Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 Spirit Walker Build: Tame Beast Companion 'Pokemon Trainer' Strategy Guide

Recently, Path of Exile 2 has been embroiled in heated debate over one particular issue - Forbidden Rites.

On September 4th, the game is scheduled to receive its final major patch before version 1.0, patch 0.5.5, and Forbidden Rites is one of the most important pieces of content within it. Unlike regular events, it belongs to Event League and is positioned as transitional content before the official release of version 1.0.

However, as the first event league in this patch, it boasts a wealth of content, so why are players so recently debating it?

Focus of Controversy

To better understand the reasons behind the controversy surrounding Forbidden Rites, it's necessary to first provide a brief introduction to its mechanics.

Introduction to Forbidden Rites

Forbidden Rites is a completely new event league, independent of the existing Runes of Aldur challenge league in Path of Exile 2.

The core gameplay of this league revolves around Ritual mechanic - special Ritual altars that appear near the boss fight area during the event league.

In addition, there's the return of Viridian Wildwood mechanic and a reworked Trial of Chaos mechanic.

But most importantly, Forbidden Rites has a completely independent economy. This means that the economy of any player participating in this event league will be reset.

All equipment, currency, etc., accumulated by players in Runes of Aldur cannot be transferred to Forbidden Rites, so they must be farmed again.

Sudden Time Limit Change

Game Director Jonathan Rogers explicitly stated that the Forbidden Rites introduced in Patch 0.5.5 will be a one-month event with a completely new economy.

Based on this information, many players believe that since it's only a short-term, one-month event, continuing to develop characters and accumulate wealth in the current Runes of Aldur remains a reasonable choice.

After all, the event ended after a month, and players would return to Runes of Aldur until the official 1.0 release.

However, just before the launch of Forbidden Rites, players learned of a startling change through scattered replies on GGG community: Forbidden Rites would no longer last a month, but would continue until the official 1.0 release, ending simultaneously with Runes of Aldur.

This meant that what was originally just a short-term event had quietly become the main league in a de facto sense. Runes of Aldur would essentially be replaced by Forbidden Rites, and no players would play it.

Negative Impacts

This news instantly caused an uproar in the player community. Players believed that this change would have the following two main negative impacts on PoE 2 players and the game:

Wasted Efforts

First, there is no doubt that for players who had invested months in Runes of Aldur, this change would render their efforts futile.

As mentioned earlier, many players assumed Runes of Aldur would continue until the official launch of version 1.0, so they didn't prepare much for the upcoming Forbidden Rites, focusing instead on perfecting their existing endgame characters.

If players had known Forbidden Rites would last until version 1.0, they might have made different choices - perhaps switching to a new league earlier or reducing their investment in Runes of Aldur.

However, the developers simply announced the rule changes in a low-key manner just before Forbidden Rites launch.

Economic System Collapse

A deeper negative impact was that the rapid exodus of Runes of Aldur players directly led to economic chaos.

The high-end market in POE 2's Runes of Aldur was already extremely thin before this; in some cases, only a handful of rare items of a particular category might be available, and even heavily discounted rare items might go unsold.

However, once players learned of Forbidden Rites' expiration date, they were even less likely to spend hundreds or even thousands of Path of Exile 2 Currency on gear and build upgrades. This completely disrupted the economic order of Runes of Aldur.

Root Cause of Controversy

In reality, the root cause of this controversy might not be the change in the plan itself, but rather the way PoE 2 official team notified them.

If it were merely a matter of Forbidden Rites' duration changing from a one-month event to one lasting until version 1.0, this would be a normal change during game development, and most players could accept it.

The problem is that such a significant change should have been announced through official forums, in-game notifications, and official social media.

However, there was no announcement; the official team only revealed it in player community replies just before Forbidden Rites' launch, leaving players to piece together the information from fragments.

This notification gave players almost no time to adjust their plans, thus causing them significant losses. Many players are still unaware of this news, let alone adjusting their plans.

This damage to player trust could have a far more profound negative impact on the game's development: players may become less willing to invest deeply in the game - for example, playing Forbidden Rites for a few weeks and then never opening the game again.

This concludes the recent controversy surrounding Forbidden Rites in Path of Exile 2. Due to the significant controversy, the developer may respond or offer compensation. You can follow EZG Facebook page to stay updated on the latest news; we will provide updates as soon as the developer responds.

However, the only good news at present is that Forbidden Rites itself looks quite fun, so most players will not abandon playing Forbidden Rites because of the time limit change. We don't need to worry that this controversy will have a significant impact on Forbidden Rites itself.

Forbidden Rites event, PoE 2's next major event, will launch alongside Patch 0.5.5 on September 4th, 2026 at 1 PM PST. This event will bring players a new, dark challenge as King in the Mists and his followers have expanded their influence across the continent.

This article will provide a detailed analysis of Path of Exile 2 Forbidden Rites event, helping you better participate.

Ritual in Every Corner of Wraeclast

During Forbidden Rites event, players will encounter Ritual sites in each campaign area. The core gameplay involves defeating the enemies guarding the dark statues.

After defeating the guards, players can activate the statues, resurrecting fallen enemies and fighting them again in a more dangerous environment, while a plague threatens the ritual sites themselves.

Defeating monsters will earn Tributes, which players can use to redeem rewards. A major improvement in this event is that party members can now earn and use their own Tributes independently, instead of competing for a shared pool of tributes as before. This means everyone in the party receives rewards fairly, avoiding any conflict.

Unique Rituals and Boss Rushes

In addition to regular Ritual encounters, you'll find hordes of unique Ritual Effigies on PoE 2 Patch 0.5.5 world map. These areas will feature special encounters; defeating the unique boss within one of Ritual will lead that boss into the next associated unique ritual.

In the final encounter of a set of rituals, you can face up to four unique bosses simultaneously. These special Ritual will reward a guaranteed unique item, instead of the gear and Path of Exile 2 Currency commonly found in regular Ritual.

Return of Wildwood

Wildwood mechanic will return in Forbidden Rites event. Ritual encounters will have a chance to reward a new item called Sacred Bloom, which adds a wildwood entrance to the late-game map of Path of Exile 2.

In Wild Forest, you must track down clues and collect three types of spirits within a time limit:

• Primal Wisps: Can transform Normal Monsters into Magic Monsters.
• Vivid Wisps: Add modifiers to Rare Monsters.
• Wild Wisps: Increase the rarity of items dropped by monsters.

After leaving Wild Forest, these spirits will be released onto the map, strengthening monsters and making them more dangerous, but also bringing richer rewards. For the luckiest adventurers, there is even a rare fourth spirit: Sacred Wisp.

Overhauled Trial of Chaos

PoE 2 Patch 0.5.5 completely overhauled Trial of Chaos, directly addressing player feedback from Early Access. Details are as follows:

Pause and Resume

Players can now pause the trial between rooms and return later to continue, greatly improving the game's flexibility.

Streamlined Objectives

Skirmish objectives have been simplified. Most objectives now focus on eliminating enemies rather than more complex tasks like escorting statues or implanting Soul Cores.

New Wager Modifiers

A new risk-reward mechanic called Wager Modifiers has been introduced. These changes significantly increase the danger of the trials, but also bring correspondingly greater rewards.

Extended Endgame Trials

The number of Endgame Trial rooms has been expanded to 30, with increasing difficulty and rewards as you progress. Players reaching later rooms can even collect all three Trialmaster Fragments in a single challenge.

Faster Atlas Progression

After completing Path of Exile 2 main quest, players can now find another Arbiter of Divinity key. This will allow players to challenge more powerful bosses. Overcoming this higher-difficulty challenge will automatically complete all remaining areas of the fortress, paving the way for faster progress into Endgame content.

New Abyssal Ravines

New Abyssal Ravines will appear as players explore Atlas in PoE 2. The map within the canyon contains abysses, and rewards increase as you progress and defeat Abyssal Legion. Reaching the final map of the canyon guarantees an encounter with Abyssal boss.

Runes of Aldur Goes Core

While Forbidden Rites event does not include Runes of Aldur content in all areas, Farrow, Dannig, and Expedition will remain, including in the standard season.

Expeditions are available from Act 4 onwards, while Expedition Tablets offer further ways to participate, including completing two full expeditions in the same area, two separate Remnant encounters, or earning more Sentries in each expedition based on tablet affixes.

Eight New League Challenges and Rewards

Forbidden Rites event introduces eight brand-new League Challenges, including completing campaign Rituals, defeating specific Rare Monsters, and reaching level 90. Completing these challenges rewards four exclusive cosmetic items and a commemorative Hideout Statue.

Impact

Forbidden Rites event represents a fresh start for all players. The economy has been reset, and the ritual mechanics have been moved to more campaign areas where players can fight enemies and consume tributes to earn rewards.

From the long-term perspective of PoE 2 economy, I believe this is a very positive move, reducing competition between players and creating a more peaceful environment.

Trial of Chaos Rework is also a significant improvement and is highly likely to be included in Patch 1.0. This not only addresses feedback from early beta players but also demonstrates that GGG is indeed listening to player feedback. Therefore, I believe it will bring us even more surprises in subsequent Patch 0.5.5 and Patch 1.0.

This concludes our article on PoE 2 Forbidden Rites event. If you're interested and want to know more about the event, follow EZG Facebook. We offer timely news and occasional Patch 0.5.5 giveaways to help you quickly accumulate resources.

Participating is simple: just tag your friends in the comments section below our Facebook post.

This sounds like a very exciting event, so let's look forward to September 4th!

At Gamescom 2026, Path of Exile 2 addressed most of the issues players cared about most. The addition of swords, in particular, brought a significant change to the game's combat style. Meanwhile, Patch 0.5.5 also brought various adjustments.

However, the truly noteworthy update is likely Patch 1.0, releasing on December 11th. POE 2 has clearly stated that large-scale balance adjustments will not be included in this league, but will be reserved for the official release. Currently, controversial issues are likely to be the focus.

Next, EZG will guide you through the noteworthy new content in Path of Exile 2 and how these changes might affect future gameplay.

Patch 1.0

Sword

Jonathan stated that after communicating with many players, they found that there are very different opinions on how swords should function in an ARPG game, and POE 2 developers are most concerned about flow. They aim for seamless transitions between different abilities, resulting in a smooth gameplay experience.

One of the core mechanics of Swords is Ready Stance. You can channel this stance to gain extra power, and it interacts with a wide variety of abilities, including Sand Stance and Blood Stance, which can be used to apply bleeds or launch projectiles.

Previously, most PoE 2 players used Talisman, transforming their characters into a wolf and quickly traversing campaigns. Swords, with their Sword Dash ability, could potentially be an alternative to Talisman, allowing for faster movement.

Many of Swords elements showcased in Path of Exile 2 required parrying, jumping backward, or creating an enemy stun before triggering the next attack. It's clear that Swords will have numerous combos built around different mechanics.

Duelist Endgame Builds

Currently, the two main Duelist Endgame builds are Bringer of Blades and Scourgewalker. Bringer of Blades revolves around Earthrend, Kaom's Madness, Blade Conduit, and Astral Projection. It involves continuously spamming Earthrend and refreshing Blade Conduit, spreading buried blades across the ground.

Scourgewalker, centered on Infernal Step, allows for high-speed dashes that destroy enemies in their path, but also incurs fire damage. It's worth noting that these builds may not be final.

None of the footage shown at Gamescom 2026 utilized Ascendancies or Ascendancy Points, indicating significant room for improvement in actual power levels. More PoE 2 base types, ascendancies, and the full build mechanics will probably be revealed at ExileCon.

New Arena Event

A new Arena Event will also be added to PoE 2, where you'll continuously fight enemies in a coliseum-like arena. One particularly cool design is that if someone dies in a coliseum and is pinned to a wall, their gear is retained, allowing you to loot them directly.

This design is quite interesting, somewhat reminiscent of looting Rogue Exiles in Path of Exile 2 endgame. Arena also has a final boss, a giant Cyclops wielding a ball and chain, which looks pretty cool.

Regarding Balance

PoE 2 developers have stated that Mega Balance Patch will be implemented in Patch 1.0. One key aspect is the addition of skills to gems. The development team has recognized significant player dissatisfaction with this mechanism, especially since Casters often need to stack skills on a large amount of gear, and skill level upgrades can result in very high mana costs.

PoE 2 developers have confirmed that this will be addressed, but the specific details are not yet finalized. Uber Boss will also not be added immediately. The developers hope to first resolve the power disparities between different builds.

The strongest build can easily defeat Arbiter of Divinity, while weaker builds, even with perfect execution, may only barely complete the challenge. Therefore, the development team wants to narrow the gap between builds before considering adding a new Pinnacle Boss.

Patch 0.5.5

Event and League

Patch 0.5.5 will also introduce a Forbidden Rites Event, which will go live at the end of next week. As for Runes of Aldur League, it's clear that many players are still playing it, so PoE 2 developers don't plan to shut it down.

If you want to continue playing this league, you can, but Patch 0.5.5 will also introduce a new league, which you can reset if you want to start over.

Campaign

Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5 campaign will add new Rituals, which will not only drop uniques but also leveling gear suitable for leveling. They will also add very powerful tributes to the campaign, and multiple tributes may even appear consecutively.

You can continuously challenge bosses, and these bosses will continuously add to these tributes. While defeating four bosses consecutively in Act 1 and placing them all in the same tribute can be extremely difficult.

However, if you successfully complete the challenge, you can obtain uniques early in PoE 2. If you obtain a unique that perfectly suits your build, you might experience a significant boost in your progress.

Wildwood

PoE 2 Patch 0.5.5 also introduces Wildwood. Entering Wildwood allows you to collect Wisps, which can then be brought into the map to enhance the enemies. The more Wisps you have, the stronger the enemies become, but the loot drops and Path of Exile 2 Currency also increase.

A fourth type of Wisp, Sacred Wisps, will also be available. These Wisps won't juice the map to the extreme as they did in PoE 1, but in endgame, they can still serve as a way to increase map difficulty and obtain better rewards.

Trial of Chaos

Trial of Chaos has been reworked. You can now move between rooms, and new rooms are more focused on slaying enemies rather than completing objectives. Elevators and doors are faster, the distances between rooms are shorter, scaling and modifiers have been redesigned, and endgame descriptions are easier to understand.

Wager modifiers have also been added, allowing you to take higher risks for better rewards. Chimera arena in PoE 2 has been shrunk, eliminating the need to constantly run around stairs.

Regarding rewards, each room in Path of Exile 2 now has a chest that provides currency, replacing the previously less useful corrupted gear. New Soul Cores have also been added. You can now challenge up to Room 30 for higher rewards and to collect complete fragments to challenge Trialmaster.

Additionally, defeating non-quest-type Pinnacle Arbiter of Ash will unlock all PoE 2 maps in the fortress, allowing you to complete map points faster and obtain the complete Atlas Tree sooner.

Abysses and Expeditions

New abysses will appear in Overworld Map, allowing players to track them down and challenge the final boss. Expedition Tablets will also be added.

PoE 2 developers have also adjusted the previous Aldur's Saga farming. Previously, it required repeatedly searching for suitable maps and going through the same process to farm currency, resulting in rather monotonous gameplay.

Therefore, endgame farming may become more diverse. Focusing solely on one mechanic for farming money may no longer be the optimal choice; you'll need to re-adjust your map and Atlas routes.

There's always more PoE 2 content to explore! Follow EZG Facebook through the top navigation bar for fresh builds, guides, game news, and community updates. You can also catch one of our next giveaways.

Path of Exile 2 is constantly fixing its current issues. Whether it's Patch 1.0 or Patch 0.5.5, there's clearly still a lot to explore. At least based on what's been revealed so far, PoE 2 is edging away from early access phase framework. The brand-new Endgame experience and 1.0 Balance will probably determine whether its eventual release meets player expectations.

With Gamescom 2026 in full swing, the atmosphere surrounding Path of Exile 2 is reminiscent of the period leading up to its official launch. New information is emerging one after another, with a leaked gameplay video from Gamescom showcasing the new sword-based combat in Patch 1.0.

Based on the currently revealed gameplay, swords in Path of Exile 2 appear to feature very pronounced combo gameplay. Parry, charge, stance, and the seamless transitions between skills are likely to be crucial components of the sword-based gameplay.

This gameplay might be very interesting in POE 2 campaign, but by Patch 1.0 endgame, will we really have enough time and space to execute these combos?

Sword

From the content revealed at Gamescom, Duelist utilizes numerous sword moves, and clear combo transitions can be seen during combat. Besides Patch 1.0 sword gameplay, the official Path of Exile 2 team also showcased some monsters and bosses we hadn't seen before.

Some areas resembled Coliseum, and monsters resembling Hell Hounds appeared, capable of breathing fire from above; these are likely content from Act 5. Notably, sword attacks aren't simply a continuous stream of POE 2 skills. Many skills appear to have a charge up process, and their effects vary depending on your current state.

Based on the skill descriptions shown at Gamescom, sword gameplay will largely revolve around Parry, charging abilities, and chaining skills - these are currently the areas you should focus on most.

You can use the middle mouse button for parry, enter Blood Stance with the right mouse button, and then unleash a Blood Wave with the left mouse button. Other skills will also gain additional effects during Blood Stance.

If you use two swords, it seems you can gain Blood Stance; entering this state will also change the effects of other sword skills. Another direction is Sand Stance, which seems to lean more towards charge up gameplay. You need to build up power before unleashing your skill to deliver a stronger attack.

Cyclone

Of all the content showcased for Path of Exile 2 at Gamescom, Cyclone is undoubtedly one of the most exciting parts for players. Based on the current skill gem information, Cyclone doesn't require charges; it primarily consumes mana.

Cyclone also has a unique mechanic: if you pass over a Ground Surface with an Elemental Effect, you may absorb the corresponding POE 2 ground effect and transfer it to enemies hit by Cyclone.

For example, when you pass over Chilled Ground, Cyclone can absorb this effect, subsequently inflicting the corresponding Chilled Ground debuff on enemies hit.

Current information on POE 2 Patch 1.0 also indicates that Cyclone requires the use of dual swords or a single two-handed sword. This also means you might not use Cyclone while equipped with a shield or buckler, and Giant's Blood may also be restricted.

Giant's Blood is the keystone in Path of Exile 2 that allows characters to use two-handed weapons. Therefore, if Cyclone itself requires dual swords or a single two-handed sword, then equipping two two-handed weapons while using Giant's Blood might prevent you from continuing to use Cyclone.

Of course, these limitations still need to be confirmed after Patch 1.0 is officially released. Additionally, Cyclone will exhibit different changes under Blood Stance and Sand Stance. Blood Stance allows skills to generate Blood Waves.

Sand Stance, on the other hand, releases Sand Discs in the first few seconds of POE 2 Channeling. This indicates that Stance is not simply a matter of attribute switching, but may directly alter the attack method of sword skills.

Endgame

The real issue worth discussing in POE 2 Patch 1.0 isn't how flashy sword skills look, but whether combo gameplay can adapt to Path of Exile 2 endgame. In campaigns, this design easily made combat more engaging. You needed to observe enemy movements, parry, choose the appropriate stance, and then follow up with a skill.

For players who enjoy more strategic gameplay, this was clearly more interesting than simply repeatedly spamming skills. But POE 2 endgame is a different story. As characters level up, monster density, character damage, and skill range all increase.

Entering the map means facing numerous monsters, various mechanics, and the need to quickly farm Path of Exile 2 Currency. If every attack requires parrying, charging, and switching stances, the operational cost of combos could become too high.

This is currently the biggest problem facing sword design. When Huntress was first released in POE 2, some players already expressed dissatisfaction with parrying and combo-based gameplay. 

However, Parry is already a fairly strong mechanic, and it's not absolutely necessary to play in POE 2 endgame. Therefore, we can't immediately conclude that sword will become a burden just because it emphasizes combos.

Another crucial issue is that Gamescom Gameplay doesn't fully represent the character strength of Patch 1.0. The characters used for demonstrations are usually pre-built builds, and gameplay demos are often adjusted to be more difficult. Meanwhile, sword final stats, skill scaling, and balance are clearly not yet fully determined.

Therefore, seeing sword require combos now doesn't mean you must stick to the full combo to fight monsters in Patch 1.0. Character growth in Path of Exile 2 is inherently very high. As the build matures, skill damage and range will change significantly.

Even if sword requires careful play in the early stages of POE 2, it's possible to clear large groups of monsters with a single skill combo in the late game.

If combos primarily serve as additional damage output during campaigns and boss fights, while the basic skills themselves still possess sufficient damage and mob-clearing capabilities, then this playstyle might become a defining characteristic of sword, rather than a limitation.

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Gamescom only showcased a portion of Path of Exile 2 Patch 1.0, and this sword design is quite promising. If the basic skills can ultimately be made sufficiently fluid, and combos provide a higher skill ceiling, then sword playstyle might simultaneously excel in campaigns, boss fights, and endgames, becoming a major feature of PoE 2 melee combat system.

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 has already delivered a plethora of new game trailers, release dates, and new content for older titles. While the number of games on display this year is substantial, several announcements are particularly noteworthy for RPG, ARPG, and tactical game fans.

GGG has finally confirmed the release date for PoE 2 1.0; Square Enix showcased Final Fantasy VII Revelation again, bringing the final chapter of the remake trilogy closer to players; and Ubisoft unexpectedly revealed the turn-based Rainbow Six Tactics.

Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red has prepared two surprises for The Witcher 3 fans - an upgraded edition of The Witcher 3, released over a decade ago, and Geralt's final return as the protagonist.

If you don't have time to rewatch Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, here's the most noteworthy information on these popular games.

Path of Exile 2 1.0 - Officially Launching on December 11th

For PoE 2 players, the biggest news from Gamescom this year was undoubtedly the confirmed release date for Patch 1.0.

GGG announced that PoE 2 will end its Early Access phase and enter Patch 1.0 on December 11, 2026. Simultaneously, Patch 1.0 will bring a more systematic adjustment to the full campaign, character progression, and Endgame.

More importantly, with Patch 1.0, PoE 2 will officially become free-to-play, adding a new sword-wielding class, Duelist, and the remaining two Acts will also be added to the game.

This means that December 11th is not just a regular seasonal update, but a true restart for PoE 2 after its Early Access phase.

In the past period, players have had extensive discussions about class balance, build depth, gear drops, and Endgame pacing. The final patch incorporates adjustments to the campaign, progression, and endgame systems all at once, making Patch 1.0 potentially one of the best points for veteran players to rebuild their builds and for new players to officially join the game.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation - Spring 2027

Square Enix presents Final Chapter of Final Fantasy VII Remake Project - Final Fantasy VII Revelation.

Gamescom's latest trailer, The Planet's Crisis, focuses on Weapons familiar to fans of the original games, including massive enemies like Ruby Weapon, Emerald Weapon, and Ultima Weapon. Meanwhile, Cloud and his companions will explore a wider world aboard Highwind airship.

If Remake rebuilt Midgar, and Rebirth truly opened up the world, then Revelation serves to conclude the entire remake trilogy.

Currently confirmed information indicates that Highwind is more than just a plot device. Players can pilot airships across the world and choose locations to land and explore; Cid and Vincent will also join as playable party members, and combat will continue the combination of real-time action and a command system.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation is planned for release in Spring 2027, and unlike the previous two installments, it is expected to launch simultaneously on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

For players who have already played Remake and Rebirth, the real question now may only be one: Will Square Enix ultimately remain faithful to the ending of the 1997 original, or will they allow this altered timeline to reach a completely different conclusion?

Rainbow Six Tactics - Rainbow Six's First Fully Turn-Based Gameplay

Ubisoft also brought a rather unexpected new title to Gamescom - Rainbow Six Tactics, expected to launch in 2027.

It's not a new mode for Rainbow Six Siege, but a standalone single-player turn-based tactical game. Players will take on the role of Six, the commander of Rainbow forces, planning missions from headquarters, selecting operators, and then executing operations on the battlefield.

Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will include 15 operators with unique abilities, equipment, and skill trees, over 45 global operational locations, and various mission types such as hostage rescue, bomb disposal, and target elimination.

This direction is actually quite suitable for Rainbow Six. From the series' early emphasis on planning, intelligence, and teamwork, to Siege's reliance on operator skills to create tactical variations, Rainbow Six inherently possesses a strong strategy game DNA.

Now, Ubisoft has temporarily set aside shooting mechanics and placed operator combinations, mission planning, and battlefield decision-making at the core, which gives them the opportunity to revive the tactical command that the series had gradually faded in the past.

The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past - Geralt Hasn't Truly Retired

If you thought CD Projekt Red(CDPR) had completely ended content updates for The Witcher 3, then this year at Gamescom, it's clear they're preparing to keep Geralt on the team for a few more years.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past is the third full-fledged expansion for The Witcher 3, developed by CD Projekt Red in collaboration with Fool's Theory, and is scheduled for release in 2027.

CDPR envisions it as much more than just adding a few quests. Songs of the Past will introduce a new area, Letten, new enemies, new abilities, and new weapons, and the official description is Geralt's final adventure.

From the perspective of the series' timeline, this also resembles an adventure before the official handover - before The Witcher 4 enters the new phase dominated by Ciri, players can embark on one last journey as Geralt.

The Witcher 3 Remastered - Free Upgrade on September 29th

While waiting for the new expansion, CDPR is also planning to have everyone reinstall The Witcher 3.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered will launch on September 29, 2026, offering upgraded graphics, performance, and gameplay compared to the original release. This includes more detailed environments, NPC and monster textures, and improvements to lighting, rendering, and ray tracing.

Players who already own The Witcher 3 on eligible platforms can upgrade to Remastered for free. Simultaneously, CDPR announced that existing players will receive Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine for free, both classic expansions, now available for additional payment.

Besides major gaming platforms, CDPR has also partnered with Blizzard Entertainment, with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered launching on Battle.net for the first time on September 29th.

This collaboration goes beyond simply porting the game to Blizzard platforms. CDPR has confirmed that The Witcher 3, along with Songs of the Past (releasing in 2027), will be available on Battle.net, and the partnership will extend to Diablo 4. Players who get Songs of the Past on Battle. net will unlock a Geralt-themed Diablo 4 skin, with more collaboration content to be revealed at BlizzCon this September.

Based on the current schedule, these Gamescom announcements will soon become playable content. First, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered on September 29th, followed by PoE 2's 1.0 release on December 11th; then, in 2027, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Rainbow Six Tactics, and Songs of the Past will follow.

Of course, there are many more games announced at Gamescom, but if you're an ARPG, RPG, or tactical game player, these few should already make next year's gaming schedule very busy.

The official release date for Path of Exile 2 1.0 has finally been confirmed, meaning we're about to say goodbye to Early Access and embrace new challenges!

At Gamescom Opening Night Live, the developers officially unveiled the first gameplay trailer for the long-awaited Duelist class and confirmed that the 1.0 version will officially release on December 11th.

This announcement not only confirms the exact release date but also reveals one of the most requested updates from the community: Swords will finally be added to PoE2.

In addition to the new weapon type, Duelist trailer showcases a faster-paced melee combat style characterized by highly mobile attack and defense mechanics, as well as various new combat effects.

Duelist

As seen in the trailer, unlike some of the traditional melee classes in Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients that rely on heavy attacks and a slower combat pace, Duelist shown in the trailer seems to emphasize speed, positioning, and continuous movement.

From the gameplay demo, we can see that Duelist primarily uses swords in combat, allowing for movement while attacking. Their skills unleash wide-range melee attacks, balancing defense and offense.

For veteran Path of Exile 2 players, Duelist seems poised to offer a more advantageous melee experience. Traditional ARPG melee builds often rely heavily on a balance between damage output, survivability, and mob clearing speed.

Duelist allows players to maintain mobility in melee combat, unlike some current classes that require standing still to attack.

Swords

The introduction of new swords is just as important as the arrival of Duelist.

Prior to this announcement, players had already experienced various weapon types in Early Access, but swords remained a highly anticipated missing element. With the imminent release of Path of Exile 2 1.0, the developers have finally brought this classic weapon type into the weapon system.

The trailer reveals several attack characteristics of sword-based weapons:

• High-speed melee combos
• Mobile attacks
• Large-area clearing skills

Although the official Duelist Skill Tree hasn't been revealed, the short trailer gives players a preliminary understanding of the class's characteristics: fast, aggressive, and especially suitable for players who like to take the initiative.

What Can We Predict?

Even though the trailer is short, we can still glean several useful details about Duelist skills:

1. Parrying and defense mechanics

If this mechanic is ultimately part of POE2 Duelist class design, it will introduce a defensive approach different from traditional armor or evasion builds. This means players will no longer simply absorb damage, but will need more precise timing and positioning to survive challenging battles.

2. Stance or Combat State System

The trailer also showcases different visual effects, including red and sand-like themes appearing during certain attacks.

Regarding this, some players believe these effects might represent different combat states or stances, perhaps allowing Duelist to switch between different offensive styles.

3. Cyclone-Style Skill Returns

Another important clip in the trailer shows Duelist unleashing a large, spinning attack similar to Cyclone, one of the most iconic skills in PoE2.

In the footage, Cyclone appears to generate additional effects around the character, including projectile-like shockwaves and area-of-effect damage. This means that a build primarily using swords could have the following characteristics:

• Fast map clearing
• Continuous movement
• Attack speed bonus

For players already interested in fast-farming builds in Path of Exile 2 0.5.0, Duelist may become the most attractive option after version 1.0 is released.

Duelist Could Change PoE 2 1.0 Meta

The addition of each new class has the potential to impact the game's character building landscape, and Duelist is no exception.

Sword weapon gameplay may bring new weapon combinations, different defensive configurations, new skill gem choices, and new crafting strategies.

Players preparing for Path of Exile 2 1.0 release may need to plan their character builds in advance, especially with a large influx of returning and new players into the system.

Meanwhile, the introduction of Duelists typically creates opportunities for players who want to understand the game's economy early, especially in the initial weeks after launch, when demand for popular gear and crafting materials increases significantly.

Therefore, having sufficient PoE 2 Currency is crucial for players who want to try Duelist build, quickly upgrade their gear, and adapt to the early 1.0 environment.

To help players smoothly navigate the current endgame phase of PoE 2 and prepare for the upcoming Patch 0.5.5 and 1.0 releases, EZG has also prepared some surprises.

At the top navigation bar of the homepage, players can click the quick access to giveaways to follow EZG Facebook and participate in discussions related to future updates and receive occasional free resource giveaways.

Path of Exile 2 1.0 Release Date

In addition to announcing Duelist class, the official announcement also confirmed that Path of Exile 2 will launch its full 1.0 version on December 11th. Players will be able to play for free.

Currently, it can be predicted that the 1.0 version release will integrate Duelist class, sword weapon gameplay, remaining campaign content, additional improvements, and final launch features.

Furthermore, for the existing player base, the arrival of version 1.0 is not just an update; it also marks a new phase for PoE2's economy, character builds, and endgame environment.

In short, the official message from Gamescom is clear: Path of Exile 2 is about to enter its next major chapter. This 1.0 update may be the largest expansion pack in PoE series to date, giving players another reason to prepare for the new era and plan their next new journey.