Path of Exile 2 1.0: Release Date, Classes & New League
Path of Exile 2 1.0 goes free-to-play on December 11. What ExileCon confirmed: Acts 5 and 6, the Shadow and Duelist, the Conquerors of Wraeclast league and rewards.
Path of Exile 2 1.0 launches as a free-to-play game on December 11 (PST), and the ExileCon 2026 keynote finally filled in what the full release contains: Acts 5 and 6, two new classes in the Shadow and the Duelist, and the Conquerors of Wraeclast challenge league, where you build an army and a stronghold. Here is everything confirmed so far, what it means for your first week, and what is still unknown.
Path of Exile 2 1.0 release date and price
GGG's date is December 11, 2026 (PST). That is the day Path of Exile 2 stops being an Early Access game and becomes free-to-play, so the paid Early Access entry goes away and anyone can download it. GGG has not given a start time yet. Check again closer to the date before you book time off.
The registration rewards below work for PC, Steam, Epic, PlayStation and Xbox players alike, as long as your Path of Exile account is linked to the platform you play on.
Path of Exile 2 1.0 launch facts (as of November 7, 2026)
| Topic | What is confirmed | Still open |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | December 11, 2026 (PST) | Exact launch hour |
| Price | Free-to-play | Contents and prices of the new supporter packs |
| Campaign | Six Acts, Acts 5 and 6 are new | Whether the Interludes change |
| New classes | Shadow and Duelist, two Ascendancies each | Names of the second Ascendancy for each class |
| League | Conquerors of Wraeclast challenge league | Full patch notes and balance numbers |
Acts 5 and 6: the campaign is finished
The full release completes the story. You return to Oriath, which GGG describes as ravaged by disaster, and the goal is to finish off the Twilight Order and the Beast. Acts 5 and 6 together add 24 areas, from the slums and the rich estates to the Temple District and the Grand Arena.
The boss count is the part that matters for leveling time: 18 new unique bosses with several phases each, plus more than 20 new Champion Rare encounters with their own mechanics. Expect the first run to take noticeably longer than the current four-Act route, and expect your first characters to arrive in maps later than they do today. If you want a plan for the acts, Ascendancy stages and Atlas goals as separate targets, our PoE 2 progression guide breaks that down.
The Shadow: Stealth, daggers and traps
The Shadow is a dagger user with a second new weapon type, traps. His headline mechanic is Stealth: while you are hidden, monsters cannot see you until you get close, so you can pick an angle, dash in and land the first hit. Being in the shadows also powers up dagger skills, with effects such as poison explosions and shadow clones that pull aggro.
Traps are built for combos. You throw them while hidden and they go off automatically when you strike, exploding in the order you threw them. GGG says each trap interacts with at least three others, so the order you place them in is part of your damage. The Shadow gets two Ascendancies at launch. The first one revealed is the Assassin, built around taking down targets before they see you; the second has not been named yet.
The Duelist: swords and Stances
The Duelist is the sword class, and his mechanic is Stances. Ready Stance empowers your sword skills, each in a different way, and lets you chain them together. From there you can move into two upgraded Stances:
- Sand Stance: you enter it by stunning an enemy, and it throws sand disks across the fight.
- Blood Stance: you enter it by parrying an attack, and every hit makes enemies bleed.
In practice that means the Duelist rewards active play: stun builds feed Sand Stance and players who parry well get Blood Stance more often. He also gets two Ascendancies; the first one shown is the Master-at-Arms, a weapon expert who can switch styles for any fight.
Conquerors of Wraeclast: what the new league does
The launch challenge league is Conquerors of Wraeclast. You join Varek and his mercenaries to stop the awakening of an ancient Blood Lord, and the league is less about one new monster type and more about running an army. It touches the campaign, the endgame and the Atlas.
Conquerors of Wraeclast systems
| System | What it does | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Troops and missions | Recruit units with their own strengths and weaknesses, then fight alongside them in more than 20 missions such as defending villages and storming forts | Campaign, from more than 70 new points of interest |
| Stronghold | Pick one of three factions and build up a fortress with more than 20 buildings and upgrades per faction | Endgame |
| Reforging | A new crafting material found in castle treasuries replaces unwanted mods with random fractured mods that stay locked through later crafts | Endgame gearing |
| Blood Lord storyline | A new endgame story that ends with a siege of the Sanguar stronghold | Endgame |
| Commanders | Up to three commanders take your troops and Waystones and clear Atlas maps, Towers or Tablet targets in real time | Atlas progression |
| Faction war | Everyone in your faction fights for more than 100 castles; holding one gives bonuses like more item rarity and access to special maps | After the endgame storyline |
Two of these will shape the economy. Reforging gives a new way to keep good mods locked while you craft the rest, so expect early demand for that material. Commanders let your stronghold clear maps while you play, which makes a well-built stronghold worth more than it looks on paper. As with every challenge league, you start with a new character and a fresh economy.
Registration rewards and supporter packs
GGG is running a sign-up for the launch. You enter an email address on the official registration page and confirm it; no account is needed to register, but you need a Path of Exile account to redeem the code that arrives after December 11. Existing players can join too, any email works, and each reward can be claimed once per account.
Path of Exile 2 1.0 registration rewards
| Registrations reached | Reward |
|---|---|
| Everyone who registers | Soulflame Crown helmet attachment |
| 1 million | Soulflame weapon effect |
| 2 million | Soulflame portal |
| 3 million | Chained Chimera Wings |
| 4 million | Scourgeborn Boar pet |
If all four milestones are reached, everyone who registered gets five cosmetics. They are exclusive to this promotion and will not be sold in the shop. GGG has also put new supporter packs up for the full release; check the official store for the current contents rather than a list that may be out of date.
How to get ready before December 11
- Register for the rewards now. It costs nothing and you must still be subscribed when the codes go out.
- Link your platforms. Console, Steam and Epic players should check that their Path of Exile account is connected, so the code lands on the right account.
- Pick a class plan, then a backup. The Shadow suits players who like setting up fights, and the Duelist suits players who want to stay in melee and react. New classes are usually crowded and untested in week one, so keep a known build in mind as a second choice.
- Plan for a longer campaign. Two more Acts and 18 new bosses mean more hours before maps, so budget your first weekend for the story.
- Finish what you want from the current league. Early Access goals are worth closing out now, while the current economy and your known builds still work.
Want the campaign done before the league economy settles? Our Leveling & Campaign and League Starter Bundle services will be set up for the new league once it is live. Choose the league named on your character when you order.
What we still do not know
- The launch hour on December 11.
- The names of the second Ascendancy for the Shadow and the Duelist.
- The full balance changes; GGG only calls them sweeping so far.
- What happens to Early Access characters and leagues at launch.
- Full patch notes for Conquerors of Wraeclast, including how commander rewards and castle bonuses are tuned.
We will update this guide when GGG posts the patch notes. If you also play the original game, the Covens of Umbra expansion for Path of Exile 1 arrives on November 13 (PST), and our Path of Exile Atlas guide covers that side.
Path of Exile 2 services for the full release
Leveling & Campaign
- Defined Level Ranges
- Campaign Options
- Tracked Progress
Ascendancy Trials
- Sekhemas & Chaos
- Named Ascensions
- Tracked Progress
League Starter Bundle
- Full Campaign
- Level 65–90
- Tracked Progress
Atlas & Maps
- Atlas, Maps & Delirium
- Defined Packages
- Tracked Progress
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Path of Exile 2 1.0 come out?
Path of Exile 2 fully releases on December 11, 2026 (PST). Grinding Gear Games has not announced the exact launch hour yet.
Is Path of Exile 2 free-to-play at 1.0?
Yes. With the full release on December 11, Path of Exile 2 becomes free-to-play, so you no longer need to buy Early Access to play.
What new classes are coming in Path of Exile 2 1.0?
Two: the Shadow, who uses daggers, traps and a new Stealth mechanic, and the Duelist, who uses swords and Stances. Each gets two Ascendancies at launch. The Assassin (Shadow) and the Master-at-Arms (Duelist) have been revealed so far.
What is the Conquerors of Wraeclast league?
It is the challenge league for the full release. You recruit troops, fight missions in the campaign, build a stronghold for one of three factions, send up to three commanders to clear Atlas maps, and join a faction war over more than 100 castles after the new endgame storyline.
How do I get the Path of Exile 2 1.0 registration rewards?
Register an email address on the official Path of Exile 2 registration page and confirm it. After launch on December 11, you receive a code to redeem on your Path of Exile account. Everyone gets the Soulflame Crown, and up to four more cosmetics unlock as registrations pass 1, 2, 3 and 4 million.
How many Acts does Path of Exile 2 have at full release?
Six. Acts 5 and 6 are new in 1.0 and add 24 areas in Oriath, 18 new unique bosses and more than 20 new Champion Rare encounters.
Related guides
For the route from the campaign to maps, read our PoE 2 progression guide. If you play both games, the Path of Exile Atlas guide covers the original. New to boosting? See how game boosting works. Ready to order for launch? Browse our Path of Exile 2 boosting services or the Ascendancy Trials service.