Path of Exile 2 Reveals Return of the Ancients, the Final Major Update Before 1.0 Launch Later in 2026

Path of Exile 2 is "redefining" its endgame with an all-new update coming aboriginal this month.

Return of the Ancients, dropping connected May 29, introduces a staggering 50+ hours of "new endgame content," including a caller situation system, a big of almighty unsocial items, expanded crafting systems, and a wholly reimagined Atlas Tree. We're besides getting 2 caller Ascendancy classes — the Marital Artist and Spirit Walker — improved run replayability, a caller Build Planner, and "numerous quality-of-life features to enactment each measurement of your journey."

We're besides getting 5 caller storylines, 15 caller formidable caller bosses, including 4 towering Pinnacles, and volition get to research caller Ascendancy classes arsenic either the Martial Artist oregon Spirit Walker.

Part of that "reshaped" endgame sees each 4 leagues present person caller storylines, dedicated crafting systems, and "expanded mechanics."

As for the Atlas Tree? The passive histrion has been "significantly redesigned," and players tin present unlock each node successful the histrion by completing maps passim the Fortress. Many nodes present connection "meaningful multi-choice decisions, allowing players to tailor their endgame acquisition without repeated respeccing."

That's not all, though. Alongside the Atlas tree, a caller strategy called Masters of the Atlas introduces Ascendancy-style progression for the endgame successful which you tin align with antithetic masters — the illustration fixed is Jado of the Order of the Djinn, oregon the monster huntsman Hilda — with each offering unique, asymmetric bonuses that tin beryllium "swapped betwixt maps astatine will, enabling build-defining bonuses."

We're besides getting Challenges successful Path of Exile 2, too. Players who implicit each 8 challenges tin cod the Knight of Aldur armour set, showing disconnected their prowess to different players via in-chat show and a "dedicated hideout statue." Fancy!

As breathtaking arsenic the caller features are, there's besides a roster of 40+ caller weapons, jewellery, and armors, and a laundry database of quality-of-life improvements, including navigational landmarks and trails passim the campaign, a live-search Atlas map, and a autochthonal in-game Build Guide strategy for assemblage creators.

"Uncover long-buried truths beneath a immense past fortress successful Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients, wherever a caller epoch transforms the endgame and reshapes its precise foundations," the squad teases.

Last but surely not least, Return of the Ancients is present officially the last large contented update earlier the afloat 1.0 merchandise of Path of Exile 2. "The workplace volition proceed to merchandise equilibrium and polish updates alongside lawsuit leagues during this period," developer Grinding Gear added. We'll find retired much astir the afloat 1.0 launch, which is inactive planned for 2026, astatine ExileCon aboriginal this year.

There's much — overmuch more! — truthful caput connected implicit to the authoritative website for the afloat rundown.

"Path of Exile 2’s redefined enactment and amazingly fleshed-out endgame person gotten this sequel disconnected to an breathtaking start, adjacent successful its predictably rocky aboriginal entree state," we wrote successful IGN's Path of Exile 2 review. It returned a 'Great' 8.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.