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As development on the second game stabilizes, Path of Exile 1 league updates have returned to their normal frequency. Previously announced to begin on October 31st, 3.27 league recently released a trailer and detailed a range of new features.

Named Keepers of the Flame, this league will feature both gameplay changes and new content, focusing on gameplay and other details that impact your gaming experience. We'll explain these changes below.

What Changes Will The Heist Mechanic Undergo?

As you know, Path of Exile 1 will continue to improve and enhance the well-received mechanics and gameplay of the previous leagues as it updates, ensuring they continue to serve you well. This is one of the main reasons the game's scale continues to grow.

The heist mechanic, introduced in 3.12 league, has undoubtedly become a core component of the game, featuring complex entry and completion mechanisms, and, of course, rich rewards.

Unfortunately, with the introduction of new mechanics, more and more players believe that the rewards are far less valuable than the effort required to complete the early Heist missions, ultimately leading to a decline in both participation and appreciation for the mechanic.

To address this, starting with 3.27 league, rogues available in heist missions will automatically start at the highest level, allowing you to farm loot directly in heist locations, eliminating the need to slowly level up rogues by completing contracts from scratch.

Of course, streamlining the system will lower the barrier to entry and difficulty of obtaining rare heist rewards. This may result in a reduction in the amount of PoE currency dropped and a lower drop rate for rare gear or gems to achieve balance.

But honestly, the impact of this balancing act is negligible compared to the redundant upfront work, as you can simply complete Heist missions more frequently to earn loot when you have the time.

At the same time, the improved efficiency of the heist system will also increase the circulation of currency in the game's trading market, making some rare items more accessible and making the trading system more meaningful.

It's worth noting that while the mercenary mechanic from 3.26 leaguewas very popular, it will not be carried over to the base game for now due to a slight imbalance in power and potential incompatibility with Path of Exile after the launch of 3.27 league.

However, the developers have stated that they are generally satisfied with the design of the mercenary mechanic in 3.26 league, so do not rule out the possibility of its return in a future League after a redesign.

Atlas Passive Tree Optimizations

As the primary way to enhance your character and builds in the game, Atlas Passive Tree has been undergoing continuous updates and adjustments.

You can earn a total of 132 passive points to invest in your Atlas Passive Tree, but it's inevitable that you'll need to reset part of your Atlas tree layout.

In League 3.26, which has yet to conclude, resetting your Atlas tree is only possible by consuming Orbs of Unmaking. While earning this currency isn't difficult, the flexibility you have in resetting it is very limited.

Keepers of the Flame League will implement changes to address this issue. In 3.27, you'll be able to directly refund all passive points you've invested using gold, and this mechanic will be applied to the rest of Path of Exile's regular passive tree.

This change will give you more choice and freedom when customizing your character's passive skill clusters, eliminating the need to worry about cumbersome resets that distract from building your passive skill system.

A More Balanced Class And Combat Experience

Maintaining a balanced experience across classes is a constant challenge in any ARPG with multiple classes. It's inherently impossible to make all classes play and power levels identical, requiring constant adjustments based on league content.

Thankfully, unlike PoE 2, PoE 1's class system has stabilized, making adjustments relatively easy and drastic. However, the likelihood of new classes being added is practically zero - at least not in 3.27 league.

On the other hand, combat experience is closely tied to systems like skill gems and support gems, and PoE frequently adds and updates these to fine-tune the overall combat experience.

We expect to reveal more about this update after 3.27 league livestream on October 23rd, as it will likely be related to the new gameplay features of the new league.

Will The Main Story Be Updated?

While storytelling isn't a hallmark of Path of Exile series, the game did generate significant buzz within the community around the release of 3.26 league, building on Secrets of the Atlas plot.

Based on the content released so far, Keepers of the Flame League doesn't appear to be planning to replicate this approach, but the possibility of updating the main story in a new expansion cannot be ruled out.

However, even if 3.27 releases a new story chapter, its primary purpose will likely be to set the stage for more significant plot twists later on, rather than bringing any major news, otherwise the development team would have already revealed it.

Changes To The Trading System

As one of the ways you acquire items and gear in PoE, the usability of the trading system significantly impacts the gameplay experience. A high-quality marketplace allows players to efficiently circulate currency and unused items, driving game development.

To this end, 3.27 league will feature adjustments to the trading system, including changes to the tabs and the loot drop rate adjustments we mentioned when introducing the heist mechanic.

The above is our overall prediction based on 3.27 league trailer and other information revealed by the development team. We expect a full reveal of the league's content after the livestream. So be sure to tune in! You'll have a chance to win Twitch Drops!

Although updates to Path of Exile 1 were delayed for nearly a year late last year due to the development of Path of Exile 2, 3.26 League launched in June of this year, returning the original game's league update schedule to normal.

With this in mind, Path of Exile development team recently announced that League 3.27 will launch on October 31st, culminating in the conclusion of Mercenaries of Trarthus League and the release of 3.27 livestream.

Building on 3.26's foundation, the new league is expected to further enhance Path of Exile 1's trading system, rebalance the meta, and bring additional improvements and changes to Atlas Tree and endgame content.

Below, we'll cover the known schedule and potential new changes for Path of Exile 3.27, focusing on these key areas.

Path Of Exile 3.27 Schedule

In addition to the confirmed release date for League 3.27, the development team is expected to hold a livestream on October 23rd PDT to announce more details about the new league. The official name of 3.27 will probably be announced even sooner.

It's important to note that the currently ongoing 3.26 expansion will not end immediately before 3.27, but will instead conclude on October 27th PDT. If you need to finish up work for that league, you'll need to plan ahead.

Will 3.27 Retain The Mechanics Of 3.26 League?

If you're a die-hard Path of Exile 1 fan, you know that nearly every league has its own unique mechanic, some of which are so popular that they're carried over to the new leagues. In League 3.26, that mechanic is undoubtedly the mercenaries system.

Unfortunately, while mercenaries are fun to play against and use as allies, their overall strength makes their integration into the core game unlikely.

Although the role of the mercenary system was previously reduced in 3.26.0c, it's likely to be nerfed or redesigned if it continues to be used in new leagues.

But honestly, even if you're a fan of the mercenary mechanic, there's no need to be disheartened, as 3.27 expansion will undoubtedly introduce new league gameplay, allowing you to earn more PoE currency in the new leagues.

Of course, the mechanics from older leagues that have been retained should still be available in 3.27, but adjustments are possible.

What Changes Might 3.27 Introduce?

Before getting into the new content, it's important to note that Merchant Tabs and offline buyouts have been implemented in PoE 2. However, if you convert a Premium Tab to a Merchant Tab, you won't be able to access them in PoE 1.

This makes it imperative that the same tab system be implemented in Path of Exile 1, as otherwise it would create further issues with the trading system.

However, it's impossible to say for sure whether this update will be implemented in League 3.27. To avoid trading difficulties in the new leagues, it's best to refrain from switching tabs in PoE 2 for now.

More QoL Changes About Trading

In expansion 3.26, the game improved the efficiency and experience of PoE currency farming by introducing QoL changes such as map level adjustments and quick-apply currency buttons. Similar changes are expected to continue in 3.27.

Building on these improvements, the game may release further trading optimizations to help you earn more income through efficient trading, such as:

• Making consumable items like fragments, essences, and fossils easier to sell at scale, reducing profit margins while increasing trading volume and boosting game vitality.
• If you're one of the first players to unlock Atlas, you'll be able to earn currency through trading without leaving the map, widening the gap between you and lower-level players.
• Reducing trading profit margins while ensuring that niche items still have high value will maintain a balanced trading market.

Additionally, the map device Rucksack, the quick currency use feature for interactable items, and the improved controller targeting introduced in expansion 3.26 are expected to remain available in 3.27.

How To Prepare For The New League?

Since the new gameplay and league system for League 3.27 have yet to be announced, the best you can do now is develop and familiarize yourself with a strategy that works with your regular farming plan to quickly acquire sufficient resources once the new league begins.

With this in mind, we offer the following specific recommendations:

• Enter the endgame as soon as possible and farm for currency.
• Gain early crafting fuel and currency by exploring Essence and chest nodes.
• Focus on farming mechanic paths like Harbinger or Expedition to quickly capture nodes.
• Update your loot filters promptly.
• Adjust your elemental resistance caps and spell suppression caps promptly.
• Plan your initial 15-20 Atlas passive points and adjust them accordingly once League 3.27 launches.
• Focus on unlocking bench crafts that grant elemental damage to spells and use essences for early weapon upgrades.
• Gain +1 skill level with skill gem modifiers through drops, Fossils, or advanced crafting.
• Try out more available builds to gain a combat advantage faster once the new league begins.

Over the next two weeks or so, the development team will continue to announce more details about the new content and changes coming to Path of Exile 3.27 through various channels, so stay tuned!

When entering a new league, you may experience increased damage in combat due to the difficulty adjusting to the new mechanics. Therefore, it's best to buy PoE 2 currency on POECURRENCY.com in advance.

This will allow you to immediately add more defensive affixes to your new league gear roll, giving you greater survivability and allowing you to steadily progress in 3.27.

Recently, an officially supported private competition event is in full swing. Have you joined Merciless Gauntlet? It's widely considered the hardest event in Path of Exile, boasting the most brutal monster stat bonuses. If you're not prepared, you'll likely end up running and dying.

While Merciless Gauntlet offers generous rewards, please note that it's a class competition, and only those who reach the top of each class can claim their individual rewards! However, the harder the challenge, the more fun it is.

Thus, nearly every challenger I've seen is using the top-tier Ascendancy set, rather than the standard set. They're all debating which build setup is best for advancing and farming POE currency, but there's one unique item that remains constant across all of these plans: Ephemeral Edge.

Is The Nerfed Ephemeral Edge Worth Using?

If you ask veteran Exiles what the strongest item in the game is, some will say Mageblood, others Best-in-Slot Simplex Amulet, but I'll definitely say Ephemeral Edge, even though it suffered a significant nerf in Path of Exile 3.26.

But that comparison isn't entirely fair. The key to Mageblood's strength lies in its Timeless mechanic, which is virtually unaffected by any balance changes. Its power is directly tied to flasks, which are unlikely to be nerfed, making it inherently overpowered. For many players who run a different build in each league, it's a sought-after unique item.

But Ephemeral Edge is different. Its power is built on the meta of the past few leagues, and many other factors contribute to its strength and potential. Even though it lost 25% of its stat bonus in Path of Exile 3.26, it's still incredibly strong.

Trickster Class

Now, things are getting a little crazy, because when we think of Ephemeral Edge, we usually think of Trickster. Don't get me wrong, while there are many excellent non-Trickster builds in this league that utilize this unique weapon, only Trickster class can maximize the potential of this sword through its efficient maximum energy shield scaling.

But in Merciless Gauntlet, there's no base class like Trickster; it's not an option you can choose. However, this doesn't mean that the Ephemeral Edge is unusable.

Reviewing The Changes And Adjustments To Ephemeral Edge

So, why is a unique item still one of the most important items in any ultimate build, even after the nerfs?

To understand this, we need to go back to the 3.18 update: Sentinel League. In this update, seven Uber Pinnacle bosses were added to the game. While not directly related to Ephemeral Edge, this addition was significant.

Then, in 3.19: Kalandra League, the developers made a key update to the item. Before this patch, Ephemeral Edge was not a particularly useful weapon, to say the least.

In the 3.19 patch notes, this item had a new attack modifier that increased maximum lightning damage by 20% of Energy Shield.

Initially, this change went unnoticed until people realized how ridiculous this was for Animate Guardian, which could directly grant a massive maximum Energy Shield, thus dealing insane maximum lightning damage.

After this issue was discovered, PoE 3.23 quickly patched it, and it would later scale solely with the player's Energy Shield.

Fast forward to PoE 3.24, everyone's favorite, Necropolis League. This patch added several important pieces to the puzzle, but none more so than T17 map. At this point, Uber Pinnacle boss had already appeared in several leagues in the game. But the addition of T17 map would once again alter the endgame and completely reshape the meta-game.

Not only did this completely change what players could farm and how they could farm it, but it also significantly increased the requirements for farming it. You needed a very strong, well-rounded build to reliably run T17, which meant a lot of checkboxes on both offense and defense.

But patch 3.24 added more than just T17 map. It also introduced Perandus Pact unique jewel, which was later repackaged as The Light of Meaning and is now a drop exclusive to The King of the Mists.

The maximum energy shield version of this jewel is a crucial component of most Ephemeral Edge builds, boosting their energy shield.

Next came the 3.25 Settlers of Kalguur League, arguably the most significant update impacting Ephemeral Edge builds. This patch introduced new, more powerful base types, allowing items to provide more basic defense without relying on auras.

This change catapulted Trickster into the top tier.

Escape Artist, combined with a well-crafted Necrotic Armor and Lich's Circlet, provides the foundation for a massive energy shield pool, providing both defensive and offensive capabilities through Ephemeral Edge.

Coincidentally, Trickster not only boasts powerful scaling but also possesses a powerful Arsenal tool for Path of Exile's endgame, allowing you to ignore T17 action speed bonus and gain incredible resiliency through the overachievement of Energy Shield.

Of course, the base type changes affect more than just Trickster. In fact, in POE 3.26, we've seen Elementalist gain several well-performing Ephemeral Edge builds, including Ignite Eviscerate. This build was already performing well in patch 3.25, but thanks to Elementalist rework, it's now even more powerful.

Now, with Secrets of the Atlas expansion, the developers are also introducing T16 maps influenced by memories, known as T16.5 maps. These maps can be quite exciting, and unlike T17 maps, they can also include your favorite map layouts. However, they still carry T17 modifiers, making them quite difficult to map, so you need a well-rounded build, and Ephemeral Edge is often your best choice.

Why Is Ephemeral Edge Build The Best Choice For Completing Gauntlet?

In the current Merciless Gauntlet competition, you need a powerful character with a good balance between offense and defense. There are only a handful of builds that currently offer a reasonable balance in terms of energy shield, and Ephemeral Edge is one of them.

The average maximum energy shield for an Ephemeral Edge build is around 15,000 to 20,000. While many builds have much higher maximum shields, we're only looking at the average, which is roughly 3 to 4 times the effective hit value of the average life build.

A maximum energy shield of 15,000 to 20,000 means that, with the current nerf modifiers, Ephemeral Edge can deliver 2,250 to 3,000 maximum lightning damage. This is equivalent to a decent two-handed weapon, if not better.

Remember that being able to scale both damage and defense is a good thing, but it's not always a strong one, as evidenced by the current scaling of Righteous Fire. But what's different about Ephemeral Edge is that, even after the nerf, it still provides far more damage than Energy Shield you can get in the current league.

In short, given the current game balance, Ephemeral Edge build is practically tailor made for the current Gauntlet event.

And I don't think this is a Trickster issue. Even without Trickster, the other Ascendancy classes would have taken over. They might not be as good as Trickster, but they'd still be viable and a second-best option. And that's exactly what I expect to see in Gauntlet, they'll all do pretty much the same thing.