Path of Exile

Tracked sources for Path of Exile were limited between 2026-10-23 and 2026-11-09, with only 2 verified changes captured in this window. The recorded activity centers on Next Path of Exile 1 Expansion Reveal and Curse of the Allflame Challenge League End Date and sits between Final Path of Exile 1 ExileCon Qualifier on 2026-09-24 (seasonal_event) and Path of Exile 1 Expansion 3.30 Launch Date Announced on 2026-11-13 (dlc_release), making this a light but still readable period in the game's history.

• Verified activity: 2026-11-06 - Next Path of Exile 1 Expansion Reveal: Latest developments including the next expansion will be revealed live at ExileCon 2026.; 2026-11-09 - Curse of the Allflame Challenge League End Date: The Curse of the Allflame Challenge League will end at 1PM November 9, 2026..
• What stands out: The period is defined more by a small number of isolated updates than by a large roadmap beat or expansion-sized release.
• Before this window: The closest earlier tracked activity was Final Path of Exile 1 ExileCon Qualifier on 2026-09-24 (seasonal_event).
• After this window: The next tracked activity was Path of Exile 1 Expansion 3.30 Launch Date Announced on 2026-11-13 (dlc_release).

Curse of the Allflame launched free on PC and consoles on July 24, adding a new challenge league, frozen-sea Voyages, the Luminary Ascendancy, and a broader endgame system. Mirage and Keepers of the Flame also arrived earlier, giving Path of Exile three major league-scale content drops.

• Curse of the Allflame: The expansion substantially expanded endgame play.
  • Voyages and Charts: Charts shaped routes through undersea locations, determining encounters, rewards, and challenges.
  • Luminary: Scion gained a new Ascendancy built around permanent Mercenary allies with customizable equipment.
  • Mercenaries of Trarthus: Players could duel and recruit Mercenaries, while Pact Gems empowered spells at a cost.
• Mirage: The March league added Djinn-focused content, including Saresh of the Weeping Black, Varashta, the Winter Sekhema, Holy skill gems, and the Orb Regalia challenge-reward armour set.
  • Atlas and Mapping System Overhaul: Players started from the Atlas center, accessed content physically on the Atlas, and no longer needed specific map items to open associated areas.
  • Nightmare Maps and Breaches: Tier 17 Maps became Nightmare Maps, while Unstable Breaches and Hive Breaches replaced older Breach encounters from Act 6 onward.
• Keepers of the Flame: The free 3.27 expansion launched on October 31 with the Keepers League, new Grafts and Wombgifts, new gems and map tiers, and more than 80 Foulborn Unique items.
• Build and endgame changes: Spellcaster Improvements rebalanced more than 100 spells and added or reworked caster notables for Assassin, Inquisitor, and Occultist; Socket Color Changes removed gem-placement restrictions; and Nightmare Maps received a substantial balance pass.
• Seasonal events: Legacy of Phrecia introduced 19 alternate Ascendancy classes, Return of the Ancestors brought back Trial of the Ancestors mechanics with new Tattoos, and Zizaran’s Class Gauntlet added a seven-day event with dynamic modifiers.

Path of Exile: Secrets of the Atlas launched on June 12, 2025, delivering a substantial expansion that introduced a new endgame storyline, three new endgame bosses, and a fresh challenge league. This period also marked the introduction of 19 new Ascendancy classes as part of the Legacy of Phrecia event, significantly expanding gameplay options.

• New Endgame Content: The Secrets of the Atlas expansion added:
  • A new endgame storyline.
  • Three new endgame bosses.
  • A new challenge league.
• Ascendancy Classes: The Legacy of Phrecia event introduced 19 new Ascendancy classes, replacing the previous classes and offering players diverse build possibilities.
• New Systems: The Renown System was implemented, allowing players to gain Renown by defeating Mercenaries, which affected encounters with tougher enemies.
• Gameplay Adjustments: Players can now respec their Ascendancy classes by redoing an Ascendancy Trial, requiring zero points allocated, enhancing build experimentation.
• Seasonal Events: The Zizaran’s Class Gauntlet Event began on July 31, 2025, featuring challenging conditions and modifiers for players to compete against each other.

Settlers of Kalguur launched on July 26, 2024, bringing a new challenge league and extensive changes to character builds. The period also included the Affliction and Necropolis leagues, followed by the transition to Settlers.

• Settlers league: Players gathered resources and helped develop Kingsmarch, with familiar characters returning to support the settlement.
• Warden: The new ascendancy emphasized elemental attacks and tinctures, offering another route for character builds.
• Skills and supports: New gems expanded build options alongside the league's release.
• Combat balance: Melee skills, block, rage and warcries received extensive changes in the Settlers update.
• Earlier leagues: Affliction and Necropolis preceded Settlers in this period; the prior Crucible and Trial of the Ancestors releases did not launch alongside Affliction.
• Community events: Zizaran's Class Gauntlet offered a challenging competition during the year.

Path of Exile: Trial of the Ancestors launched on August 18, 2023, bringing a new league and expansion packed with exclusive cosmetic effects. This year also saw the Crucible expansion debut on April 7, introducing powerful passive skill trees for weapons and a host of new content, including new support gems and unique items.

• Major Content Drops:

  • Trial of the Ancestors League launched on August 18, 2023, featuring new mechanics and exclusive cosmetics.
  • Crucible Expansion launched on April 7, 2023, introducing the Titan's Crucible and new crafting mechanics.
  • The Forbidden Sanctum Expansion launched on December 9, 2022, adding new gameplay features and challenges.

• New Content:

  • Druid Class introduced in Path of Exile 2 during the Trial of the Ancestors expansion.
  • New Support Gems added in the Trial of the Ancestors, enhancing gameplay strategies.
  • 49 Unique Items introduced across multiple expansions, including new unique relics and skill gems.

• Gameplay Mechanics:

  • Crucible Passive Trees mechanics were implemented, allowing players to forge passive skill trees onto weapons.
  • Ruthless Game Mode debuted, increasing item scarcity and difficulty for a more challenging experience.
  • Asynchronous Group SSF Events introduced, enabling competitive play with unique rules.

• Balance Changes:

  • Rebalanced Over 100 Unique Items, adjusting their effectiveness and gameplay impact.
  • Seismic Trap nerfs and various adjustments to skill and support gems to enhance game balance.

• Seasonal Events:

  • Trial of the Ancestors Boss Kill Event engaged players in competition for exclusive prizes, adding a layer of excitement to the league.

Lake of Kalandra Expansion launched on August 19, 2022, bringing a wealth of new content to Path of Exile. This expansion introduced the Ruthless game mode, emphasizing extreme item scarcity, and revamped existing systems to enhance gameplay experiences.

• Major Content Drops:

  • Lake of Kalandra Expansion launched on August 19, 2022, available for free on PC and later for consoles.
  • Sentinel Expansion launched on May 13, 2022, with a console release on May 18, 2022.
  • Siege of the Atlas expansion launched on February 4, 2022, introducing new lore and mechanics.

• New Content:

  • The introduction of the Ruthless game mode announced on October 13, 2022, featuring extreme item scarcity.
  • Four new bosses added in Siege of the Atlas: The Black Star, The Searing Exarch, The Infinite Hunger, and The Eater of Worlds.
  • New unique items and divination cards related to the latest expansions, including the Poised Prism Unique Quiver and various new skill gems.

• Gameplay Mechanics:

  • A revamped challenge system in the Sentinel League offering greater rewards and introducing new unique item skins through Kirac's Vault Pass.
  • Removal of the Archnemesis Mods, streamlining the gameplay experience.
  • The introduction of an Atlas-wide Passive Tree, consolidating skills into a single system.

• Balance Changes:

  • Normalized rare monster encounters and adjusted spawn rates to improve game balance.
  • Various adjustments to Archnemesis modifiers, enhancing the overall gameplay experience by reducing overwhelming encounters.

• Seasonal Events:

  • Numerous events held, including the Lake of Kalandra Boss Kill Event and community-driven challenges like Zizaran’s Class Gauntlet, rewarding top players with unique prizes.

Path of Exile 3.16 Expansion launched on October 22, 2021, introducing significant new content and features, including the new Scourge League. Prior to this, the 3.15 Expansion released on July 23, 2021, bringing the Expedition League, which added new skills, bosses, and a variety of gameplay mechanics.

• New Endgame Boss: The Maven was introduced as a new endgame boss on January 15, 2021, offering fresh challenges for players.
• New Skills and Items: The Expedition expansion introduced 19 new skill and support gems on July 20, 2021, along with new stackable currency items like the Enkindling Orb and Instilling Orb.
  • New Active Skill Gems: Active skill gems such as Defiance Banner, Voltaxic Burst, and Summon Reaper were added.
  • New Bosses: New bosses like Olroth and Vorana were introduced in the Expedition update.
• Gameplay Adjustments: Key changes included the reduction of Atlas regions from 8 to 4, simplifying the endgame progression and requiring players to defeat fewer Conquerors.
• Balance Changes: A comprehensive balance overhaul improved core defenses, including buffs to Armour and Evasion, and introduced Spell Suppression as a new defensive mechanic.

Path of Exile: Heist launched on September 20, 2020, introducing new gameplay mechanics, content, and features. This expansion followed the Harvest update, which launched on June 19, 2020, adding extensive crafting options within the Sacred Grove. Delirium, another major expansion, launched on March 13, 2020, bringing a host of new mechanics and content that enriched the gameplay experience.

• Major Content Drops:

  • Path of Exile: Heist launched on September 20, 2020, featuring new Heist mechanics, including Rogues and Curio Display Rooms.
  • Path of Exile: Harvest launched on June 19, 2020, with new crafting options and the introduction of Oshabi, the Warden of the Sacred Grove.
  • Path of Exile: Delirium launched on March 13, 2020, featuring a new challenge league and the Cluster Jewel system.

• New Systems / Mechanics:

  • The Heist expansion introduced new gameplay mechanics such as Markers, Contracts, and Blueprints for enhanced Heist planning.
  • A revamped Atlas Influence System was introduced on March 1, 2020, improving how players engage with the endgame content.

• New Content:

  • Thirteen new Rogues were introduced with the Heist expansion, each possessing unique skills for Heist missions.
  • The Death Wish skill was added, allowing players to channel power into their minions.
  • Nine new skills and support gems were introduced in the Heist expansion, enhancing build diversity.

• Balance & Gameplay:

  • Significant reworks to Warcry mechanics were implemented, adjusting cooldowns and usage times for better combat dynamics.
  • Passive tree adjustments were made to support new mechanics and enhance gameplay variety.

• Seasonal Events:

  • The Zizaran's Awakener Kill Event on September 7, 2020, allowed players to compete for cash prizes by defeating The Awakener in Heist mode.

Path of Exile saw the release of the Divine Arcane Wings on October 18, 2019, introducing new weightless golden wings that leave a beautiful trail behind. This update also featured the introduction of Sister Cassia, a key NPC for the Blight league introduced on October 3, 2019, enhancing player interaction with new mechanics.

• New NPC: Sister Cassia became a central figure in the Blight league, guiding players through its mechanics and offering anointing options without needing to complete the Blight tutorial.
• Gameplay Changes: The Blight league marked significant gameplay adjustments, including:
  • Teal Oil became the most commonly used oil on Blighted Maps, affecting the luck of two Blight Chests.
  • Violet Oil increased item quantity by 30%, boosting its demand for valuable divination cards.
  • High oil consumption was noted, with nearly 60% of all oils used on Blighted Maps.
• Visual and Audio Enhancements: Sister Cassia's character design was revealed, reflecting her background, and she was voiced by Jodie Rimmer, adding depth to her role. Additionally, audio effects for various skills and items were updated, enhancing the overall experience.
• User Interface Improvements: The visibility of Blight Boss icons on the minimap was improved, helping players navigate encounters more effectively.
• Balance Adjustments: The description of the Breathstealer unique gloves was updated to clarify its interaction with Blighted Spores, ensuring players had accurate information.

Path of Exile's 2017–18 anniversary year continued with a string of expansions and leagues. War for the Atlas advanced the map endgame storyline, while Bestiary and Incursion added distinct systems for collecting beasts and shaping a temple through time-travel incursions. The year closed with Delve, an endless mine exploration league centered on the Azurite Mine; GGG's retrospective confirms the release sequence and its announcement details the dungeon and related additions.

• War for the Atlas: Expanded endgame maps and set the Shaper and Elder in conflict.
• Bestiary: Added Einhar and beast capture and crafting systems.
• Incursion: Let players alter the Temple of Atzoatl through past incursions, then explore the resulting structure.
• Delve: Launched August 31, 2018, introducing an infinitely deep Azurite Mine, socketable currency, new items and skill gems.

This anniversary year included a major campaign redesign. The Fall of Oriath expanded Path of Exile with six additional acts and changed progression from repeating the campaign at different difficulties to a single ten-act story. GGG's retrospective also records the Breach and Legacy leagues around this period, with the new campaign structure as the year's defining permanent addition and the leagues supplying seasonal content.

• Breach: GGG’s retrospective includes this challenge league among its 2016 releases, within this anniversary window.
• Legacy: The 2017 league was described by GGG as a send-off to the former difficulty system.
• The Fall of Oriath: The 3.0 expansion added Acts 5–10, turning the campaign into a ten-act single-play-through story.
• Release context: The publisher describes 2017 as a particularly large year, including the Xbox launch and the six-act expansion.

Path of Exile's 2015–16 anniversary year brought several major expansions and challenge leagues. GGG's retrospective names Ascendancy, Prophecy and Atlas of Worlds with Essence among its 2016 releases. Released September 2, Atlas of Worlds added a connected system for tracking endgame map progression, new maps and bosses, extending the year’s focus on character specialization and endgame systems.

• Ascendancy and Perandus: GGG’s release retrospective lists the Ascendancy expansion and Perandus Challenge League among the year’s major releases.
• Prophecy: The league was one of the standalone content releases during 2016.
• Atlas of Worlds and Essence: Released September 2, 2016, the expansion established a progression map for endgame activities and introduced new maps and bosses.
• Calendar boundary: Breach launched on December 2, 2016, after this anniversary window ended, so it belongs to the following year.

The second anniversary window culminated in The Awakening, released July 10, 2015. Version 2.0.0 added Act Four at Highgate and reshaped several core systems. It also began two new challenge leagues, Warbands and Tempest.

• Act Four: The expansion introduced 14 new areas, six quests and nine bosses in and around Highgate.
• Warbands and Tempest: The two new challenge leagues offered distinct combat mechanics, with coordinated enemy clans in Warbands and changing area-wide effects in Tempest.
• Jewels and item filters: Jewels socketed into the passive tree to alter character builds, and item filters let players control which drops appeared and how they were displayed.
• Deterministic Lockstep: Players gained a networking option intended to prevent desynchronization, trading some action delay for synchronization with the server. The patch also added new maps, skills, support gems and unique items.

Path of Exile reached its full 1.0 release on October 23, 2013, beginning the first anniversary window with two challenge leagues and the concluding Act 3 content. The game then received two substantial expansions before the window closed. Sacrifice of the Vaal added a new Vaal-focused endgame encounter, while Forsaken Masters introduced recurring master missions and crafting systems.

• Full release: Version 1.0 launched October 23, 2013, with Domination and Nemesis leagues and the Act 3 finale.
• Sacrifice of the Vaal: Released March 5, 2014, adding Vaal side areas, the Atziri encounter, and Ambush and Invasion leagues.
• Forsaken Masters: Released August 20, 2014, adding seven masters, missions, hideouts and crafting benches, alongside a passive-tree revision.