Recently, the official social media accounts of Path of Exile 2 released a trailer for the next patch 0.4.0, revealing that the next league is called Fate of the Vaal, and is expected to be available to all players on December 12. In this brand-new league, players will explore the ancient civilization of Vaal and challenge themselves with various game content.
Based on the existing trailers, it can be inferred that POE 2 0.4.0 patch intends to introduce Atrizi, Queen of the Vaal as an important new character in the new league, but unfortunately there is no concrete information yet. We may have to wait for the developers’ live stream for a detailed explanation.
However, it’s certain that Druid will be included in this early access as a brand new class, which may bring a fresher exploration gameplay style. If you haven’t looked into it closely, you might want to follow this guide for a detailed analysis of the trailer to see what new surprises the latest patch will bring!
1. Vaal Gems
First up are Vaal Gems, originally special corrupted Skill Gems from the original game, which possess additional skill effects. Besides the usual requirement of selecting them using Uncut Skill Gems, these skill gems also require you to defeat a specified number of enemies in combat before they can be used.
This skill gem itself isn’t particularly outstanding, but given that the league theme in this sequel is Vaal, it’s highly likely it will appear in the 0.4.0 patch notes. Furthermore, considering the addition of Atziri, it’s very possible this skill gem will become part of players’ frequently used skill rotations.
However, the possibility of appearing Vaal Uncut Spirit Gems is not very high, because in PoE 1, Vaal Gems could be obtained through the corruption of regular gems, so this overly direct acquisition method might not align with the developers’ intention to create a challenging experience for this sequel.
To be fair, this high level of challenge is a dilemma set by the developers themselves, but many players don’t seem to care because without sufficient exploration depth and incredibly generous rewards, even the most difficult battles or encounters lack appeal.
2. Endgame
When discussing the game’s depth, it’s worth mentioning that the developers have once again promised a major overhaul of the endgame content: in version 0.3.0, the focus is on simplifying the campaign flow, so that players in the endgame map are no longer simply farming and grinding.
While this received positive feedback, it still lacked depth. Although the trailer didn’t reveal what changes the latest patch would make to Endgame, based on some leaked information, the developers are likely to revamp the way PoE 2 Currency is acquired and used in the game, abandoning the previous approach of simply stacking item rarity affixes.
In addition, the interface state of Delirium Fog will be adjusted to disrupt its linear movement trajectory. Most importantly, more endgame mechanics will be added. These might make players react more positively, but the actual impact will only be felt after all the content is released.
POE 2’s severe lack of in-depth and well-developed endgame content is nothing new. Although it’s still in Early Access, the developers have already launched several leagues, making it virtually indistinguishable from the full version. Therefore, it’s understandable that players have higher expectations.
3. New Ascendancy
The addition of Abyssal Lich to Rise of the Abyssal League was met with great positive feedback, and the developers tasted success. Although there’s still no clear patch announcement indicating new Ascendancy classes in version 0.4.0, it’s safe to assume they won’t pass up this opportunity to turn things around.
Huntress and Witch are likely the top choices for classes that will receive a completely new Ascendancy. Not only because Huntress itself has a dark theme related to Ritual, but also because it was significantly nerfed in the last patch due to player resistance, so it is very likely that an Ascendancy will be created for it as compensation.
Although Witch’s Blood Mage and Vaal thaumaturgy have a very close relationship, given the developers’ tradition, it’s not impossible that they could release another game with similar elements. I think all players should be looking forward to the fourth Ascendancy class, since this kind of new feature that enriches in-game character creation is something we all love to see.
4. New Weapon Type
Although the newly added class is Druid, which theoretically shouldn’t require additional weapons, it’s said that the developers are still planning to add a greatsword suitable for melee combat in patch 0.4.0, as it fits the background story of this league very well.
Given the long-standing tradition of sequels inheriting items from the original work and the theme of this Fate of the Vaal league, the added sword is likely to be from either Story of the Vaal or Fate of the Vaal, and both can be obtained as rewards from Vaal Incursion.
The above outlines some of the new game content for Path of Exile 2 that will be included in the new league released alongside patch 0.4.0. While leaks are rampant, more concrete and authoritative information will be available during the developers’ livestream regarding the latest patch. There may be even more surprises waiting for you then. Enjoy the game!

















