Return of the Ancients Revealed
We've finally received news about Path of Exile 2's next big update, patch 0.5, which will be called Return of the Ancients. The contents of this update will be fully revealed on May 7, but surprisingly, the patch won't actually be playable until May 29th, 3 weeks after the reveal live stream.
Strange Release Cycle
Now, this is the first time that I can remember since I've been playing Path of Exile 1 and 2 that a patch will launch anything but 8 days after the reveal. It's certainly a bit strange that the reveal is taking place on May 7 rather than a week before launch, as it normally would. So, what's going on there? Well, we know that patch 0.5 for Path of Exile 2 is going to be focused on the endgame. And even the name and teaser we got seem to refer to the precursors, which, from what we've gathered so far, are heavily tied to the game's core story. Even going into the endgame with the precursor towers and the precursor tablets and the weapon we put together in act four, and even the arbiter and the flame seed that he protects. All of those things are of precursor origin.
So, I expect this patch will flesh out new endgame systems or entire system overhauls. And I think it's quite likely that they have had to delay the launch because they can't really ship this patch with a system or two that aren't fully finished. And it may be that the scope just crept up a bit. It is what it is. And I think they probably wanted to keep the reveal closer to the intended date, which was the end of April, so people would have something to look forward to and discuss in the meantime.
Two Timelines & Exilecon
We know that the third ExileCon is going to take place in November of this year, and GGG isn't going to be putting on a massive event like that without having some big announcements planned to take place. And the obvious one that most have pointed out is, of course, the full launch for Path of Exile 2 patch 1.0, which some believe will be released in December this year, about a month after ExileCon.
Will There Be A 0.6?
One that would see Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5, then 0.6 this year, and finally 1.0 at the end of the year for full launch, removing the pay wall by making the game free-to-play and adding the full campaign to boot. However, this May 29th launch for 0.5 kind of upsets that timeline a bit, because I can't really see them releasing another PoE 2 patch between May 29 and December this year if 1.0 is truly going to launch in December. The window of time is just a bit too short, at just over 6 months for two updates. And I think if the plan is still to do a full release this year, it's probably going to be all hands on deck to work on that patch from here on out, so it's the massive update everyone would expect from a full launch when it finally comes around.
(picture source: the YouTuber Dreamcore)
ExileCon Advance Planning
Now, there's also the fact that ExileCon is happening this year, and this kind of event requires planning a long time in advance, maybe 12 to 18 months in advance. And there's no way they would have known for sure that PoE 2 would be ready for a full launch by the time the event rolls around.
After all, we saw that with ExileCon 2 in 2023, they announced the early access launch almost an entire year after the event, in June 2024. And that then needed to be pushed back not once, but twice to December 2024. And I think it's quite likely that at the time they planned ExileCon 2, they probably expected PoE 2 to be in a more finished state by the time the event actually took place, so that they could announce a relatively close launch date. But sometimes these things don't go as planned.
When Will PoE 2 Patch 1.0 Launch?
So with all of that said, I think GGG announcing the full launch of Path of Exile 2 at ExileCon is almost guaranteed. And I think that's the reason why the event even exists. That's the main announcement they're going to be making. That's the one that everyone is expecting. However, I'm not really sure when the full launch will be. It could be in December, absolutely, but it could just as likely be planned for summer 2027 or even December 2027.
Right now, we have no idea. And I think it's possible that even GGG themselves are not fully sure about this just yet either. It's likely going to come down to how 0.5 is received by the community. If it's well-received, they may push on to a completed campaign and maybe a new class or two, and go for a December 2026 launch. But if it's not, well, that may throw a spanner in the works, and that's where their backup plan may come into effect.
PoE 1 Patches
You may remember that at ExileCon 2 in 2023, GGG did the big gameplay set for PoE 2 on stage with Mark and Jonathan, and they announced the early access launch for almost a year into the future. But then they had something planned that everyone could dig into in the meantime, and that was patch 3.22 for Path of Exile 1, the Trial of the Ancestors. And it was quite a big patch.
Patch 4.0 for PoE 1?
I think it's possible and perhaps actually more likely than ever now that Path of Exile 1 will get the end-of-year slot this year, following ExileCon, and it could be the long- awaited patch 4.0. See, back before PoE 2 became a standalone game, it was originally planned as a massive update to PoE 1 with a new campaign, a new socket system, new character rigs, and more. Then, when PoE 2 was announced as a separate game at ExileCon 2023, players were left wondering what that meant for PoE 1.
After all, you need to keep in mind that at the time, all of the fans at that event and everyone watching from home were PoE 1 players because PoE 2 didn't even exist at that time. And what it meant is that PoE 1 would have to suffer for a while, including an 11-month-long league for 3.25, as GGG struggled to develop both games side by side. But by today, a lot has changed.
ExileCon 4.0 Announcement?
We're just off the back of one of the best leagues of all time in 3.28 Mirage, and the PoE 1 now has its own dedicated team. Additionally, Mark has set in motion a new endgame story arc with Zana and the Atlas that began in 3.26. And we know he plans to expand this story over time, presumably with future Atlas expansions. And when would be a better time to announce a big update like that than on the stage at ExileCon, where it can get the flowers that it deserves.
Two Timeline Summary
Here is the ending about Dreamcore's timeline for PoE 1 and 2. So to summarize, if PoE 2 is going to launch this year, I think it's quite likely that we're going to have back-to-back six-month-long leagues in 0.4 and 0.5 because I can't really see there being enough time between 0.5 and 1.0 at the end of the year for a patch 0.6. And if PoE 2 isn't going to launch this year, then I expect them to announce a 2027 launch, probably a summer release window, and I think that will mean PoE 1 gets the spotlight at the end of this year instead, possibly for patch 4.0.
