Path of Exile 2 launches in full as version 1.0 on 11 December 2026, and it will be free to play from that day. Grinding Gear Games (GGG) confirmed it at ExileCon on 6 November 2026 and showed what 1.0 brings: two new classes, a finished campaign, a new league and a reworked passive tree. The facts below come from the GGG announcement on Steam and the official full release page, as of 9 November 2026.
Release date and price
GGG gives the date as 11 December 2026 Pacific time (PST). The studio has not announced the launch hour, so we do not list one. The game is still in Early Access, and the latest patch is 0.5.5f from 6 November 2026. Until 11 December you can only play with a purchased access; from that day it is free, Steam Deck included. The store stays cosmetic, so you only pay for optional microtransactions. You will be able to play on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and the standalone GGG client), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Details are in our full release article.
What 1.0 brings
- Acts 5 and 6. The campaign will have six Acts in total. The new Acts add 24 areas and 18 unique bosses, plus more than 20 new Champion Rare encounters. The story returns to Oriath and closes the Twilight Order and Beast storylines.
- Shadow and Duelist. The game will have ten classes. Marauder and Templar are not in 1.0. Both new classes have only two Ascendancies.
- A new league. The challenge league Conquerors of Wraeclast.
- Reworks. A reworked passive tree, support gems and uniques. GGG promises over 40 new unique items and over 70 reworked ones. According to PC Gamer and PCGamesN, the Atlas tree shrinks from more than 300 nodes to about 70.
Shadow and Duelist
The Shadow fights with daggers, traps and shades. He brings a Stealth mechanic: while stealthed, monsters cannot see you until you get close. His Ascendancies are Assassin and Infiltrator. The Duelist wields swords and switches Stances: Ready Stance upgrades to Sand Stance after you stun an enemy, or to Blood Stance after a parry. His Ascendancies are Knight and Master-at-Arms.
The Conquerors of Wraeclast league
In the league Conquerors of Wraeclast you conquer Wraeclast alongside Varek. You recruit soldiers, build a stronghold in the endgame and pick one of three factions: Karui, Ezomyte or Marraketh. Up to three commanders run Atlas maps for you, and after the endgame story you join your faction in conquering more than 100 castles. Held castles raise item rarity, give special maps and serve as a starting point on the Atlas. The campaign adds more than 70 new points of interest and more than 20 missions, such as defending villages or attacking fortresses.
New Supporter Packs
GGG says the Early Access Supporter Packs will leave the store soon, without giving an exact date. Five Archon packs replace them: Rebirth ($60), Ash ($100), Destruction ($160), Divinity ($240) and Corruption ($480). They contain cosmetics and points, and the top tiers include physical merchandise. Each of the Supporter Packs is broken down separately. If you registered on the GGG website, your rewards arrive by email after the 11 December launch.
What GGG has not said yet
As of 9 November 2026, the launch hour is unknown, and so is what happens to Early Access characters. There is only a statement from the 2024 FAQ, nothing newer. More about the game is in our guides for Path of Exile 2.
Join our Discord, GamersTogether, and tell us which class and league you will pick before 11 December.
FAQ
On 11 December 2026 in PST. GGG has not given the exact hour yet.
Yes, the full 1.0 release will be free to play from 11 December 2026. Until then the game is in Early Access and you need a purchased access.
Ten. Shadow and Duelist are added, while Marauder and Templar are not in 1.0.
Information verified on 9 November 2026.