As of 20 October 2026, Path of Exile 2 has two temporary leagues running: the Forbidden Rites event league and the Runes of Aldur challenge league, both with a Hardcore version. Alongside them are the permanent Standard and Hardcore leagues. The game is in Early Access and the current version is 0.5.5e from 6 October 2026. Here’s how the leagues differ, when they started and end, what happens to your character and what the 0.5.5 patch series brought.
Current leagues in Path of Exile 2
The official league list from GGG’s trade API has six entries as of 20 October 2026:
| League | Type | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forbidden Rites | event league (patch 0.5.5) | 4 Sep 2026, 1 pm PDT | with the full 1.0 release |
| HC Forbidden Rites | Hardcore version of Forbidden Rites | 4 Sep 2026 | with the full 1.0 release |
| Runes of Aldur | challenge league (0.5.0 Return of the Ancients) | 29 May 2026, 1 pm PDT | with the full 1.0 release |
| HC Runes of Aldur | Hardcore version of Runes of Aldur | 29 May 2026 | with the full 1.0 release |
| Standard | permanent league | – | – |
| Hardcore | permanent Hardcore league | – | – |
According to GGG, Forbidden Rites runs until the full 1.0 release and ends together with Runes of Aldur. The Runes of Aldur content (Farrow, Dannig, Expedition) has been part of the core game since 0.5.5, including Standard.
What a challenge or event league is
Challenge leagues and event leagues are temporary. You start them with a new character and a new economy, so everyone begins on equal footing and the market builds up from scratch. Forbidden Rites also offers 8 challenges with exclusive cosmetics: 4 cosmetic items and a hideout statue. In the Forbidden Rites league you’ll find a ritual in every campaign area.
On the other side are the permanent Standard and Hardcore leagues. Characters and items move there when a temporary league ends.
Standard vs Hardcore vs Solo Self-Found
Every challenge and event league comes in three versions:
- Standard – the base version of the league.
- Hardcore (HC) – “parented” to the standard version. A character that dies in HC Forbidden Rites carries on in standard Forbidden Rites.
- Solo Self-Found (SSF) – the solo version, as the name suggests.
You can also create a Private League. If you’re new and unsure which version to pick, our PoE2 beginner’s guide will help.
How to join a league
On the character selection screen, pick a league and create a new character in it. That’s all. A new league always means a new character, you can’t bring an old one in.
What happens to your character when a league ends
Old characters stay playable. When a league ends, characters and items move to Standard or Hardcore. GGG doesn’t wipe characters during Early Access and said so plainly: “There will not be any wipes.”
Current patch: the 0.5.5 series
Patch 0.5.5 launched alongside Forbidden Rites and has received a string of fixes since. The dates below are the dates of the posts in the official Early Access Patch Notes forum.
| Version | Forum post |
|---|---|
| 0.5.5 | 3 Sep 2026 |
| hotfixes 1–10 | 4–8 Sep 2026 |
| 0.5.5b | 11 Sep 2026 |
| 0.5.5c | 18 Sep 2026 |
| 0.5.5d | 28 Sep 2026 |
| 0.5.5e | 6 Oct 2026 |
The headline changes came with patch 0.5.5 itself:
- a reworked Trial of Chaos – a pause between rooms and up to 30 rooms in the endgame,
- Abyssal Ravines on the Atlas,
- in the Forbidden Rites league, a ritual in every campaign area.
The latest patch 0.5.5e added, among other things, a Texture Quality setting for PCs with little VRAM.
Previous major Early Access versions
Two big updates came before the 0.5.5 series:
- 0.4.0 The Last of the Druids – with the Fate of the Vaal league.
- 0.5.0 Return of the Ancients – released on 29 May 2026 together with the Runes of Aldur league.
Server maintenance and ladders
GGG announces server maintenance in the Early Access Patch Notes forum as “Server Maintenance”. Before a patch goes live, “the realm will go down” for a while. If you can’t connect, check there first and then our errors and support guide. League rankings are at pathofexile2.com/ladders.
What to expect on 11 December 2026
According to GGG, the full 1.0 version launches as free-to-play on 11 December 2026. It brings the ninth class, the Duelist, and the final two acts of the campaign. Both current leagues run until 1.0, according to GGG. Which leagues come after that, GGG hasn’t announced as of 20 October 2026. More in our full release guide.
Looking for a party for Forbidden Rites or Hardcore? Join our Discord and find people to play with: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
As of 20 October 2026, the Forbidden Rites event league (since 4 September 2026) and the Runes of Aldur challenge league (since 29 May 2026), both with a Hardcore version. The permanent leagues are Standard and Hardcore.
According to GGG it runs until the full 1.0 release, announced for 11 December 2026, and ends together with Runes of Aldur.
As of 20 October 2026 it is 0.5.5e. The patch notes were posted on the official forum on 6 October 2026.
Your character and items move to Standard or Hardcore. GGG doesn’t wipe characters during Early Access.
Hardcore is tied to the standard version. A character that dies in HC Forbidden Rites carries on in standard Forbidden Rites.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are waiting in our PoE2 guides hub.