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Path of Exile ExileCon Qualifiers Begin: First Race, Rules, and What to Watch

Path of Exile ExileCon Qualifiers are underway. Check the race schedule, Act 5 Kitava rules, SSF and Fixed Seed format, death penalty, Twitch Drops, and how players can join upcoming qualifiers.

Sep 04, 2026 Author: EZG

Path of Exile ExileCon Qualifiers have officially kicked off. Serving as the selection rounds for the live ExileCon Race Finale, these four qualifiers will take place throughout September; the winner of each race earns a trip to New Zealand to compete in the live finals.

The first qualifier began on September 3 at 2 PM PDT, with ZiggyD and RaizQT returning as hosts. For PoE players, the real highlight is seeing everyone compete under the same rules and a Fixed Seed environment, racing through the campaign all the way to defeating Kitava in Act 5.

Route selection, leveling efficiency, gear management, and risk mitigation regarding death will all directly impact the player's final rankings.

Path of Exile ExileCon Qualifiers Begin: First Race, Rules, and What to Watch

First ExileCon Qualifier Has Started

There are four ExileCon Qualifiers in total; the official schedule (in PDT) is as follows:

  • Qualifier One - September 3, 2 PM PDT
  • Qualifier Two - September 11, 2 PM PDT
  • Qualifier Three - September 18, 2 PM PDT
  • Qualifier Four - September 25, 2 PM PDT

The remaining three races will follow a weekly schedule, ensuring ExileCon Qualifier action continues throughout September.

These four qualifiers will determine who advances to ExileCon Race Finale. Compared to standard community races, the pressure here is significantly higher, as the outcome directly decides who makes it to the live finals at ExileCon.

For the competitors, route choices and execution errors become critical factors.

Race to Act 5 Kitava

The objective of the qualifier is to be the first to defeat Kitava in Act 5.

The race takes place in a Standard Solo Self-Found (SSF) and Fixed Seed environment. In SSF mode, trading and receiving resources from other players are disabled; competitors must rely solely on PoE currency, gear, and gems acquired during the campaign to level up their characters.

The Fixed Seed format minimizes map randomness, shifting the competition's focus toward route memorization and execution.

Decisions such as when to stop and level up, which monsters to engage, when to swap gear, and how to utilize movement skills will all influence the final completion time. Setting the finish line at Act 5 Kitava tightens the race's pacing significantly.

Players have little room for late-game adjustments; every pause between Act 1 and Act 5 compounds into a time deficit.

Being just a few seconds late to pick up a gem, or taking a slightly inefficient route through a zone, can ultimately result in a time loss of tens of seconds - or even more.

Path of Exile 1 Act 5

Death Penalty Makes Stability Important

Although this isn't a Hardcore race, the penalty for dying remains severe.

In PoE 1, if a character falls, they must wait a full minute on the spot before moving again. While a minute might not matter much during a casual playthrough, in a race where every second counts, it is often enough to squander any lead built up previously.

Therefore, you can't simply focus on maximizing damage. No matter how aggressive your route is, a single death can instantly erase the time you saved. Completing the campaign consistently is more important than merely chasing peak speed.

It will be interesting to see the trade-offs top racers make during the first race. Decisions on whether to push for speed or play conservatively to avoid a disaster often determine the final rankings.

What to Watch During the Qualifier?

For the average player, watching the qualifier doesn't have to be just about who takes first place.

The real interest lies in how top players handle the details while running the campaign.

Deciding which gear is worth stopping to pick up, when to execute a vendor recipe, which currencies to save for later, when to swap gems, and how to chain movement skills - these minor actions all impact the final completion time.

Many of these insights are valuable for a standard league start. While most players won't match a pro racer's pace, habits like making fewer trips to town, planning your skill acquisition route in advance, and avoiding risky plays just to save a few seconds can make your own league start much smoother.

By the time they reach Act 5 Kitava, it becomes immediately apparent whether the preparation was sufficient.

Running a fast route is one thing; utilizing gear, resistances, skills, and Path of Exile 1 currency effectively at critical moments is quite another. If you only realize your damage output is insufficient or your survivability is too poor once you reach the boss, the time you saved earlier will simply be lost.

Therefore, this competition tests more than just raw map-traversal speed; it evaluates whether these racers can complete the entire run from Act 1 through Act 5 both quickly and consistently.

Joining the Qualifier

PoE players wishing to participate in upcoming qualifiers can locate the specific race on Character Select Screen and select "Join" to create their character. Upon entering the game, the character will remain stationary until the race officially begins.

Participation in these ExileCon qualifiers is restricted to PC players. Before competing, ensure your Path of Exile account is linked to your Twitch account and that you are prepared to livestream the entire run under the event rules.

If you plan to compete in future qualifiers, besides practicing the campaign route, it is wise to verify your account linking and streaming setup beforehand. It would be a shame to achieve a great time only to realize you failed to meet the eligibility requirements.

Twitch Drops associated with Qualifier One are also available for 24 hours after the race begins. Players who watch a qualifying Path of Exile 1 stream for 30 minutes can earn Wild Footprints Effect.

Rewards for subsequent qualifiers may be subject to change, so even if you do not intend to compete yourself, it is worth tuning in to the official channel or co-streams each week.

Three more spots for ExileCon Race Finale will be decided over the next three weeks; let us wait and see which top racers can complete Acts 1 through 5 with the best speed and consistency to be the first to defeat Kitava.

    Path Of Exile

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