As summer comes to a close, Path of Exile 2 players have the perfect opportunity to jump back into the game with the release of early access update 0.3. Titled The Third Edict, this major update for Path of Exile 2 is set to completely change the game with a bevy of new additions to the game that should make it feel like a completely new experience from what has come before. With Path of Exile 2 closing in on its first early access anniversary, The Third Edict is a feast of an appetizer for what 1.0 will surely bring to the game.
Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict launches on August 29.
Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict's Headline Feature is the Addition of Act 4
Act 4 Features a New Map and Bosses
Perhaps the most exciting new addition coming to Path of Exile 2 in the Third Edict is a new story act. Path of Exile 2's Act 4 is set to take players to the new map of the Ngamakanui archipelago, where they will need to search for pieces of a great weapon needed to stop the Beast. What's even better about Ngamakanui is that the map will be completely non-linear, allowing players to choose the order in which they complete Act 4. The act will also include several new bosses, including confirmed bosses like:
- Lord of Kin
- Diamora, the Song of Death
Path of Exile 2 Players No Longer Need to Replay the Campaign to Reach the Endgame
It should come as a relief to many Path of Exile 2 players that The Third Edict will not require players to complete the campaign a second time on Cruel Difficulty in order to access PoE 2's endgame. Instead, The Third Edict is adding three new Interlude Acts, including:
- The Curse of Holten – Journey back to Ogham to help Renly rebuild the village and defeat the corruption that stands in his way.
- The Stolen Barya – Return to the Vastiri Desert and aid Asala in fulfilling her sacred duty.
- Doryani's Contingency – Climb a great mountain in search of the lost Vaal descendants. Find the hidden vault and uncover the secrets within.
Previously, Path of Exile 2's endgame started once players hit level 65 and had finished the campaign a second time on Cruel. However, these three new Interlude Acts contain the necessary content to get players to that level 65 threshold while removing the need to grind the campaign again. With 19 new areas and 12 new bosses included in these three Interlude Acts, Path of Exile 2 players should have no problem hitting the level requirement for the endgame content.
These Interlude Acts are meant as a temporary bridge to get players up to level 65 before Path of Exile 2 Acts 5 and 6 are added, meaning they may not be permanent additions to the full release.
The Abyssal League Marks PoE 2's First Full League
Leagues were a major part of the first Path of Exile, existing as an alternate, temporary world with unique gameplay mechanics akin to something like Diablo 4's seasons. The release of The Third Edict is accompanied by Path of Exile 2's first full League, titled Rise of The Abyssal, which pits players against the Abyssal enemies emerging from the depths below Wraeclast. Players will need to fight these Abyssal and close the Abyss they spawn from in order to access Abyssal troves filled with loot.
Part of the loot that can be earned from Abyssal troves includes new items like Preserved Vertebrae and Preserved Ribs, which allow players to add new Desecrated modifiers to Path of Exile 2's Waystones and armor, respectively, using the Well of Souls. These new Desecrated modifiers should shake up the gear combinations possible in the Abyssal League, potentially creating a new meta for players tackling this Event League. The Rise of The Abyssal also includes new bosses within the Ancient Spire once players reach Path of Exile 2's endgame, giving them an even better reason to hunt for the perfect Desecrated modifier for their build.
Path of Exile 2 is Getting Several Helpful Quality of Life Features in Update 0.3
The quality of life for Path of Exile 2 players is also improving with the launch of The Third Edict, and some of the new features being added are long overdue. Path of Exile 2 will finally allow players to sprint by holding down the dodge roll button, making traversing levels much more efficient. Additionally, the new update will introduce asynchronous trading to Path of Exile 2, which permits players to buy and sell items without having to directly interact with one another. This system should make trading far more accessible since players won't have to wait for the seller to become available to purchase items from them.
Balance Updates and a New Endgame in The Third Edict
Skill Updates, New Crafting System, and Support Gem Changes
Alongside the brand-new content releasing with The Third Edict, Path of Exile 2 will also be changing some of its existing systems to improve the player's experience. Path of Exile 2's classes are getting buffed across the board, with new skills and 150 clusters on the passive tree. Moreover, crafting is getting an upgrade as well by introducing higher-tier versions of all crafting currency, guaranteed minimum level mods with Greater and Perfect currency, and new Exceptional items with more sockets or higher than max quality will be available. To top it all off, characters can utilize multiple copies of the same Support Gem, with multiple tiers for players to upgrade during the leveling process.
Path of Exile 2 is also adding a variety of new items themed around the Kanui to coincide with their role in the story of Act 4.
Endgame Activities Get a Major Overhaul
Once players finally reach Path of Exile 2's endgame in The Third Edict, a new world of possibilities opens up to them. This update not only includes the new environments, monsters, and bosses from Act 4 and the three Interlude Acts as endgame maps, but new overworld endgame encounters as well. Players have the chance to find events such as a Vaal Vault in the Mountain Biome, where they can face uber versions of the Act 4 bosses. Defeating these bosses rewards players with one of the 40 new Lineage Support Gems being added to the game, which are described as Uniques but for Support Gems and have potentially build-defining capabilities.
Path of Exile II
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Developer(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Publisher(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
