Grinding Gear Games has just announced the next content expansion for its hugely popular ARPG Path of Exile 2. The in-development title is receiving The Third Edict next week, and it is carrying Act 4 and the Interlude to replace Cruel difficulty, overhauls to character balance and support gems, and more.
Act 4 has players descending into the Karui Shores, an eight-island archipelago filled with horrors. It"s a non-linear experience too, meaning any island can be visited and completed in any order that players desire.
"Far from an idyllic paradise, the Ngamakanui archipelago is home to eight islands where gauntlets of horrors await," describes the developer. "Set sail from Kingsmarch to the serene sands of Whakapanu Island, where the tides whisper with the voices of the drowned, to the smoldering hellscape of the Isle of Kin, where the earth itself bleeds fire, danger, and new bosses."
Next, Cruel difficulty is no more. As a temporary replacement, the developer has brought a three-act Interlude section to play after completing the campaign so that players do not need to replay it. This consists of 19 new areas and nine new bosses to go through, letting players transition from campaign to endgame more smoothly, per the studio:
- Interlude I: Return to Ogham to aid Renly in rebuilding the village. Purge the corruption plaguing the denizens.
- Interlude II: Cross Vastiri’s sands and help Asala fulfill a sacred vow, and seek out the ones responsible for disrupting the Gifting.
- Interlude III: Scale the great heights of the mountain to find the lost Vaal descendants. Venture into the caves of ice and unearth the secrets lying within the vault.
Sprint has also been added as a new ability, which can be used by holding the dodge roll button. This will make it easier for players to navigate zones and go through empty areas faster, but with a higher chance of being knocked down when being hit. Moreover, the studio has added a Path of Exile 2-exclusive League with new monsters, a new crafting system, and three new bosses.
A new support gem system is here too, offering multiple levels of upgrades and removing restrictions for creating better and more customizable builds. Lastly, Asynchronous Trade is a part of the update, finally letting players purchase items from sellers who are offline.
"Act Four and the Interlude will bring in 25 new Endgame Maps featuring fresh monsters and bosses," adds the developer. "Unearth unique locales like Rockpools with its Siren-filled shores and Goblin King, Cliffside’s haunted town with a divine axe-wielding brute, and Holten’s storm-wielding reaper. Disrupt a wild Sandstorm to face a time-slicing Faridun Swordmaster, clear a Maelstrom’s beacons to reveal its hidden boss map, or gather keys to breach a Vaal Vault and battle elite foes."
Find the complete patch notes over here to see the massive amount of balance and crafting changes that are incoming too.
Path of Exile 2: Third Edict content expansion launches on August 29 across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms. For players who have yet to jump into the game, a free-to-play weekend is also incoming this month. From August 29 to September 1, the game will be fully playable without having to pay for early access across all platforms