Grinding Gear Games recently revealed Return of the Ancients, the game’s next big update for Path of Exile 2 that launches on May 29, 2026.
While previous updates like The Last of the Druids were already quite big, this next one promises to be the biggest-scale expansion yet. To be exact, Return of the Ancients promises to shake up the endgame with the addition of six new storylines, 15 new bosses, new Ascendancy classes, and many more.
This big update also adds a new league, the Runes of Aldur. This league introduces Ezomyte Runesmithing through the young blacksmith, Farrow. Through Runesmithing, players can get powerful items by inscribing symbols onto Ezomyte Remnants. Each Remnant has a combination of pre-existing and player-selected symbols. These determine the types of items that can be created, ranging from basic currency items to socketable runes with specific properties.
There is a catch, though. Activating a Remant reanimates nearby undead and can also empower them. For instance, activating a Fire-aligned rune gives enemies fire abilities. With this, players will have to think about when and where they activate Remnants. This continues as players go through the league, with more complex Remnants being available, which in turn make enemy encounters tougher.
By going through the league, Farrow discovers that Ezomyte Runesmithing originates from the ancient Kalguurans, who harnessed Verisium. Players can then collect Verisium to unlock Runic Ward, which is a new defensive resource that serves as a secondary life pool. Runic Magic also powers a new skill system composed of Kalguuran magic abilities.
With these, the Runes of Aldur league promises to deliver an expansive system that allows for lots of player experimentation and build variety.
Another big highlight of Return of the Ancients is the transformation of the Atlas into an explorable endgame world, featuring fixed objectives in nearly all directions. Of course, players must still explore towers to reveal more areas in this endgame map.
When players first go to the towers, they’ll come across a massive fortress, which has been raised up after the effects of the Beast. This is the first of the new endgame storylines that this latest content update is adding. All these storylines feature new enemies, various hidden secrets, and a boatload of rewards. As a bonus, each endgame boss in these storylines can be reached through a dedicated questline. Thanks to this, there’s no need to rely on random key drops to access them.
To complement the new endgame additions, players can also look forward to the redesigned Atlas passive tree. In this new version of the tree, players can unlock every node by completing maps throughout the Fortress. Many of the nodes also offer more options, giving players better ways to tailor their experience to their preferences.
When it comes to progression, players can also try out the new Masters of the Atlas system, featuring Ascendancy-style progression for the endgame. Here, players can get bonuses from different masters that can be swapped between maps.
Also getting new storylines are the four leagues that have been introduced in Early Access. Each league also has new crafting systems and expanded mechanics. Here’s a rundown of what to expect with each:
- Delirium: The Hare and the Raven storyline is added, alongside a revamped fog mechanic with a visible depth bar, new mirror shard encounters, and Distilled Emotions that can craft mods directly onto Jewels.
- Breach: Breaches now have a visible timer displaying the remaining time left upon encounter, and if a Breach is open long enough, it enters an enraged phase where tougher enemies spawn. As for the storyline, Ailith and the Keepers of the Flame must call on more recruits to hold the Hiveborn at bay.
- Ritual: After players complete their first endgame Ritual, a lost spirit named Aoife appears, beckoning them to the Wildwood. This is now located on the Atlas. Beneath this lies an ancient prison, where players must stop the King in the Mists from drawing power from the mysterious entity called Bodach. To do so, players must enter the prison and go through the Rite of the Nameless.
- Expedition: Players must launch an expedition to find Rog’s missing wife, Gwennen. In this expedition, players must send ships across a large procedurally generated ocean filled with islands and various encounters.
With a new update also comes new Ascendancy Classes. The first is the Spirit Walker, the Huntress’s new ascendancy, who channels the power of Stag, Owl, and Bear. This Ascendancy class features powerful abilities such as empowered projectiles, stampedes, and a fearsome bear companion. The Spirit Walker can also harness Idolatry for massive bonuses using Idol socketables in a player’s equipment.
The other Ascendancy is the Monk’s Martial Artist class. This is an illusion-based Ascendancy, as it creates illusions that echo a player’s attacks. The Martial Artist can also unleash powerful resonance with every critical strike. Plus, the Martial Artist has abilities like runic tattoos that let players socket runes directly into their character, as well as the ability to fortify their body with stone for extra defense.
Finally, Return of the Ancients adds the following new systems and quality of life improvements:
- The debut of Challenges in Path of Exile 2
- Over 30+ new unique items
- Navigational landmarks and trails throughout the campaign
- A live-search Atlas map
- A native in-game Build Guide system
Return of the Ancients will release on all platforms on May 29, 2026. It is the final major update for Path of Exile 2 before its 1.0 release. While there’s no specific release date yet for 1.o, Grinding Gear Games confirmed that they are targeting a late 2026 release date, following ExileCon, which is happening on November 7 and 8.