Path of Exile 2's biggest update since early access launch drops August 29, and Grinding Gear Games isn't holding back. The Third Edict update brings Act IV, kills the unpopular Cruel difficulty entirely, and introduces the trading system players have demanded for over a decade.
Game director Jonathan Rogers calls it a direct response to community backlash. "We've got an answer to all of them," he said about player complaints. "Let's fix every problem anyone has that we can find."
The studio learned hard lessons from December's Dawn of the Hunt update, which buried the game under nerfs without addressing core issues. Steam reviews turned negative as players complained about slower combat and increased grinding. The Third Edict swings the pendulum back with buffs across the board.
Campaign Gets Major Surgery
Act IV takes players to the Ngamakanui archipelago, a collection of eight Polynesian-inspired islands. Unlike previous acts, players can tackle these islands in any order they want. The new content includes 16 areas, 12 bosses, and over 100 new monster types.
Three new "Interlude" acts replace the old system. These temporary side stories bridge the gap between Act IV and endgame content with 19 new areas and 9 bosses. Players return to help rebuild Ogham village, investigate ritual disruptions in the Vastiri Desert, and explore sealed Vaal vaults.
The Interludes disappear when Act V releases, but their content gets folded into endgame maps.
Trading Revolution Finally Arrives
Asynchronous trading lands with The Third Edict, ending a decade-long wait for Path of Exile players. The system lets players buy items without the seller being online.
Players meet Ange, a trade NPC in Act IV, who sets up shop in their hideout. Items listed in special Merchant tabs with set prices become available for direct purchase. Other players teleport to the seller's hideout and buy items immediately. The shop operates even when the seller is offline.
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Players with existing Premium stash tabs can convert them to Merchant tabs through the website. If testing goes well, the system comes to the original Path of Exile later.
Game director Mark Roberts admits there will be "kinks to work out" but calls the feature "a long time coming." For a community that's struggled with manual trading for years, it's a game-changer.
Sprint Changes Everything
Every character can now sprint by holding dodge after a roll. Players move faster than almost any monster in the game, but taking damage while sprinting knocks you prone and leaves you vulnerable.
Rogers initially worried sprint would make combat optional. He changed his mind when he realized it helps experienced players blast through the campaign faster while giving new players an escape option when overwhelmed.
"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 explained.
Support Gems Get Radical Overhaul
The most significant mechanical change removes support gem restrictions entirely. Players can now use the same support gem in multiple skills, something the old system prevented.
Support gems also gain more tiers, jumping from three levels to five. Higher tiers introduce new mechanics beyond simple damage increases. Some rank-three gems add automatic reloading or other ability modifications.
Rogers calls it "both the most exciting and most terrifying" change in the update. "We're probably opening up another Pandora's box of balance issues there. But that's where the build diversity comes from."
The update adds 40 new Lineage Support Gems, which function like unique items for support slots. These drop from specific bosses and offer build-defining effects or major power boosts.
Rise of the Abyssal League
Path of Exile 2's first exclusive league introduces the Abyssal, necromantic enemies emerging from underground fissures across Wraeclast. Players close fissures by killing nearby monsters, which triggers stronger Abyssal spawns that absorbed the defeated enemies' power.
Sealed fissures sometimes open portals to Dark Domains, underground cities filled with undead and guarded by Lichborn overlords. These areas offer the league's best rewards, including exclusive Lineage Supports.
Players can also jump into the Well of Souls themselves, though Roberts only teases the consequences: "The items you threw in came back more powerful, right? So what's the worst that could happen?"
Classes Get Universal Buffs
Every character class receives major improvements, with Rogers emphasizing buffs over nerfs. The update introduces Deflect, a new defensive stat that works on all attacks and reduces damage by 40% when triggered. Players can build Deflect to 100% through passive investment and item modifiers.
Warriors no longer need accuracy investment for close-range attacks. Crossbows lose their movement penalties during reload. Monks get pure unarmed builds through Hollow Palm Technique. Sorceresses gain Elemental Weakness, which combines all three curse types into one skill.
The passive tree grows by over 150 new notables, roughly 20 per class. Gear attribute requirements drop 25% across the board, freeing up passive points previously spent on raw stats.
Crafting and Endgame Expansion
Crafting gets multiple tiers of basic currency. Greater and Perfect versions of Transmutation, Augmentation, Regal, Exalted, and Chaos Orbs guarantee minimum modifier levels for more predictable results.
The endgame adds 25 new maps featuring Act IV and Interlude content. New encounter types include Sandstorms that hide secret bosses and Maelstroms with beacon-clearing mechanics. All Act IV and Interlude bosses get uber variants accessible through specific endgame encounters.
Waystone modifiers return to the original Path of Exile model, with each modifier providing both positive and negative effects. Roberts admits they simply liked the old system better after seeing player feedback.
Development Challenges and Timeline
Grinding Gear Games continues juggling two live games simultaneously. The studio merged both development teams and operates on alternating two-month schedules between Path of Exile and its sequel.
"We're kind of back in the groove, but it is hard," Rogers said. "It is very hard to get everything organized."
A new class was planned for The Third Edict but didn't make the deadline. Rogers promises the next update will definitely include one, though he acknowledges class development proves more complex than expected due to extensive iteration requirements.
"Obviously, we can't go into full release until we've sorted that out."
Free Weekend and Community Response
The Third Edict launches with a free weekend from August 29 through September 1. Players can try the game without buying early access for the first time, with all progress carrying over to the full version.
The update is a crucial test for Path of Exile 2's early access journey. Dawn of the Hunt's negative reception highlighted fundamental issues that went beyond simple number tweaking. The Third Edict's massive scope suggests Grinding Gear Games understands the stakes.
Rogers frames the shift as moving from system fixes to content creation. "It'll be nice to get to a point of being able to add content again, rather than having to reorganize the core systems."
The Third Edict releases simultaneously across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Early access still requires a $30 supporter pack purchase, with free-to-play planned for full release.
