Eight months after its early access launch, Path of Exile 2 is poised to receive its largest update yet. This update will introduce a wealth of new content, such as Act IV, three temporary “Interlude” acts, and a seasonal league, alongside substantial gameplay changes.
Ahead of its August 29 release, details about Path of Exile 2`s significant 0.3.0 update, “The Third Edict,” were revealed during a press Q&A and a one-on-one interview with game director Jonathan Rogers.
Beyond the update`s specifics, Rogers noted it “takes a good crack at solving every problem people are currently unhappy about.” The interview also explored why developer Grinding Gear Games (GGG) considers a seasonal league vital, how they intend to avoid issues from the poorly received “Dawn of the Hunt” update, and the anticipated timeline for new classes and the game`s departure from early access.
Act IV and The Interludes
“The Third Edict” is primarily characterized by the inclusion of Act IV, which unveils the Polynesian-inspired Ngamakunui archipelago. This act features eight non-linear islands, offering players the freedom to explore new locations and confront bosses in any order as they strive to combat the corruption menacing Wraeclast.
Act IV, however, is just the beginning. To alleviate the repetitiveness of multiple playthroughs, GGG is eliminating the “Cruel” difficulty—which previously required players to repeat Acts I-III—and replacing it with three temporary acts known as “The Interludes.” These compact, quest-like acts provide a new, less tedious method for players to level up their characters for endgame, circumventing the need to replay content already experienced multiple times during early access.
The Interludes introduce 19 new areas and nine new bosses. Interlude I returns players to Ogham in Act I to assist Renly. Interlude II has players encountering Asala in the Vastiri desert. Finally, Interlude III involves joining Doryani to locate a group of lost Vaal descendants.
It`s important to note that while certain elements from The Interludes, such as new bosses, will be incorporated into Path of Exile 2`s endgame, the acts themselves are temporary and will be removed once Act V is introduced later in the game`s development.
Sprinting into the Future
A significant gameplay addition in “The Third Edict” is the universal sprint ability for all characters. After a dodge roll, players can hold the dodge button to initiate a sprint, drastically increasing their movement speed. If a character takes damage while sprinting, they will be temporarily stunned, making them vulnerable to monsters. Using an ability will automatically end the sprint.
This is a substantial change, one that Rogers admitted he was initially hesitant about. He worried that the ability to effectively outrun monsters could make combat feel optional, potentially posing long-term problems for the game.
Over time, he explained, he realized that for players who have mastered the game or know optimal strategies, the sprint ability would significantly accelerate their progression through the campaign to the endgame, thereby improving replayability. For players without that level of mastery, simply sprinting through every encounter is ill-advised, as it would lead to missed XP and underleveled characters struggling with later content.
“I just came to terms with the fact that it`s okay for people who have played through many times to be able to get that kind of level of speed,” Rogers stated. “The other thing it does, of course, is it gives you the ability to retreat if you want to, which is good for new players as well if they`re getting overwhelmed.”
Entering the Abyss
As if a new act and Interlude acts weren`t enough, GGG will also launch Path of Exile 2`s inaugural league as part of “The Third Edict.” Named “Rise of the Abyssal,” this league serves as a continuation of one from the original Path of Exile.
Throughout Path of Exile 2`s campaign and endgame, players participating in “Rise of the Abyssal” will encounter fissures unleashing monsters. Defeating these creatures and sealing the fissures will grant new rewards, including the capacity to add novel affixes to items and, intriguingly, perhaps even to characters themselves.
The announcement that Path of Exile 2, still in early access with no immediate full release in sight, will receive its first league is likely to generate discussion. When questioned whether resources allocated to the league might be better utilized for core content like future acts or classes, Rogers asserted that a league is essential for the update, as it offers players a fresh experience during the campaign and provides another incentive to continue playing.
“If we didn`t do it, we could certainly get early access out faster,” Rogers conceded. “But I don`t think there`s a world where we could do that, because then I don`t think we would be successful, you know what I mean? We have to do it. None of that stuff gets thrown away at the end of the day…for the most part all that content gets folded in some way into the game again, either it be in endgame or maybe through the campaign a little bit. What you end up with is just effectively a larger endgame at the end, which I don`t think is a bad thing.”
Enhancing Builds
Another significant component of “The Third Edict” involves comprehensive buffs across various class skills and the entire Support Gem system. While Path of Exile 2`s initial major early-access update, “Dawn of the Hunt,” disappointed many players with its failure to address complaints and unpopular nerfs (which GGG quickly rectified via hotfixes), “The Third Edict” endeavors to empower players with expanded build options and buffs for underused skills.
A primary method of empowering players is through a fundamental change to Support Gems. Previously, players could only slot one of each Support Gem into a skill; now, Support Gems can be applied to as many skills as desired, significantly broadening build diversity and options.
“Honestly, it`s a bit scary because I think there will be a lot of fallout as far as stuff we need to look into, because it`s very hard to know what all the combinations are,” Rogers remarked. “But at the same time, I think the existing system was a big blocker to all the different builds that people wanted to make, so I think that will be a big deal. Sometimes you get people going, `Oh, there`s no builds to play,` and that kind of stuff. I really don`t like it when people feel that way. That`s what I`m most excited to fix.”
Additionally, a new type of Support Gem, “Lineage Supports,” is being introduced. These exceptionally powerful gems are extremely rare and can drop from specific bosses, with a total of 40 unique types to discover.
When asked if the cumulative effect of buffs, gem changes, and the addition of sprint might accelerate Path of Exile 2`s combat—which has been lauded for its slower, more deliberate pace compared to other ARPGs—Rogers clarified that this was not the objective.
“What we`re really trying to do there is lift the stuff that`s not working and not increase the stuff at the top end, especially through the campaign…what we`re trying to do really here is make sure that through the campaign you don`t get to the point where it becomes absurd too early,” Rogers explained.
The buffs are integral to GGG`s strategy for addressing player feedback, which Rogers felt had not been given the “importance” it warranted with the “Dawn of the Hunt” update. During the development of “The Third Edict,” Rogers stated that the community`s dissatisfactions were very clear, and the update aims to confront them all directly.
“I would say that we`ve got an answer to all of them; even if that answer isn`t correct yet, at least we have an answer to all the problems people have,” Rogers affirmed.
Path of Exile 2: Full Release Timeline
“The Third Edict” marks Path of Exile 2`s second significant update, yet the game remains some distance from its full free-to-play launch. Rogers had previously expressed hope earlier this year for Path of Exile 2 to exit early access by the end of 2025, but this is no longer achievable.
“I definitely don`t believe that`s possible anymore,” Rogers stated. “Things have taken a bit longer than we`d hoped. Ultimately, two things need to happen before we can leave early access: we must finish the campaign—which I don`t think will take too much longer—and we need to reach a state of balance where everyone is genuinely content with how things are. The general consensus must be that we`ve truly finalized it. Obviously, we can`t proceed to full release until that`s sorted. Once both conditions are met, then we`ll release.”
Additionally, five more classes are yet to be introduced into Path of Exile 2. Rogers noted that one class nearly made it into “The Third Edict” but was ultimately excluded.
“We still intended to get a class out for this one, we just didn`t quite finish it in time,” Rogers explained. “I say definitely even though I probably shouldn`t, but classes unfortunately require an somewhat unbounded amount of time. You can begin with a clear idea, but by the time you`re done, you`ve refactored many things multiple times, and it`s far harder than anticipated. We had a specific class in mind and put a lot of work into it. We then realized, `You know what, if we`re going to finish off all these bosses and other things, we can`t quite finish the class,` so it didn`t happen this time, but we`ll get there.”
Simultaneously, GGG continues to develop new content for the original Path of Exile. Rogers admitted the studio struggled with this balance earlier in the year when an update for Path of Exile was postponed following Path of Exile 2`s launch. At that time, he noted the team had much to learn about managing two games concurrently.
Rogers stated that the team has since become more proficient at operating two live-service games simultaneously, partly by merging both development teams and reallocating resources between games as necessary. He described the studio`s effective two-month alternating schedule for updates between the original Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 as a “difficult but doable” balancing act.
“We`re kind of back in the groove, but it is hard,” Rogers concluded. “It is very hard to get everything organized.”
The foregoing discussion only scratches the surface of the comprehensive update. The endgame will gain 25 new maps featuring new monsters and bosses, including “uber” versions of Act IV bosses. “The Third Edict” will also introduce asynchronous trading for the first time, enabling players to purchase items from others without the seller needing to be online—a system that, if successful, will also be implemented in the original Path of Exile. For complete details on all changes in Path of Exile 2`s “The Third Edict” Update, including class buffs, item modifications, and more, refer to the official patch notes.
Path of Exile 2 is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Early access play requires purchasing a supporter pack, though the game will become free-to-play upon its full release. Players can experience a free trial from August 29 through September 1 with the launch of “The Third Edict” update, with all progress made during this period carrying over to the full game.