corrupting any one of these has approximately a 3% chance of transforming it into Palm of the Dreamer. These three base Scepters are worth around 1.5 Divine Orbs, while Palm of the Dreamer is currently valued at 80–220 Divine Orbs.
5. Prism of Belief Diamond
Prism of Belief can only drop from The Arbiter of Ash. It randomly selects a skill and increases its skill level.
An Unidentified version is worth around 50 Divine Orbs. Once identified, however, its value can vary enormously depending on the resulting modifier.
A +1 modifier for an unpopular skill may bring its value down to less than 1 Divine Orb, while a +3 modifier for a meta skill can potentially push its value above 1,000 Divine Orbs.
4. Mageblood
Mageblood provides effects through Charms equipped on Utility Belt, allowing it to simultaneously provide substantial defensive mechanics, ailment protection, and resistances. Its value is around 280 Divine Orbs.
Like Headhunter, Mageblood can drop from monsters throughout the game, but Expedition and Ritual are the best ways to target it. It is also not recommended to use an Orb of Chance on a Utility Belt, since the odds are far too low.
3. Runeseeker's Call
Runeseeker's Call can enhance socketed Runes, and its value has risen from around 400–600 Divine Orbs early on to approximately 1,300 Divine Orbs.
You first need to obtain a Depleted Mana Rune, then charge it into an Infused Mana Rune. After reaching 10,000 Mana to complete the required objective and finishing the remaining Farrow objective, you can obtain Runeseeker's Call.
Completing the required objectives requires a substantial investment, and each character can only obtain it once. Farming it therefore requires creating multiple alt characters, which makes the item particularly valuable.
Instead of creating the alt and wasting a lot of time, you can directly buy PoE 2 Currency at PoEcurrency.com and trade with other players. Farming the boss and completing the quest yourself could take dozens of hours.
2. The Last Flame and Temporalis
The Last Flame is a Unique Incense Relic. Completing the challenge with it causes Zarokh, the Temporal to drop Temporalis.
Temporalis is dropped by Zarokh, the Temporal in Trial of the Sekhemas, and the chance is extremely low. Its direct value is around 3,500 Divine Orbs.
Obtaining Temporalis is also extremely difficult. In addition to using The Last Flame, you must defeat Zarokh, the Temporal without losing Honor, meaning you need to finish the fight with 1 Honor remaining. Otherwise, The Last Flame will be consumed.
Unless you have a highly specialized build and extensive practice, using The Last Flame yourself is not recommended.
1. The Gnashing Sash
When equipped, The Gnashing Sash allows Flask recovery to exceed your maximum Life, temporarily giving you more recovery than your Max Life and creating an additional Life buffer.
It also increases Flask Charges gained and Flask Life Recovery, making the mechanic easier to sustain.
The Gnashing Sash can only drop from Corrupted Boss in Corrupted Nexus. It is extremely rare, and very few players list it. Its value is around 3,500–4,500 Divine Orbs.
Obtaining these items either requires a substantial amount of currency, an extremely powerful build, or both. However, most of them do not drop consistently, so they are best viewed as additional rewards that can appear while farming.
The currency system in Path of Exile features a vast array of orbs, each with distinct types and functions; if you are a relatively new player, you will frequently encounter orbs you haven't seen before.
While you don't need to master the details of every single currency item, Chromatic Orb is particularly important during PoE 3.29 update. This is due not only to its inherent function but also to the significant changes introduced in this version.
In this guide, we will outline these changes and provide the best strategies for obtaining and using Chromatic Orbs during Curse of the Allflame league.
Functionality and recent changes
As a consumable currency, the primary function of PoE Chromatic Orb is to randomly reroll the colors of an item's gem sockets. The higher the item's quality, the greater the chance of rolling a non-white socket.
Historically, this effect was valuable because socket colors strictly dictated which gems could be slotted, for instance, a red socket could only accept a red gem.
However, in version 3.29, Path of Exile completely overhauled the interaction between sockets and gems: gems can now be slotted into any socket regardless of color, though matching the gem color to the socket color grants a +10% quality bonus to the gem.
This change means that rolling a matching color is no longer a hard requirement for using specific skills; instead, it has become an advanced strategy for maximizing damage or other bonus effects.
Consequently, the effect of Chromatic Orb has been adjusted: it now forces one socket on the item to be non-white, while the remaining sockets are randomized as usual. The influence of item quality on socket colors remains unchanged.
These changes have also made the currency rarer than before. As a result, the option to exchange Jeweller's Orbs for Chromatic Orbs has been removed, and the gold tax required to acquire them via Currency Exchange Market has been increased.
Therefore, if you want to acquire more Chromatic Orbs to enhance your build or expand your crafting options, the best choice is to buy PoE Chromatic Orbs at POECURRENCY.com. Place your order now and use code COA for an 8% discount!
How to maximize the value of Chromatic Orbs in 3.29?
The socket colors resulting from the use of a Chromatic Orb are not purely random; they are strongly correlated with the item's base attribute requirements. For instance, a dexterity-based item is more likely to roll green sockets.
However, if you roll a socket color that differs from the item's primary attribute (e.g., rolling red or blue on a dexterity gear), this is known as an off-color socket.
While off-color sockets have a lower probability of appearing, they are often crucial depending on the specific requirements of your build.
Therefore, for standard socket colors that match the item's attributes, simply using a Chromatic Orb is sufficient. If you wish to increase your chances of obtaining one or two off-color sockets, you can utilize the special mechanics available at Crafting Bench.
If you need to modify the socket colors of a corrupted item, standard Chromatic Orbs will not work; you must use Tainted Chromatic Orbs instead.
The unique feature of this currency is that it ignores the item's attribute requirements, making it easier to roll off-color sockets.
Whether you are rerolling socket colors on standard or corrupted gear, we advise against doing so haphazardly, as Chromatic Orbs are quite valuable.
If you are in the early stages of the league and cannot immediately roll the desired colors, there is no need to worry. Simply socket your gems to keep your skills functional for now, and aim for matching socket colors, which offer quality bonuses, once your overall setup has stabilized.
Before attempting high-level socket recoloring in the mid-to-late game, evaluate whether the skill gems you intend to use will provide satisfactory benefits. If they do, apply the process to the core gear of your chosen build in Path of Exile 3.29.
How to obtain Chromatic Orbs?
Relying on random drops during combat is not the most efficient farming method, as this currency has no specific source and can drop anywhere.
Generally, we recommend using specific recipes to acquire them. Available recipes involve three specific divination cards: The Heroic Shot, Emperor's Luck, and The Void.
The Heroic Shot
Divination cards in Path of Exile are items that can be exchanged for other rewards; for example, The Heroic Shot can be directly exchanged for 17 Chromatic Orbs.
As for obtaining The Heroic Shot itself, you can acquire it by trading in the divination cards The Gambler, Stacked Deck, or The Void, or by finding it in Arcanist's Strongboxes.
Arcanist's Strongboxes are a variant of standard Strongboxes that have a low chance of appearing during mapping or other monster encounters. In addition to The Heroic Shot, they may also contain standard currency items.
Emperor's Luck
Collecting a full set of five of these divination cards allows you to exchange them for five random PoE currency items.
Emperor's Luck can be obtained through trades involving other cards or by farming directly; however, it only drops in four specific maps: Plaza, Residence, The High Gardens, and The Imperial Gardens.
The Void
This is a unique PoE divination card that acts as a special medium, allowing you to exchange it for other cards. In other words, if your primary goal is to farm Chromatic Orbs, it is best to prioritize exchanging The Void for The Heroic Shot.
The Void drops only in Tier 13 or higher maps: Abomination, Citadel, Fortress, Sanctuary, and Ziggurat.
Beyond these three specific divination card methods, you can also obtain Chromatic Orbs through player-to-player trading. However, be sure to research market rates beforehand to minimize your costs.
If you are currently in need of Chromatic Orbs, this guide should prove helpful. Best of luck with your PoE 3.29 journey!
Nearly a month after Path of Exile Curse of the Allflame League began, the in-game economy has undergone significant changes, with the value of some items and currencies that were highly sought after at the start of League declining over time.
The value of Gemcutter's Prism has fallen to almost half of what it was during the early days of the league. However, if you compare this with the situation in Mirage League, you will find that its value is now only around one-fifth of what it was then. Why has this change occurred? Is Gemcutter's Prism still worth farming in the current League?
Gemcutter's Prism in PoE Patch 3.23
Gemcutter's Prism can add 1% Quality to a Skill Gem until the gem reaches the maximum Quality of 20%.
This translates into higher damage, faster casting speed, or stronger utility, making it an essential part of character builds.
Its effect varies depending on the type of gem. For Attack or Spell Skill Gems, Quality typically increases damage, the chance to inflict ailments, or other important stats. For Aura Gems, Quality often increases the radius of the aura's effect.
In Patch 3.23, a major change was made to Gemcutter's Prism. Players could no longer use the vendor recipe of 1 Level 20 Skill Gem + 1 Gemcutter's Prism to obtain a Level 1 Skill Gem with 20% Quality. However, this recipe remained available for non-Awakened Support Gems.
Although this change appeared minor, it directly removed the traditional low-cost method of consistently obtaining 20% Quality on Skill Gems. As a result, the barrier to obtaining Gemcutter's Prisms and high-Quality Skill Gems increased significantly.
After this change, the value of Gemcutter's Prism in the league rose to around 5 to 6 Chaos Orbs.
Gemcutter's Prism in PoE Patch 3.29
However, why has the value of Gemcutter's Prism fallen so sharply in Path of Exile 3.29? GCP itself has not undergone any major changes, but it has been heavily affected by changes to Path of Exile socket system.
In PoE 3.29 Curse of the Allflame league, equipment sockets default to White Sockets. Furthermore, skill gems can be inserted into sockets of any color, and if a skill gem or support gem's color matches the socket color, it gains a +10% Quality.
This effectively reduced players' reliance on traditional Gem Quality optimization. Before PoE 3.29, GCP was one of the primary ways to raise a Gem to 20% Quality.
Now, however, part of the demand for Quality is being handled by the new Socket system, which has reduced demand for Gemcutter's Prism.
Does Gemcutter's Prism Still Have Value?
Although demand for Gemcutter's Prism has declined, it still retains considerable value, as reaching 20% Quality remains extremely important for top-tier builds.
Chasing stronger Level 21 Gems, 20% Quality Gems, or Gems with Vaal versions is a core endgame goal for many players.
Creating these Gems requires large quantities of 20% Quality Gems as materials, which means you may need a substantial number of Gemcutter's Prisms.
Therefore, as many players begin to upgrade their builds, the value of Gemcutter's Prism may rise again, presenting a good investment opportunity. You can buy PoE Gemcutter's Prism at PoE currency.com to position yourself in advance.
How to Farm Gemcutter's Prism?
Once the value of GCP is understood, finding efficient ways to obtain it becomes the key. There are several main methods.
Monster Drops
This is the most basic method, as Gemcutter's Prisms can drop randomly from slain monsters. Increasing monster pack size and modifiers that improve Currency drops can effectively increase the number of GCPs you obtain.
You can combine this with Strongbox farming strategies, particularly Artisan's Strongboxes, which have a chance to drop GCPs. Remember to check your loot filter so that Gemcutter's Prisms are not hidden.
Another method is farming The Union Divination Card in Cemetery Maps. Collecting 7 cards allows you to exchange them for 10 GCPs.
When farming T16 Cemetery Maps, it is recommended to remove all Essence-related passive points. Essence monster modifiers are stronger and deal more damage, so the additional risk does not justify the efficiency. However, you can keep and strengthen passives related to Strongboxes.
Vendor Recipes
Selling 1 Gem with 20% Quality grants 1 GCP. This recipe remains worthwhile for Support Gems, but caution is advised with Skill Gems because a 20% Quality Skill Gem itself can be highly valuable.
Alternatively, you can sell multiple Gems with a combined Quality of 40% to receive 1 GCP. For example, you can sell four Gems with 10% Quality each.
For players looking to conserve Gemcutter's Prisms, you can use a Support Gem together with 1 Gemcutter's Prism in the vendor recipe. The gem's level will be reset to Level 1, while its Quality will be raised to 20%.
You can then level the gem again. Since Support Gems can level relatively quickly, especially in endgame content, this method can save a substantial number of Gemcutter's Prisms. Normally, raising a Gem to 20% Quality directly with GCP requires 20 Prisms, whereas this recipe requires only 1.
Gemcutter's Prism is still worth farming in the current League. You can combine a Stacked Deck farming strategy with Cemetery Maps to focus on this currency, which can provide solid returns. Any excess GCPs or finished Gems can be converted into worthwhile profits while still meeting your own needs.
Discussions about Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5 have been heating up recently, with the most pressing question for players being: Will GGG add a new class to this patch?
Let's start with the conclusion: the probability of Patch 0.5.5 directly adding a class isn't as high as some might think. Rather than releasing a test class early, the official team is more likely to use Gamescom on August 25th at 11 AM as a major promotional event to showcase the direction of the official PoE 2 Patch 1.0 release.
However, don't despair! GGG has a history of skillfully building suspense at major events, and new classes, new gameplay, and demo content are all possible glimpses at Gamescom.
But considering the overall pacing, 0.5.5 seems more like a tweaking update paving the way for the official release; the real big content will likely be saved for 1.0.
New Content Predictions
For many PoE 2 players, Gamescom has become a crucial window into the future direction of PoE 2.
Looking back at previous events, the official team does have a habit of releasing playable demos of classes at exhibitions. The most typical example is Druid class; before its official release, a playable build was offered at this exhibition, allowing players to experience the class early.
However, the showcase build underwent numerous adjustments between the demo and the final release. Early showcases were more about demonstrating the direction of development than the final product.
Therefore, the appearance of playable content at Gamescom is expected. However, what GGG will ultimately choose to show remains to be seen.
Currently, new chapter content is unlikely to be a focus. This is because the story experience of PoE 2 is a major selling point of the full release, especially later chapters. Revealing too much too early could easily diminish the sense of exploration for players on their first playthrough.
New Class?
Necromancer
Speaking of new classes, one of the most discussed topics in the community is Necromancer.
After all, in the eyes of ARPG players, summoner builds always hold a special place. Many players also hope that PoE 2 will add this classic class. However, judging from the current official design of PoE 2 class system, the possibility of Necromancer being added is not very high.
This is because PoE 2 and PoE 1 have different understandings of class roles. In PoE 1, a character's final style largely depended on their Ascendancy class. For example, a Witch could go through different Ascendancy paths to Summoning, Elemental, or other routes, with the class itself bearing a significant role in theme creation.
But PoE 2 aims to reduce this limitation. The developers hope that players will create their own playstyles through skill selection, gear combinations, and talent paths, rather than being fixed in a certain gameplay framework simply by choosing a class.
This direction seems to offer more freedom, but it has also sparked considerable discussion among players.
Passive Tree Limitations
Many veteran players loved PoE 1, largely because of its extremely high degree of freedom. You could see many strange builds, such as a character who seemed destined to charge with a shield, but ended up being played as a Summoner or Spellcaster.
PoE 1's Passive Tree allowed players to traverse vast areas to find the attributes and nodes they needed, which was one of the game's greatest charms.
However, things changed in PoE 2. Because of the adjusted Passive Tree structure, a character's starting point has a more significant impact on gameplay direction. If a character wants to switch to a completely unique system, they need to invest more resources.
For example, a melee class wanting to play a summoner build isn't theoretically impossible, but it might require a significant investment of resources, including substantial PoE 2 Currency, and even special equipment. This results in some playstyles existing but not as natural as in PoE 1.
This is why Necromancer class is controversial. If the developers insist on letting skills determine gameplay, they might not design a separate summoner specialization class, but continue to adjust the system, allowing players to create summoner builds through combinations.
Templar and Duelist
While the possibility of Necromancer is low, player speculation about the new class hasn't stopped. Currently, the two most discussed directions are Templar and Duelist.
Templar has always been a class many veteran players have been hoping for. This class itself possesses very distinct elements of strength, faith, and holiness; if added to PoE 2, it could greatly expand melee and support gameplay.
Especially with the addition of more new weapon systems in the second generation, many players are eager to see how the developers will design paladin-style characters.
However, based on recent demonstrations, a Duelist-oriented approach is also highly probable. Previous footage showed two-handed swords and daggers, leading many to speculate that the developers might prioritize a new, more agile, melee-focused class.
Compared to a traditional summoner class, sword and dagger classes are more likely to showcase combat differences in gameplay demonstrations and are better suited to a large-scale event like Gamescom.
Transitional Update
The answer to whether a new class will be added in 0.5.5 is likely to be no.
Of course, GGG could still choose this approach, as a new class would help boost testing activity and attract more players to get beta access. However, from a development and marketing perspective, a single class is unlikely to sustain a major update on its own.
To make it impactful enough, it needs to be bundled with more content, which could disrupt the developers' current schedule for Patch 1.0.
In contrast, releasing a class, new gameplay, and a large amount of new content in Patch 1.0 would have a stronger impact. The official launch of PoE 2 is a significant milestone. A larger initial launch attracts more streaming platforms, content creators, and new players.
For a long-running ARPG, the initial buzz is crucial. Once a community and content ecosystem are established, the game's influence will continue to grow.
Therefore, it seems likely that Patch 0.5.5 will focus more on balance adjustments and system optimizations, while Gamescom will showcase the future direction of Patch 1.0.
If GGG really wants to create a surprise, they might announce a new class at Gamescom.
However, more than a new class, players are probably more concerned with whether Patch 0.5.5 can demonstrate the overall plan for the official PoE 2 release and what direction the game will take in the future.
