With Return of the Ancients launching on May 29th PDT, you may be wondering what will happen to the current Fate of the Vaal leagues and your existing characters.

The Fate of the Vaal leagues will end on May 25th PDT (May 26, 2026 6:00 AM (GMT+8) (this is displayed in your local time). All characters and their items will then be migrated to the Standard or Hardcore Early Access leagues. There will be no wipes, so once the migration is complete, you’ll be able to continue playing your characters in the Standard or Hardcore Early Access leagues.

Atziri’s Temple is staying in Path of Exile 2 as a core mechanic. We will cover the changes in more detail in the full 0.5.0 patch notes on May 21st PDT, but here are the main things you need to know:

• You will first find Vaal beacons in Act Three. Activating six of them (by finishing encounters) will unlock the Temple in the present. Complete more beacon encounters in “Doryani’s Contingency” Interlude to be able to visit the Temple in the past.
• Once you reach the Endgame, you can encounter Vaal Beacons in maps. The level of the Temple will be based on the area level where the crystals were collected, so in order to open high-tier Temples, you will need to run high-tier maps.
• There is a new region on the Atlas with guaranteed Vaal Beacon encounters in every map. Completing this area will give you points for the Temple Atlas Tree with many new bonuses for the Temple itself.

• There are also new Temple Precursor Tablets that will guarantee Vaal Beacons in your map if you want to focus on this league.
• In order to prevent the “snake” strategy, rooms that are meant to be destabilised but cannot be removed without disconnecting parts of the Temple will instead be downgraded to paths. This applies to any form of destabilisation - using devices in selected Tier 3 rooms, opening the Vault, or general destabilisation on closing the Temple.
• Rooms can now be up to Tier 4 after unlocking this ability on the Temple Atlas Tree. This allows more specialisation into particular room types and encourages more interesting temple layouts.
• Reward Rooms granted from the console after defeating the Architect have been significantly improved, with more varieties to unlock in addition to upgrading the rewards of all the existing ones.
• Vaal Infusers were a single currency item that used to work on any armour and weapons. We have changed these into 4 distinct currency items that work on Armours, Martial Weapons, Caster Weapons and Jewellery, allowing you to use them with Catalysts as well. Any existing Vaal Infusers will become Vaal Armourer's Infusers and only apply to armour.
• All players will automatically get a maximum crystal cap of 60 and medallion cap of 6 so you no longer need to upgrade these yourself.
• Medallion drop rates have been improved at smaller Temple sizes, and slightly reduced at larger Temple sizes.
• Your existing Temples will be migrated to Standard Early Access leagues, however you will not be able to open your Temple until the launch of Return of the Ancients. Characters who were in the Temple or Vaal Ruins when the migration happened will be sent to town.

Here are some examples of the Temple Atlas Passive Tree nodes:







Thanks to everyone who played in the Fate of the Vaal. We hope you enjoy the upcoming Runes of Aldur league and all of the new content!

In this post we will compile all the Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients teasers as they're posted. The most recent will always be at the top.

Embrace Your Botanist Side

Follow the Cues

Explosive New Uniques

Face the Darkness

The Dreamer Must Wake

Stop the madness

Uncover ancient truths

The Ancients return

In Return of the Ancients, embrace your botanist side and equip the Hollow Mask which gives you a direct connection to the Goddess Viridi, or give yourself to the woods to gain the Rite of Restoration with the Reverie mantle.

Check out these reworked Unique Items in the video below:

In two weeks, on May 29th PDT, we’ll be launching Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients, which means the current Last of the Druids Supporter Packs will be leaving both the Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2 stores forever. This is your last chance to get the Kalguuran and Precursor cosmetics before they’re gone.

Check out the Last of the Druids Supporter Packs in the videos below or go here for more details.





Thanks for your support!

In Return of the Ancients, we’ve implemented some changes to the campaign in Path of Exile 2 to make navigating areas easier. Take a look at some examples below!

We are seeking a Localisation Producer to coordinate with our remote team of translators and manage content needed for translation.

Location: On-site in Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand
*Relocation assistance (for the right candidate if needed)
Full-time position - 40 hours a week


The position includes the following duties:

• Manage localisation information using Excel and Google Suite spreadsheets
• Collect information from file structures and other internal resources
• Coordinate with language translation teams, maintaining ongoing communication with them, providing them work and resources, and finding answers for their requests
• Record keeping
• Maintain regular discussion with developers for client and website support
• Investigate better industry standard practices and tools in the domain of localisation (CAT software, API integration, etc.)
• Support producers in any other requests related to production work

We are seeking someone with:

• Previous experience in a project management / localisation capacity
• Familiarity with working in software or IT production environments
• Familiarity with regular expressions (Regex), scripting, or data processing
• Passion for Path of Exile or the ARPG gaming genre
• Basic Photoshop skills

How to apply

If you meet the above requirements, please email your resume and a cover letter to [email protected] with your name and role you are applying for in the subject line.

No phone calls or agencies, please.

Draw upon the power of the sacred animal wisps of the Spirit. As a Spirit Walker, summon powerful allies to your side or empower them with supernatural ferocity in battle. We've created two interesting endgame builds to showcase the ancient forces of the three primal aspects, Vivid, Primal and Wild. Check them out below.

Surprise! The second wave of ExileCon 2026 tickets will go on sale on May 17 at 2PM PDT (May 18, 2026 5:00 AM (GMT+8) (this is displayed in your local time). This small batch includes a very limited number of tickets, including regular, balcony and VIP tickets.

ExileCon, a gathering of the Path of Exile community - including our team, content creators, and fans - will be held from November 7 to 8 (NZT) this year in Auckland, New Zealand. Expect major announcements and much more at the convention!

For more information about the event and to purchase tickets, visit our ExileCon page.

Please note that the name on your ticket needs to match your photo ID, so when purchasing a second ticket for your friend or a family member, make sure that the name on that ticket matches their photo ID.

This is likely to be the final wave of tickets, so if you are planning to attend ExileCon in person, don't miss out on them! We can't reserve tickets for you, so the only way to get one from this last batch is to be online at exactly the time they go on sale. Good luck!

Last week, we announced the Return of the Ancients, our next major Content Update for Path of Exile 2. In this news post, we’re answering the most frequently asked questions from our community regarding the upcoming update.

When does the Return of the Ancients launch on all platforms?

Return of the Ancients will launch at 1PM May 29 PDT which is May 30, 2026 4:00 AM (GMT+8) in your local time on all supported platforms, including the standalone PC client, Steam and Epic Games Store clients as well as Xbox Series and PlayStation 5.

Will there be an economy reset?

Your existing characters will still be available and playable in the Standard Early Access leagues. However, the new Runes of Aldur league starts with a fresh economy, along with new content and features, so it’s strongly recommended to play there.

If you choose to continue with an older character, keep in mind that balance changes may affect your build. You might need to respec your passive points, and some mechanics or interactions may no longer work the same way as before.

How do I start playing in a new league?

When creating a character, select the Runes of Aldur banner.

Is there a special in-game mechanic that is available only in the Runes of Aldur league and not in the core game?

Yes, the Runes of Aldur league includes its own exclusive mechanics, content, rewards, and bosses that aren’t available in the core game. Once the league ends, we’ll evaluate these features and decide which ones, if any, will be added to the core game.

Are there challenges in the Runes of Aldur league?

Yes. In the Runes of Aldur League we’re introducing challenges to Path of Exile 2. By completing 8 challenges in the league, you will be able to earn pieces of an exclusive Knight of Aldur Armour Set.

Do I need to create a new character and start the game from the beginning?

Yes, if you want to play the Runes of Aldur League. However, you can continue playing your existing characters in the Early Access league if you wish.

With Atlas being massively changed, what will happen to my Atlas progress in the Standard Early Access League? How do I start the new endgame questlines?

In the Standard League, your existing Atlas, its progress, and Atlas Passive Tree will be reset, and you will start exploring the new endgame and all new storylines from the beginning.

Is Fate of the Vaal going core?

Yes, the Temple of Atziri and its mechanics will become part of Path of Exile 2’s core game in Return of the Ancients. We’ll share more details soon.

What happens to my stash tabs if I start in a new Runes of Aldur league?

Any stash tabs you have purchased will be available to use in the Runes of Aldur leagues. Since a new league is a fresh economy, your stash in the new league will not contain any items from your stash in other leagues. All the items will be in Remove Only stash tabs in the Standard leagues.

Will you have official builds in the Build Guide?

No, we highly recommend players develop their own guides.

Will there be updates to the game post 0.5.0 launch?

Alongside fixes and improvements to the endgame and the Runes of the Aldur league, we have a lot of things to polish throughout the game and balance to improve, so after 0.5.0 launch we will be focused on that.

When will the Fragment Tab be available in the store?

Fragment Tab will be available for purchase in the Path of Exile 2 shop once Return of the Ancients releases on May 29th. If you already own a Fragment Tab on your account (purchased in Path of Exile 1), you will be able to use it in Path of Exile 2, just like other types of stash tabs.

Is this a paid expansion?

No. If you’re an existing Path of Exile 2 player, all you have to do is to download the content update.

Will there be a predownload?

Yes, we will make the torrent file for the standalone PC client available for predownloading the day before the launch. Console players will also be able to download the patch prior to launch. Please note that only players with access to Path of Exile 2 will be able to predownload the patch.

Patch Notes When?

May 21st PDT.

With three weeks left before launch, will we be getting more news about the Content Update?

Yes! In the coming weeks, we’re planning to release some cool videos showcasing features in Return of the Ancients. As usual, we’ll also reveal new Twitch Drops, post about Item Filter changes, and cover everything you need to know about the launch.

To find answers to more of your burning questions, check out the Q&A video from our Return of the Ancients livestream below!

Seek a path of no return with Redemption, an extraordinary crossbow and unleash devastation using Nightfall, a shield of the Breachlord Tul. These Uniques are being added in the Return of the Ancients, launching 29 May PDT. Check out the showcase below!

Check out some of the media coverage for Return of the Ancients below:

• https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/path-of-exile-2s-massive-return-of-the-ancients-expansion-will-be-its-last-major-update-before-it-leaves-early-access-later-this-year-i-want-to-get-this-game-finished-i-really-really-do/
• https://www.polygon.com/path-of-exile-2-poe2-return-of-the-ancients-update-endgame/
• https://www.eurogamer.net/path-of-exile-2-full-release-classes
• https://gamespace.com/featured/path-of-exile-2-return-of-the-ancients-aims-to-redefine-the-endgame/
• https://www.pcgamesn.com/path-of-exile-2/patch-0-5-return-of-the-ancients-endgame-rework
• https://www.ign.com/videos/path-of-exile-2-return-of-the-ancients-official-trailer
• https://gamingtrend.com/previews/path-of-exile-2-0-5-0-preview/
• https://www.dualshockers.com/path-of-exile-2-will-get-massive-endgame-overhaul-soon/
• https://comicbook.com/gaming/feature/path-of-exile-2-0-5-0-return-of-the-ancients-preview-everything-to-know-about-the-massive-foundational-update/
• https://www.mmorpg.com/news/massive-endgame-overhauls-are-coming-to-path-of-exile-2s-next-patch-with-revamped-atlas-mechanics-and-storylines-2000138010?amp=true
• https://gametyrant.com/news/path-of-exile-2s-biggest-update-yet-drops-may-29-10-targeted-for-end-of-2026
• https://www.ungeek.ph/2026/05/path-of-exile-2-return-of-the-ancients-launches-on-may-29/
• https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/path-of-exile-2s-biggest-expansion-ever-reworks-its-entire-post-campaign-grind-for-new-and-returning-players-alike/
• https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/path-of-exile-2-0-5-0-update-endgame-rework-runes-of-aldur
• https://www.sportskeeda.com/mmo/path-exile-2-patch-0-5-reveal-recap-what-s-coming-return-ancients
• https://www.thegamer.com/path-of-exile-2-return-of-the-ancients-endgame-update-atlas/
• https://fullcleared.com/news/path-of-exile-2s-return-of-the-ancients-hits-may-29/

Uncover long-buried truths beneath a vast ancient fortress in Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients, where a new era transforms the endgame and reshapes its very foundations. Experience five new storylines, face 15 formidable new bosses, including four towering Pinnacles and explore new Ascendancy classes as either the Martial Artist or Spirit Walker while mastering many powerful new crafting systems.

• With over 50 hours of new endgame content, this expansion introduces a new challenge system, a host of powerful unique items, expanded crafting systems, and a completely reimagined Atlas Tree.
• Forge new paths with two new Ascendancy classes - the Martial Artist and Spirit Walker.
• Improved campaign replayability, a new Build Planner, and numerous quality-of-life features to support every step of your journey.

Carve Power into Reality with Runes of Aldur League

The new league introduces Ezomyte Runesmithing through Farrow, a young blacksmith uncovering its ancient Kalguuran origins. After being rescued from an undead attack, Farrow introduces players to the ancient art of Runesmithing, which allows powerful items to be crafted by inscribing symbols onto Ezomyte Remnants.

Each Remnant contains a combination of pre-existing and player-selected symbols, determining the types of items that can be created. By combining different runes, players can craft a wide range of outcomes - from basic currency items to socketable runes with specific properties. However, this power comes at a cost.



Activating a Remnant reanimates nearby undead, empowering them based on the runes used in the crafting process. For example, Fire-aligned runes grant enemies fire-based abilities. In contrast, Moon-aligned runes introduce celestial hazards such as falling lunar beams. This creates a dynamic risk-reward system in which more powerful crafting combinations lead to more dangerous encounters.

Upon defeating these enemies, players can claim their crafted item by breaking the Remnant. As players progress, they will encounter more complex Remnants with additional rune slots, enabling the creation of rarer items, while also increasing the difficulty of each encounter through additional waves of increasingly empowered enemies. As players progress, Farrow discovers that Ezomyte Runesmithing originates from the ancient Kalguurans, who harnessed Verisium - a powerful metal capable of shaping reality through runic inscription. By collecting Verisium, players can unlock Runic Ward. This new defensive resource acts as a secondary life pool and also fuels powerful runic abilities.

Kalguuran magic introduces a new skill system powered by Runic Ward instead of mana, enabling flexible, class-agnostic abilities that can be combined with traditional skill gems for unique effects. Alongside this, players gain access to 100+ new crafting runes, including meta-crafting options like elemental conversion runes, tier-upgrading Masterwork Runes, or runes that can temporarily expand an item's modifier pool.

Together, these systems significantly expand building and crafting possibilities, encouraging deep experimentation with powerful new combinations.

Uncover Ancient Secrets in The Fortress

Wraeclast lies in ruin after a devastating cataclysm, consumed by the creeping corruption of the Beast. Guided by the Vaal thaumaturge Doryani, players must seek out the makers of the Third Edict - the ancient Precursors - to uncover what path remains for a world on the brink.

As part of this journey, the Atlas has been transformed into a fully explorable endgame world, now covered with fixed objectives in every direction that offer clear destinations to discover and pursue, while towers remain essential for revealing what lies beyond.

In your first attempt to go to the towers, a colossal fortress arises from the ground, which has been awakened by an ancient protocol caused by the catastrophic effects of the Beast. To fend off the corruption, Plunge into the depths of the sprawling stronghold, activate its gates, secure the keys to its devastating precursor weapons, and disarm them.

This fortress marks the first of several new endgame storylines arriving in Return of the Ancients. packed with deadly new enemies, ancient machinery to restore, hidden secrets to uncover, and distinctive map mechanics and rewards, from relentless Azmeri spirit pursuits and essence-bound rare monsters to entire zones transformed into gauntlets of powerful strongboxes.

Unlike previous content, every boss in the endgame, including the returning Arbiter of Ash, is now reachable via a dedicated questline, removing the reliance on random key drops for first-time access.

Awaken new heights of power through the Atlas Tree and the guidance of the Atlas Masters

The Atlas passive tree has been significantly redesigned. Players can now unlock every node in the tree by completing maps throughout the Fortress. Many nodes now offer meaningful multi-choice decisions, allowing players to tailor their endgame experience without repeated respeccing.

Alongside the Atlas tree, a new system called Masters of the Atlas introduces Ascendancy-style progression for the endgame. Players can align with different masters - such as Jado of the Order of the Djinn or the monster hunter Hilda - each offering unique, asymmetric bonuses that can be swapped between maps at will, enabling build-defining bonuses.

Reshaped Endgame Storylines and Encounters

All four leagues introduced during Early Access, including the Delirium, Breach, Ritual, and Expedition, now have new storylines, dedicated crafting systems, and expanded mechanics. Each league now has a fixed location on the Atlas with its own progression arc:

Delirium: The Hare and the Raven: A revamped fog mechanic with a visible depth bar, new mirror shard encounters, and Distilled Emotions that can craft mods directly onto Jewels. The storyline leads to a confrontation with Tangmazu, the Raven Trickster.

As you push further, you encounter unique interactions like mirror shards that alter enemies or trigger intense survival challenges, offering greater rewards.

Breach: The battle against the Hiveborn rages on. Ailith and the Keepers of the Flame, an ancient order of monks dedicated to preventing the invasion have held them at bay, but their numbers are fading as the Hiveborn continues to grow, forcing Ailith to call on for more recruits.

Breaches now have a visible timer displaying the remaining time left upon encounter, and how each kill extends its duration. If a Breach is kept open long enough, it enters an enraged phase. During this, tougher enemies spawn, and the breach will remain open until they are defeated. Hiveborn also drops Wombgifts that can be fed to the Genesis Tree, a deep crafting system offering control over jewelry, and entirely new affixes useful for Caster and Minion builds.

Ritual: After completing your first endgame Ritual, a lost spirit named Aoife appears, beckoning you to the Wildwood - now located on the Atlas. There, she reveals she’s bound by the King in the Mists and asks for your help. To free her, you must earn an audience with the King by completing escalating Ritual encounters, which are now exclusively Uniques or Omens.

Beneath the Wildwood lies an ancient prison, where the King in the Mists draws power from the dark entity known as the Bodach. To stop it, a nameless champion must enter the prison, forcing you to undertake the Rite of the Nameless: a multi-map ritual where each encounter grows stronger, and rewards evolve based on your path through the Atlas.

Expedition: Tied to The Runes of Aldur, Kingsmarch lays in ruins. Rog’s shop has been destroyed, but he is concerned for his missing wife, Gwennen. Launch an expedition to locate her, and use logbooks to send ships across a vast procedurally generated ocean, uncovering new islands, secret encounters, and vault bosses.

As you explore deeper into the ocean, you’ll uncover unique island events, hidden interactions, and powerful bosses, including Medved and Uhtred, whose defeat reveals a mysterious, growing force within a Verisium meteor. To face it, you must seek out ancient Kalguuran artifacts, pushing deeper into a sprawling, choice-driven exploration system filled with escalating threats, secrets, and powerful rewards.

Tame beasts with the Spirit Walker and unleash illusions with the Martial Artist

Unleash the Huntress’s new ascendancy, the Spirit Walker - a master of Azmerian spirits who channels the primal power of Stag, Owl, and Bear. By attuning to different wisps, she gains devastating abilities: summoning stampedes, empowering projectiles with feathered boons, or fighting alongside a ferocious bear companion. Specialize in one spirit or unite all three to awaken the hidden power of the Sacred Wisps, enhancing every aspect of your arsenal.

Beyond this, the Spirit Walker can harness Idolatry for massive bonuses using Idol socketables in your equipment granting greater power to minion focused builds, and even tame beast bosses, turning the Mighty Silverfist, Chimeral Beast, and Rakkar and Frozen Talon, or more into loyal allies.

Master Illusions and Spiritual Energy with the Monk’s new ascendancy, the Martial Artist. Create illusions that echo your attacks, manifest spectral bells that shatter enemies, and unleash devastating resonance with every critical strike.

Fortify your body with stone to endure and empower your blows, while runic tattoos let you socket runes directly into your form. Ultimately, transcend your limits with the Way of the Stonefist, transforming your gloves into devastating weapons of immense power and unlocking a vast array of deadly build possibilities.

Challenge System, Items, and Quality of Life

Return of the Ancients marks the debut of Challenges in Path of Exile 2. Players who complete all eight challenges earn pieces of the Knight of Aldur armour set. Progress is visible to other players via in-chat display and a dedicated hideout statue.

The update introduces a rich roster of over 30+ new unique items including weapons, jewellery and armours. A few examples include the Raven’s Flock that causes a flock of ravens to circle around its bearer, dealing damage over time to anything near them. To Unique enemies, this effect causes the flock to grow in number, akin to a Raven Righteous Fire. What’s more, Liminal Coil is a chaotic new wand type which allows players to gain Physical and Chaos Damage for each cursed enemy. It also grants Coiling Bolts, a devastating projectile spell that splits and chains through every cursed target on screen, unleashing destructive cascades of coiling projectiles across the battlefield.

Quality-of-life improvements include navigational landmarks and trails throughout the campaign, a live-search Atlas map, and a native in-game Build Guide system. The Build Guide system allows community creators to publish a .build file format that displays passive trees, gem selections, item recommendations, and level-specific notes directly within the client. In addition, Shift-Alt clicking any item now performs an instant trade market price check allowing players to more easily sell their gear.

Road to 1.0 and Beyond

Return of the Ancients is the final major content update before the full 1.0 release of Path of Exile 2. The studio will continue to release balance and polish updates alongside event leagues during this period. The full 1.0 launch is targeted for 2026 after ExileCon, where all panels and reveals will be streamed online.

Venture into the fortress and beyond in Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients launching May 29 PDT, PC, Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and the Epic Games Store. Any purchase of the Early Access Supporter Pack grants access to Path of Exile 2, including the Return of the Ancients content expansion, and the The Bloodreaver and Divinity Packs starting from USD 30.

For more information, please visit the announcement page at pathofexile2.com/ancients.

About Grinding Gear Games

Grinding Gear Games was founded in 2006 and is based in West Auckland, New Zealand. Its team members come from various countries and have diverse backgrounds, ranging from artificial intelligence and software security to industrial design and professional tournament gaming. In 2024, GGG released Path of Exile 2 into Early Access while remaining committed to the ongoing expansion and new content releases for the critically acclaimed Path of Exile.

Join the Return of the Ancients live reveal this Thursday, May 7th at 1PM PDT at www.twitch.tv/pathofexile to earn the Red Queen’s Font Hideout Decoration with Twitch Drops!

How to Participate

Simply link your Path of Exile account to Twitch (see below) and tune into GGG Live at www.twitch.tv/pathofexile, or any channel in the Path of Exile 2 Directory for 60 minutes.

Start Time: May 7th 1PM PDT (May 08, 2026 4:00 AM (GMT+8) in your local time)
End Time: May 8th 1PM PDT (May 09, 2026 4:00 AM (GMT+8) in your local time)

You will get the Red Queen’s Font Hideout Decoration after 60 minutes of accumulated watch time on any channel with drops enabled streaming Path of Exile 2 during the event. This means that the drop is guaranteed for everyone who has watched any Path of Exile 2 stream for this amount of time. This promotion is available for all accounts.

If you’re planning to stream Path of Exile 2 during our livestream and want to enable Twitch Drops for your viewers, you can do it via your Twitch Creator Dashboard here.

Linking your Path of Exile Account to Twitch

Visit your Twitch Settings page while logged in. If your account isn't connected, click the "Connect" button for Twitch under "Other Connections". Complete the process on Twitch and you will be redirected back to your Twitch Settings page. If your account is already connected, this page should say "Your Path of Exile account is currently linked to your Twitch account."

After you've accumulated enough watch time to earn your Red Queen’s Font Hideout Decoration, you must redeem it from your Twitch Inventory before the promotional period ends. Then it will be immediately available in your microtransactions list in Path of Exile 2 and in Path of Exile where it will work as a regular Hideout Decoration. The Red Queen’s Font Hideout Decoration is not exclusive and will be available for purchase from the store at a later date.

We can’t wait to finally tell you all about the Return of the Ancients! To stay up to date in the lead up to the livestream be sure to check out our X, Facebook and Forums. See you soon at www.twitch.tv/pathofexile!

This weekend, we're having a sale on cosmetic effects from the Third Edict Mystery Box! All microtransactions from the Third Edict Mystery Box as well as their variations are now available at a discount.

Check out the full list of specials here. This sale will run until May 05, 2026 8:00 AM (GMT+8) (this is displayed in your local time).



Thank you for your support!