Path of Exile 2: Patch 0.3.0 New Contents

Aug-22-2025

 

After months of testing, Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict will launch on August 29, 2025. The update introduces Act IV, three temporary Interludes, and the first Path of Exile 2 league, while also expanding build options and the game's trading systems. 

 

Ready to play Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict? Here's everything you need to know to make the most of this update.

 

 

Timely Free Experience

For the first time ever, PoE 2 will be free to play from August 29 to September 1, 2025. This isn't just a trial—it's a fully playable experience where all progress is saved, letting you dive in without hesitation.

 

Available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5, this free weekend is perfect for newcomers to explore Wraeclast's dark and dangerous world, discover powerful Path of Exile 2 items, experience intense combat, and experiment with character builds.

 

Explore the Act 4

Act 4 brings a revolutionary approach to exploration in PoE 2. Guided by Doryani, your mission to counter Corruption will take you across 16 intricately designed areas, each with hidden secrets, environmental hazards, and 12 new bosses that test your strategy and reflexes.

 

Unlike the previous acts, you can start anywhere in Act 4, giving you freedom to chart your own course. Explore ruined cities, treacherous forests, and dangerous mountain passes, each uncover the rich lore.

 

Three Interlude Quests

Cruel Mode is no more. In its place, three new Interlude Quests will serve as a bridge to the Endgame:

 

The Curse of Holten – Travel to Ogham's neighboring village, Holten, and cleanse it of a creeping Corruption that threatens the townsfolk's lives.

The Stolen Barya – Venture into the Vastiri Desert to uncover who interrupted The Gifting of Water, a sacred ritual vital to the desert's balance.

Doryani's Contingency – Explore icy, uncharted mountains where Doryani hid Vaal volunteers thousands of years ago to survive The Cataclysm.

 

These quests collectively introduce 19 new areas and 12 bosses, blending story-driven content with intense combat, while also shaping the challenges you'll face in the Endgame.

 

Rise of the Abyssal League – Face the Abyss

The Abyssals have arrived. As you explore maps, fissures open spontaneously, releasing waves of powerful monsters. Defeat them to close the fissure, and when all fissures in an area are sealed, a pit appears, housing even more ferocious enemies.

 

Defeat these foes to unlock the Abyssal Armoury, brimming with rare and valuable Path of Exile 2 items. Abyssals absorb the power of enemies you defeat, making them challenging but highly rewarding.

 

Sprinting Makes Navigation Faster

Movement just got a major upgrade. By holding the dodge-roll button, your character can now sprint across vast terrains, outrunning most standard enemies. This speeds up exploration and makes traversing dangerous zones less tedious.

 

But beware: taking hits while sprinting will make your character trip and fall, making strategic skill usage essential. Mastering sprinting adds a new layer of movement strategy, rewarding players who combine speed with combat awareness.

 

Lineage Support Gems

The update introduces Lineage Support Gems, a new category of powerful gems that grant unique buffs or entirely reshape skills. Unlike traditional support gems, these are boss-specific drops, making them rare and highly coveted.

 

Even better, support gems can now be slotted into multiple skills simultaneously, and their levels increase from 3 to 5, with some gaining additional tiers that enhance their effects. This opens the door to unprecedented build creativity, letting you experiment with combinations that were previously impossible.

 

Expanded Skill Trees and Class Buffs

Classes receive significant updates and quality-of-life improvements:

 

Rangers, Warriors, and Mercenaries get buffs that make combat smoother and more tactical.

The Monk class gains an unarmed combat style, adding a fast, high-risk, high-reward playstyle.

Weapon switching is now instantaneous, allowing dynamic combat strategies.

150 new skills expand the passive tree, while new weapons and a 25% attribute reduction give players more freedom in creating optimized builds.

 

These changes reward experimentation and allow each player to truly craft a character that fits their personal style.

 

Endgame Upgrades – Maps, Mechanics, and Rewards

The Endgame evolves dramatically with 25 new maps, new enemies, and environmental hazards. Sandstorms and Maelstroms operate like Citadels, requiring players to locate mechanisms to unlock hidden maps.

 

Waystones now impose harsher conditions but offer better rewards, while Simulacrum Splinters let players choose difficulty, enabling earlier access to high-level Endgame content with scaled rewards. These changes ensure the Endgame remains challenging, rewarding, and fresh for all players.

 

In-Game Trading System

Meet Ange in Act 4, the new Merchant NPC who allows players to trade items directly with one another. Set prices in your Hideout, let other players visit, and watch as your rare finds sell. Players with Premium Stash Tabs can upgrade to Merchant Tabs, creating a thriving player-driven economy within Wraeclast.

 

This update gives more freedom, more challenge, and more ways to play than ever before. Jump in for the free weekend, explore Wraeclast.