The upcoming patch for Path of Exile 2, titled “The Third Edict,” is a major update poised to deliver a colossal and transformative wave of new content, system reworks, and balance changes. This guide synthesizes information from the developer livestream and the official PoE 2 The Third Edict patch notes to provide a complete overview of what to expect when the Third Edict releases. Whether you’re a veteran looking for specific changes or a new player curious about the game, this guide will get you ready for launch day.
For those eager to jump in, a free weekend will be available when the Third Edict releases. The free weekend runs from the launch day until September 1st. New supporter packs are also being released for players who wish to support the game’s development.
Quick Highlights
| Feature | Details |
| Release Date | August 29, 2025 |
| Free-to-Play Weekend | Aug 29 – Sept 1 (all content accessible, progress saved) |
| Campaign Overhaul | Cruel difficulty removed; new non-linear Act IV + 3 Interlude Acts |
| New Movement | Sprint mechanic added after dodge roll for faster traversal |
| League Mechanic | Rise of the Abyssal – pits, Depth bosses, Abyssal crafting |
| System Reworks | Support gem overhaul (multiple levels, Lineage gems), 150+ new passives |
| Endgame Updates | 20+ new maps, splinter-based boss access, reworked Waystones |
| Crafting Changes | Tiered essences, Greater/Perfect currency, Hinekora’s Lock, new bases |
| Trade | Asynchronous trade market with merchant stash tabs and NPC-mediated purchases |
You might be interested in our:
| Third Edict Guide – Release Date, Patch Notes & New League | PoE 2 Third Edict Trade Guide | PoE 2 Third Edict — Best League Starter Builds |
Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict Patch Notes Summary
The Third Edict update (Patch 0.3.0) brings sweeping changes to Path of Exile 2, introducing major new content and core system overhauls:
- New Story Content: Act 4 continues the campaign across the Ngamakanui Archipelago, with eight non-linear islands to conquer. Three new Interlude Acts replace Cruel difficulty and bridge progression into endgame at level 65.
- League Mechanic – Rise of the Abyssals: Fight Abyssal fissures spawning undead hordes, craft with Abyssal bones via the Well of Souls, and challenge new Depth bosses and a pinnacle encounter.
- Support Gem Overhaul: Removal of the one-per-character limit, multi-tier progression, and 40 new Lineage supports exclusive to endgame. Eleven brand-new support gems also debut.
- Character Balance: All classes receive heavy reworks, with new active skills such as Forge Hammer, Ice-Tipped Arrows, and Mortar Cannon, along with new ascendancy mechanics like Toxic Domain and Ravenous Swarm.
- Passive Tree Expansion: Dozens of new clusters and keystones (e.g., Hollow Palm Technique, Ritual Cadence, Blackflame Covenant) give broader build freedom. Attribute requirements for items and gems lowered ~25%.
- Endgame Updates: 20+ new maps, splinter-based access to pinnacle bosses, Uber versions of fights, and Atlas changes. Waystones rebalanced with upsides and downsides.
- Crafting Rework: Essences are now tiered (Lesser to Perfect), with higher tiers guaranteeing stronger modifiers and providing a more deterministic way to craft rare items.
- Combat and Core Mechanics: Sprint added as a universal movement option, ailments like Shock and Chill doubled in duration, while Fire now applies a new stacking Flammability debuff that can ignite enemies once it reaches its threshold.
- Defensive Overhaul: Armour now mitigates elemental damage, Evasion grants new Deflection Rating, and block mechanics reshaped across the board.
- Trade System: Introduction of the asynchronous trade market, with merchant stash tabs and NPC-mediated transactions.
Campaign and Progression Overhaul: A New Journey
The campaign experience is being fundamentally restructured to eliminate repetition and accelerate progress. The story continues from Act 3, with the player seeking the fragments of an ancient weapon known as the Third Edict.
- Cruel Difficulty Removed: The requirement to repeat the campaign acts has been completely eliminated. Players will now progress through a single, cohesive narrative journey, facing dangerous monsters only once.
- Act IV and The Interludes: Act IV is completely non linear, set across the eight islands of the Karui Archipelago. To bridge the level gap to the endgame (around level 65), three temporary “interlude” acts have been added. These are self-contained side stories with their own narratives. This Third Edict content alone adds up to:
- 16 areas and 12 bosses in Act IV.
- 19 areas and 12 bosses across the Interludes.
- 3 temporary interlude side stories.
- Sprinting: To address campaign pacing, a new sprint mechanic has been added. After performing a roll by pressing the dodge roll button, holding it down will transition the character into a sprint. A penalty exists: getting hit while sprinting will cause a knockdown, making it a tactical choice best interrupted by a skill before engaging enemies.
Core Systems: Support Gems & Passive Tree Changes in Path of Exile 2
Build creation is being opened up with fundamental changes designed to embrace player freedom and deep theorycrafting for all character classes.
- Support Gem Rework: The restriction of using only one copy of a specific support gem is no longer limited. This change was made to encourage using multiple skills rather than focusing on a single one, ensuring all supported skills can be powerful.
- Tiered and Lineage Support Gems: Support gems now scale across multiple tiers, with higher versions gaining new effects. In addition, 40 new ‘Lineage’ support gems have been added as rare, drop-only rewards, alongside 11 brand-new support gems.
- Passive Skill Tree Expansion: The Passive Skill Tree is receiving over 150 new notable nodes, including options that grant mana leech for elemental damage, adding much-needed density and meaningful choices. The Atlas Passive Tree also sees significant changes.
- Reduced Attribute Requirements: To enable more build freedom, all attribute requirements on items and skill gems have been lowered by 25%.
Combat Changes & Class Reworks in Path of Exile 2
A massive character balance pass has been performed across all character classes, with a clear design push towards more dynamic, multiple-button combat.
Class-Wide Reworks and Defensive Buffs:
| Class | Notable New Skill / Buff |
| Warrior | Forge Hammer, Shield Charge cooldown removed |
| Ranger | Ice-Tipped Arrows, Escape Shot fragments |
| Monk | Hollow Palm builds, Void Illusion dodge |
| Witch | Demon Form buff, Sanguimancy baseline |
| Sorcerer | Lightning + Fire Infusions, unified exposure |
| Mercenary | Mortar Cannon (socket any grenade skill) |
- Warrior: Receives the new Forge Hammer skill and sees Shield Charge‘s cooldown removed. Defensively, players can raise shield much faster, and buffs to cries will help with igniting enemies.
- Ranger: Gains powerful new cold tools. The new skill, Ice Tipped Arrows, allows all ranged attacks to create ice fragments. Escape Shot also has a chance to create ice fragments, which can then be nuked by Freezing Salvo.
- Monk: The Acolyte of Chayula can now leave a Void Illusion behind on a dodge roll. Unarmed builds are now fully viable with the Hollow Palm technique.
- Witch: The Infernalist’s Demon Form no longer disables weapon stats, a massive buff. Minions no longer need accuracy, and the Blood Mage gets Sanguimancy for free.
- Sorcerer: Gains access to powerful new combos using lightning infusion and fire infusion mechanics. Debuffs like cold exposure have been merged into a single elemental exposure.
- Mercenary: Can now use the Mortar Cannon, a new skill that allows you to socket any grenade skill.
Fluidity and Combos: The delay on swapping weapons has been removed, making it instantaneous. The duration of all elemental ailments has been doubled to 8 seconds, providing a meaningful window to capitalize on their effects.
Defensive Rebalance: The defensive hierarchy has been shaken up. Armour now reduces a portion of elemental damage in the same way it mitigates physical damage, giving armour builds a broader defensive role. Evasion-based characters can now gain Deflection Rating equal to a portion of their evasion rating, providing a powerful new mitigation layer.
PoE 2 The Third Edict League Mechanic – Rise of the Abyssal
The new league mechanic is a deep and evolving encounter system integrated into the game from Act 1 onward.
- Dynamic Encounters: Abyssal Pits will open up as you play. Powerful “Lichborne” versions of rare and boss enemies can be revived through this process. Rewards include Abyssal Troves and the chance to open a portal to the Abyssal Depths.
- Abyssal Crafting: A key reward is “bones,” which are used in a new crafting system. This functions much like adding veiled mods, where you are presented with three powerful options to add a new modifier to an item.
- New Bosses: The Abyss mechanic introduces four new Depths bosses and a pinnacle boss. These boss encounters provide a significant challenge and are a source of exclusive loot.
PoE 2 Endgame Maps & Crafting Rework
The endgame experience is being refined with more content and a comprehensive crafting rework.
- New Endgame Maps and Interactive Atlas: The Third Edict adds over 20 new endgame maps. The Atlas is more interactive; for example, a Desert biome map may be beset by a sandstorm that must be cleared in an adjacent map. This system will also be the source for new Uber versions of the Interlude bosses, as well as encounters similar to the old citadel bosses.
- Pinnable Boss and Atlas Progression: Accessing pinnacle bosses will now be paid for in splinters, making lower difficulties more accessible. The Arbiter can be fought at maximum difficulty, but only after allocating the maximum number of points in the boss atlas tree.
- Massive Crafting Overhaul:
- Essences now function like Regal Orbs, upgrading a magic item to rare and guaranteeing a specific modifier.
- Tiered Currency: Basic orbs like Transmutes and Chaos Orbs will now have Greater and Perfect versions that guarantee mods of a minimum level, with some having a maximum stack size for convenience.
- Exceptional Bases and Uniques: New powerful item bases and exceptional unique items can be found, serving as the foundation for god-tier crafted items.
A New Era of Trade: Asynchronous Trade in PoE 2
A highly anticipated asynchronous trade system is being introduced. When the Third Edict releases, PoE 2’s trade system will be significantly easier.
- How it Works: Find an item on the trade website, click to buy, and you will be teleported directly to the seller’s hideout to purchase it from an NPC’s merchant window for the listed price plus a gold tax.
- Practical Details: Players can convert existing premium stash tabs into new “merchant tabs.” The classic player-to-player trade system will still exist alongside this new asynchronous option.
The Third Edict update marks the most transformative milestone yet in the development of Path of Exile 2. With a campaign overhaul that eliminates repetition, deep system reworks that expand build diversity, and an ambitious new league mechanic, this patch reshapes both leveling and endgame progression. The addition of a true asynchronous trade system further signals Grinding Gear Games’ commitment to addressing long-standing player frustrations.
While some classes and features will continue to see refinement in future updates, the sheer scale of new content — from Act IV and the Interludes to the crafting overhaul and Abyssal encounters — ensures that the Third Edict will define the early era of PoE 2. For veterans and newcomers alike, this patch sets the tone for how the game will grow in the years ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the release date for Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict?
The Third Edict update officially releases on August 29, 2025. This is the Patch 0.3.0 milestone, introducing Act IV, Interlude content, the Rise of the Abyssal league, crafting reworks, and a long-awaited asynchronous trade system.
Will Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict be free to play?
Yes. To celebrate the launch, Path of Exile 2 will be free from August 29 to September 1, with all content unlocked. Players keep their progress after the free weekend, making it an ideal time for newcomers to test the game.
What platforms will The Third Edict release on?
Path of Exile 2 launches simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The update will be available worldwide, with no staggered rollout between regions or platforms.
Do I need to replay earlier acts in Path of Exile 2 with The Third Edict?
No. Cruel difficulty has been permanently removed, meaning you won’t have to repeat the same acts on higher difficulty. Instead, progression flows through a single, streamlined campaign that takes you directly into endgame mapping.
What’s new in Act IV of Path of Exile 2?
Act IV is set in the Ngamakanui Archipelago, a chain of eight islands that can be tackled in any order. Each island features new monsters, bosses, and mechanics, offering a fresh non-linear campaign experience that adds variety to leveling.
What are the Interlude Acts in PoE 2: The Third Edict?
The Interlude Acts are three temporary story acts added after Act IV to bridge the level gap to mapping (around level 65). They introduce 19 new areas and 12 bosses. While placeholder content until future acts are completed, these Interludes add replayable challenges and will later become part of the map pool.
How does the new Sprint mechanic work in Path of Exile 2?
Sprinting is triggered after a dodge roll by holding down the same button. It grants movement speed higher than most monsters, helping with traversal and repositioning. The downside is that being hit during Sprint causes a knockdown, so it must be used strategically in combat.
What is changing with support gems in Path of Exile 2?
The one-per-character limit has been removed, allowing multiple copies of the same support gem to be socketed across different skills. Combined with support gems now having multiple levels of progression, this opens far more build diversity.
How many new support gems are being added in The Third Edict?
The update introduces 11 entirely new support gems and around 40 drop-only Lineage supports. Lineage gems act like Unique items for skills — rare, build-defining, and tied to specific bosses or encounters.
What’s happening with the passive skill tree in PoE 2: The Third Edict?
Over 150 new notable nodes are being added to the passive skill tree, including options like mana leech for elemental damage. The atlas passive tree also gains new layers of progression, further expanding endgame customization.
How are attribute requirements changing in Path of Exile 2?
Attribute requirements for all items and skill gems are being reduced by 25%. This frees players from spending excessive passive points on basic stat nodes, making it easier to invest in meaningful build choices.
What are the biggest class reworks in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict?
Each class sees significant changes. For example:
- Warrior gets the Forge Hammer skill and instant Shield Charge.
- Ranger gains Ice-Tipped Arrows that create damaging shards.
- Monk can now use Hollow Palm Technique for unarmed builds.
- Witch gets a reworked Infernalist Demon Form and free Sanguimancy for Blood Mage.
- Mercenary unlocks the versatile Mortar Cannon skill.
These reworks emphasize multi-skill combat instead of single-button playstyles.
How have ailments like Shock, Freeze, and Ignite changed?
Shock and Chill durations are now doubled to 8 seconds, making them more impactful in combat rotations. Ignite has been reworked: fire skills apply Flammability stacks, which ignite when thresholds are reached, creating more tactical layering.
How are armour characters and evasion characters changing defensively?
Armour characters now mitigate not just physical damage but also a portion of elemental damage, making the stat more universally valuable. Evasion builds gain access to Deflection Rating, a new defensive layer that converts some evasion into block-like mitigation.
What is the Rise of the Abyssal league in Path of Exile 2?
The Rise of the Abyssal introduces Abyssal Pits, dynamic fissures that spawn undead hordes and Lichborne bosses. These encounters grant access to Abyssal Troves and portals to the Abyssal Depths, where new bosses and rewards await.
How does Abyssal crafting work in The Third Edict?
Players collect bones and use them at the Well of Souls to add new modifiers to items. Presented with three choices, players select one, making it a more deterministic crafting option compared to traditional RNG-based crafting.
How many new maps are being added in PoE 2: The Third Edict?
Over 20 new maps are added to the Atlas, including environmental mechanics such as sandstorms that must be resolved in adjacent maps. The update also introduces Uber versions of Interlude bosses, adding higher-difficulty encounters.
How do pinnacle bosses work in The Third Edict?
Accessing pinnacle bosses now requires splinters. Lower difficulties consume fewer splinters, while the hardest versions — like the Arbiter fight — require full splinter sets and Atlas tree investment, making them more accessible but still highly rewarding.
What are the biggest crafting changes in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict?
Crafting has been overhauled:
- Essences now act like Regals, upgrading items while guaranteeing specific mods.
- Greater and Perfect orbs guarantee higher-tier rolls, reducing RNG.
- Hinekora’s Lock allows players to preview crafting results before committing currency.
- Over 50 new item bases and Uniques expand build-defining options.
How does the new asynchronous trade system work in PoE 2?
Asynchronous trade allows players to purchase items directly from a seller’s hideout via an NPC merchant interface, even if the seller is offline. Transactions include a small gold tax, and existing premium stash tabs can be converted into merchant tabs. The old player-to-player trade system will still be available for those who prefer it.
