Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients brings forth complete endgame overhaul and the iconic Mageblood belt
It has been a long time since Path of Exile 2 got a proper update. Fate of the Vaal (0.4) launched in December, and it will be around for nearly six months, making it one of the longest-running leagues in POE2 history. The wait is well worth it because the next 0.5 update completely flips the game on its head. The hotly anticipated ‘end game’ patch is here, and it finally addresses many issues the community has had with the endgame.
The league mechanic for Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients will be called Runes of Aldur. As its name suggests, it will focus on runes, which can be harvested from the campaign and maps. Specific rune combinations unlock items, gear and Verisium. Later in the game, rune combinations can get too long to remember. One can refer to a manual, which bears a striking resemblance to POE1’s Beastiary.
Verisium has many uses, such as transforming unique items. It also lets you add Runic Ward to items, which is a tertiary resource that can be used as an extra defensive layer to prevent death. Alternatively, one can use it to trigger Kalguuran Skills. They’re essentially the equivalent of white gems from POE1 with no stat requirement. However, they’re actually useful and result in some interesting interactions with existing skills.
As foreshadowed by GGG, Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients completely rehauls the endgame Atlas. It is still infinite, but now, one doesn’t have to aimlessly drift in one direction anymore. Each league mechanic gets a direction, and there’s a new region with a fortress. Keys for the Arbiter of Ash can be found at fixed locations. However, the Arbiter is no longer the pinnacle boss. We will have to wait until early June to figure out who that is.
Even the Atlas tree gets a complete rehaul. The individual sub-trees for separate mechanics are here to stay, but the main tree is a lot more spread out. GGG didn’t show off much, but it looks a lot bigger with noticeably more nodes. And this time, it is possible to fully populate the tree, although that will undoubtedly take some serious elbow grease.
Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients also overhauls core game mechanics such as Delirium, Expedition, and Breach. All of them get a new Pinnacle boss, quests and mechanic-specific currency that greatly expands upon POE2’s otherwise lacklustre crafting system. Jewels (even Time-lost ones) can now be rolled with specific affixes- no more Chaos spamming and hoping for the best. GGG bought over POE1’s improved Breach mechanics to POE2, complete with a Genesis tree, and all the crafting possibilities that come with it.
Unfortunately, we don’t get any new classes in Runes of Aldur, but we do get two new ascendancies: Spiritwalker (for Huntress) and Martial Artist (Monk). No love for the Ranger, unfortunately. Nevertheless, we also get a boatload of new unique items, one of which lets you play a budget version of Righteous Fire. Even Mageblood got thrown in the mix, although it isn’t clear what it does in POE2, given that the game doesn’t have utility portions. Perhaps it constantly applies Charm effects? Who knows. Voices has also made its long-awaited POE2 debut. And unlike POE1, you don’t have to waste precious skill points to get your jewel slots.
Lastly, Runes of Aldur will be the last major league for Path of Exile 2 early access. GGG has confirmed the game will get its 1.0 release next. Rumour has it pegged at a late-December, early January launch, presumably after it is shown off at ExileCon. Patch notes nerds will have to wait until May 21 to pore through the list of buffs/nerfs. The actual game won’t be playable until May 29, though.
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