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ExileCon 2026: What the Path of Exile 2 Developer Q&A Revealed

15 minutes ago
5 min read

Following the main ExileCon 2026 presentation, Grinding Gear Games developers Jonathan Rogers and Mark “Neon” Roberts joined ZiggyD for a Q&A focused on Path of Exile 2 and its upcoming 1.0 release.


ExileCon 2026 Path of Exile 2 Developer Q&A cover featuring Shadow, endgame balance, and skill changes

The discussion offered a closer look at the decisions behind some of the game's biggest changes, from the new Conquerors of Wraeclast league to Shadow mechanics, endgame balance, and improvements to existing skills. The developers also answered several questions from the community, confirming some long-awaited features while explaining which ideas are still being worked on.


Conquerors of Wraeclast: From Ambitious Ideas to Massive Battles

One of the first topics was Conquerors of Wraeclast, the new Challenge League coming with the full release.



The developers revealed that their original plans were much more elaborate, with large-scale battles and resource management involving materials such as wood and food. However, they eventually decided to simplify the experience, focusing on recruiting troops, building fortresses, and commanding armies without overwhelming players with additional management systems.


Another important consideration was how the league would fit into the campaign. With many newcomers expected for the 1.0 release, the team wanted its storyline to complement the main adventure rather than distract from it.


The developers also shared a fascinating detail about the technology behind the massive battles. Combat happening outside the player's view uses a simplified simulation, allowing large armies to fight simultaneously. When the action comes into view, the game's regular combat systems take over.

Some aspects of the endgame faction system were still being refined during the Q&A, including ways to make battles and territorial conflicts easier for players to follow.


Path of Exile 2 Developer Q&A: Ascendancy Trials and Controls

The developers also answered several questions about features players have been requesting throughout Early Access.


Among the most important confirmations were:

  • Third Ascendancy Trial: The trial associated with Trial of the Ancestors will not be available at the 1.0 launch. The team still intends to introduce it, but no release date was confirmed.

  • Controller and Keyboard/Mouse Switching: Input hot-swapping has been implemented for the upcoming release, allowing players to switch between control methods.

  • Mouse Support in Controller Mode: Players will be able to use the mouse while keeping the controller-style interface, making inventory management more convenient.

  • Pause Interface: Players will be able to inspect buffs and other on-screen effects while the game is paused.


The developers also discussed ideas for future Ascendancy Classes, although they did not provide firm release dates for those additional options.


Shadow: New Details About Stealth, Traps, and Infiltrator


The Shadow was one of the highlights of the discussion, particularly the way its Stealth and Trap mechanics work together.

The class has two Ascendancies, Assassin and Infiltrator.


ExileCon 2026 Path of Exile 2 Developer Q&A cover featuring Shadow, endgame balance, and skill changes

But the additional Ascendancy mechanic discussed during this Q&A specifically concerned Infiltrator.



Rather than relying entirely on direct attacks, the Shadow encourages a playstyle built around preparation, positioning, and carefully timed ambushes.


Here are some of the most interesting details:

  • Stealth: Monsters have detection ranges that vary according to their size. Entering those ranges can reveal the character, making positioning an important part of combat.

  • Trap Cooldowns: Skill cooldowns generally stop recovering while the character is in Stealth. However, entering Stealth grants an additional available charge to each equipped Trap skill.

  • Detonate: Players can create dedicated Trap builds without relying on dagger attacks. The Detonate skill manually triggers traps and consumes Darkness to empower them.

  • Infiltrator Totem: This Ascendancy features a Totem that releases pulses, detonating traps within its radius. Multiple Totems can be placed to create overlapping areas of explosions.


These interactions give players several ways to approach combat, whether they prefer carefully planned ambushes or builds focused entirely on Traps.


Endgame Balance: Jewels, Charms, and Portal Restrictions


The Q&A also addressed concerns about endgame difficulty and the challenge of balancing increasingly powerful characters against demanding encounters.

The developers explained that increasing difficulty too aggressively could leave players with only a handful of viable builds.

Their priority is to improve character balance before pushing the highest-end challenges further.


Three important points emerged from the discussion:

  • Five-Modifier Jewels: The developers confirmed their removal, describing the amount of power they provided as excessive.

  • Charms: Although powerful, Charms do not always feel satisfying because players often cannot tell when they have helped. The team wants to improve the system, but no specific redesign was confirmed.

  • Endgame Portals: The developers indicated that they currently have no plans to change the existing portal restrictions.


The discussion highlighted the team's ongoing effort to balance character power, build diversity, and endgame difficulty without making large numbers of builds ineffective.


Skill Changes: Bleeding, Poison, Chaos Damage, and Warrior


More Interactions for Damage-over-Time Builds


Several damage-over-time mechanics were discussed, with the developers explaining how they want to make these effects more interesting to build around.


The main changes mentioned included:

  • Bleeding: Its duration is being increased, giving players more time to interact with mechanics such as Blood Loss.

  • Necrotic Poisons: These can be applied alongside regular Poison, adding another mechanic for poison-focused builds.

  • Decay: Chaos damage-over-time skills can apply Decay to enemies, which can then be consumed through another skill to deal a burst of Chaos Damage.

  • Corrupted Blood: The reworked mechanic affects a visible portion of the character's Life, with additional damage-related effects and interactions involving healing.


These changes create more opportunities to combine skills and build around specific effects rather than relying exclusively on a single damage-over-time ability.


Support Gems and Improvements to Existing Classes

Support Gems were another major subject of the Q&A. The developers explained that a considerable portion of the improvements planned for 1.0 comes from making existing Supports more useful.


This work includes correcting unintended interactions, adjusting damage behavior, and reducing penalties that previously made certain Supports less attractive.

The Warrior is also receiving attention, especially its Mace skills and Aftershocks. The team discussed technical improvements intended to make Aftershocks more efficient, while opening up additional possibilities for damage conversions and visual effects.


Attack animations and movement restrictions are being reviewed as well, with changes intended to make existing skills feel more responsive and benefit more naturally from attack speed.



The Mercenary's ammunition reloading improvements were also discussed as an example of how a relatively small mechanical change can have a significant effect on gameplay.


Making the Campaign Better for Repeat Playthroughs

Another community question concerned the size of campaign areas and whether they would become smaller.


Rather than simply reducing every area's size, the developers explained that they prefer improving navigation and helping players understand where they need to go.

Clearer indicators and better ways to recognize optional paths are part of this approach, with the goal of making repeat playthroughs more convenient without compromising the exploration of a first journey.


Final Thoughts:

The Path of Exile 2 developer Q&A offered an interesting look at the work behind the upcoming 1.0 release. Beyond the announcements from the main ExileCon presentation, players learned more about the Shadow's mechanics, endgame balance, Support Gems, and improvements to existing systems.

While some changes were confirmed and other ideas remain in development, there is plenty to look forward to as Path of Exile 2 approaches its full release on December 11.


Stay tuned to PoE Builds for the latest news, updates, and build guides. I hope you enjoy this exciting new chapter and have an amazing time discovering everything that's coming to Wraeclast! ♥


ExileCon 2026 Path of Exile 2 Developer Q&A cover featuring Shadow, endgame balance, and skill changes

 
 
 

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What is Path of Exile?

Path of Exile or PoE is the current leader of Action RPGs, back in 2013 it brought a fresh and challenging experience with nearly infinite ways to build your characters. However, it wasn’t until December 2018, with the huge migration of Diablo Players due to the Diablo: Immortal announcement fiasco, that PoE emerged as the main ARPG on the Market. Since then PoE almost triplicates its content, announced the incredible Path of Exile 2, and served as inspiration for many great games such as Undecember and Torchlight: Infinite.


What makes PoE still great and reaching records of simultaneous online players even almost a decade after its launch? You might ask. Well, the main creator of the game, Chris Wilson once said “Path of Exile is a game designed to be played forever” and here’s why he’s right. First of all, as I said before, there are an unpronounceable number of possibilities you can make with your character. This by itself is already a reason for you to keep playing and playing.  But wait, there’s much more. Path of Exile counts with a New League, every 3 months. Those Leagues come with new Challenges, New Rules, New Items, New Skills, New Lore, New NPCs, and so on.

What is the Current PoE League?

Since December 9th we are facing the challenges of the The Forbidden Sanctum. This League has been very well received by the PoE Players, showing the best retention of all time.


The Current League will last until early April when we will start discovering the amazing contents of Crucible. We can rest assure that the New League will be worth playing and GGG will fix past leagues mistakes such as the overpowered Archnemesis Monsters, the reduced Loot and the Harvest Crafting.

What are PoE Builds?

Replaying Path of Exile is always a new experience, and surpassing the big challenges the game provides will fill your gamer's ego with a warm feeling, trust me. As you might be thinking, if there’re so many ways to build your character, it’s easy to screw it up. You are 100% right, but this also means that if you know what you are doing, you can also create very strong warriors to decimate that Endgame. That’s why is important that you know what are PoE Builds.


PoE Builds are when a most experienced player tries to explain how he created his Build, so others can follow its steps. When the game started you could only find those PoE Builds on the Offcial Path of Exile Forum. Unfortunately, most of those Builds were written by players without any didactic or respect for the newcomers. Using many acronyms and showing complete passive trees, those Build Guides were only meant for experienced Players to read.


After struggling (a lot) to understand and learn the game, I decided that PoE should be more welcoming to new players. I took matters into my own hands and start the Path of Exile Builds Youtube Channel and Website. There I always have a vast selection of PoE Builds that are easy to follow and understand. All of my PoE Builds are displayed without acronyms and provide passive trees step-by-step. 


If you are a beginner, don’t let people intimidate you saying that PoE is super hard. Just create a Character in the current League and follow one of my PoE Builds. Make sure that you are picking a Starter Build though, those are perfect for new players and for starting on a League. I wish you all the lucky on your drops! Happy Grinding

Why Poe Builds Matter?

Poe Builds matter because they can make or break a player's experience in Path of Exile. A well-designed Poe Build can help players progress more quickly, conquer endgame content, and compete in the game's challenging leagues. On the other hand, a poorly designed Poe Build can lead to frustration, wasted time, and an unsatisfying gameplay experience.

​

Who Benefits from Poe Builds?

All players, regardless of skill level or playstyle, can benefit from Poe Builds. Newer players can learn from experienced players and follow proven templates to optimize their characters, while more experienced players can use Poe Builds as a starting point to create their own unique builds. Hardcore players can use Poe Builds to push the limits of what is possible in the game, while casual players can enjoy the game at their own pace with well-optimized characters.

​

Understanding Poe Builds:

A successful Poe Build requires an understanding of the game's mechanics and a careful consideration of the player's desired playstyle. A good Poe Build should be able to handle a variety of content, including endgame bosses, while also being fun to play and easy to understand.

​

What Makes a Good Poe Build?

A good Poe Build should be able to handle a variety of content, including endgame bosses, while also being fun to play and easy to understand. It should also be optimized for the player's desired playstyle and should make use of synergies between skills, passives, and gear.

​

What are the Different Types of Poe Builds?

There are many different types of Poe Builds, including melee builds, ranged builds, spellcaster builds, and minion builds. Each build has its own unique strengths and weaknesses and can be optimized for different playstyles and content.

​

How Do I Choose the Right Poe Build for My Playstyle?

To choose the right Poe Build for your playstyle, you should consider the type of content you want to tackle, the skills you enjoy using, and the passive tree and gear that will complement those skills. You should also consider whether you want to focus on offense, defense, or a balance of both.

​

What are the Popular Poe Builds in the Current Meta?

The most popular Poe Builds in the current meta vary depending on the league and content. Among the popular include Cyclone Berserker, Arc Witch, and Toxic Rain Trickster. However, it is important to remember that popular builds are not necessarily the best builds for every player and playstyle.

​

Building a Poe Build:

Building a successful Poe Build requires careful consideration and planning. Here is a step-by-step guide to creating a Poe Build:

  • Step 1: Choosing a Class

    • Choose a class that complements your desired playstyle and skills.

  • Step 2: Selecting Skills and Support Gems

    • Choose skills and support gems that synergize with your class and playstyle.

  • Step 3: Understanding Passive Tree and Ascendancy Classes

    • Allocate passive points in the passive tree and select an Ascendancy class that complements your chosen skills and playstyle.

  • Step 4: Creating a Balanced Poe Build

    • Balance offense and defense to create a well-rounded Poe Build.

    • Consider your desired playstyle, whether it is focused on dealing damage or survivability.

    • Allocate passive points and gear accordingly.

​

Advanced Strategies: Min-Maxing Poe Builds

Min-maxing is the process of optimizing a Poe Build to its maximum potential by fine-tuning every aspect of the character, including gear, passive points, and skill choices. This can be a time-consuming process, but it can greatly increase a player's chances of success in endgame content.

​

Poe Build Synergies:

Poe Build synergies involve using multiple skills and gear pieces together to create a powerful combination. Synergies can greatly increase a character's damage output or survivability, but they require careful planning and experimentation to implement successfully.

​

Making Poe Builds for Endgame Content:

Creating a Poe Build for endgame content requires careful consideration of the content's difficulty and the character's strengths and weaknesses. It may require specialized gear and skills that are different from those used in leveling or early game content.

​

Crafting Gear for your Poe Build:

Crafting gear for your Poe Build can greatly increase your character's power, but it requires knowledge of crafting mechanics and an understanding of the gear requirements for your chosen skills and playstyle.

​

Leveling with Poe Builds: Efficient Leveling Techniques

Efficient leveling techniques involve using specific skills, gear, and passive tree allocations to level up quickly and efficiently. This can include using AOE skills, prioritizing damage over defense, and utilizing certain leveling uniques.

​

Recommended Poe Builds for leveling:

Recommended Poe Builds for leveling vary depending on the player's chosen playstyle, but some popular options include Arc Witch, Cyclone Berserker, and Frost Blades Raider.

​

Tips for managing Poe Builds while leveling:

Managing Poe Builds while leveling can be challenging, but some tips include prioritizing movement speed, using leveling uniques, and planning ahead for passive tree allocations and gear upgrades.

​

Poe Builds for Different Playstyles: For Hardcore Players

for hardcore players require a focus on survivability and defensive mechanics. They may prioritize life or energy shield over damage, and they may make use of skills and gear that can mitigate incoming damage.

​

For Casual Players:

for casual players may prioritize ease of use and enjoyment over maximum power or optimization. They may make use of skills that are fun to play, or they may prioritize survivability over damage output.

​

For Solo Players:

For solo players may prioritize self-sufficiency and the ability to handle a variety of content alone. They may make use of skills and gear that allow them to handle multiple enemies at once, or they may focus on survivability and self-healing.

​

For Group Play:

For group play may prioritize party synergy and support. They may make use of skills and gear that buff allies, or they may focus on crowd control and AOE damage to complement other party members' skills.

​

Adjusting and Tweaking Poe Builds: When to adjust your Poe Build

Adjusting your Poe Build may be necessary when you encounter difficulties with certain content or when your chosen skills or gear are not performing as expected.

​

Understanding the Mechanics:

Understanding Poe Build mechanics, including how skills and support gems interact, can help you identify weaknesses in your Poe Build and make informed decisions when adjusting it.

​

Tips for tweaking your Poe Build:

When tweaking your Poe Build, focus on identifying specific weaknesses and making small, targeted adjustments rather than trying to overhaul the entire build. Consider your desired playstyle, the content you want to tackle, and the available passive points and gear.

​

What to do when your Poe Build doesn't work:

If your Poe Build 

is not working as expected, it may be necessary to start over with a new build or to seek advice from community resources such as Poe Build guides, tools, and forums.

​

Community Resources for Poe Builds: Poe Build Guides and Databases

Its guides and databases provide detailed information on different Poe Builds, including passive tree allocations, gear requirements, and playstyle recommendations. Some popular resources include PoeNinja, Path of Building, and official Path of Exile forums.

​

Tools and Calculators:

Its tools and calculators allow players to experiment with different gear, skills, and passive tree allocations to optimize their Poe Builds. Popular tools include Path of Building and PoE Planner.

​

 Streamers and YouTubers:

Poe Build streamers and YouTubers provide gameplay footage and commentary on different Poe Builds, allowing players to see the build in action and get advice on gameplay strategies. Some popular content creators include Path of Exile Builds, Mathilification and ZiggyD.

​

Communities and Forums:

Its communities and forums provide a space for players to share and discuss their Poe Builds, as well as to seek advice and feedback from other players. Some popular communities include the Path of Exile subreddit and the official Path of Exile forums.

​

Conclusion:

Poe Builds is an essential aspect of Path of Exile gameplay, allowing players to customize their characters and tackle the game's many challenges. By understanding Poe Build mechanics, selecting the right skills and gear, and seeking advice from community resources, players can create powerful and enjoyable builds that suit their playstyle and goals. Whether you are a hardcore or casual player, solo or group player, or focused on endgame content or leveling, there is a Poe Build out there that can help you achieve your goals in Path of Exile.

FAQ

What are the best classes in PoE?

- There is no good Answer to that Question. In Path of Exile the Build is way more important than the Class, because each one can do anything. You can have Witches with Axes and Marauders casting Spells.

How do you get good at PoE?

- Path of Exile is a very complex Game, the best way to get good is to follow Guides to learn the detailed Mechanics. After a few Hundred Hours you’ll be ready to make your own Builds.

What is the Easiest Class in PoE?

- The Witch. Most of the Easiest Builds are better when made with Witches, particularly Minion Builds. Totem Builds with the Templar are also Super Easy to play and Great for Beginners.

Will there be a Path of Exile 2?

- Yes, and it’s Awesome! It doesn’t have a Launch Day yet, but it looks like we are going to have a Beta on 2023.

How Long is Poe Endgame?

- In order to Complete your Atlas and Kill every single Endgame and Uber Boss, you can prepare yourself for over 500 hours of Fun Gameplay.

What can you do about Breachstones?

-  Use them on your Map Device to Face the Brach Lords and get some Valuable Items.

Is Path of Exile Noob Friendly?

- No. But you can have a Good Time Playing if you start following Build Guides to learn the Mechanics in an Easy way.

How Long is Path of Exile?

- You will take around 30 Hours to Complete the 10 Acts. Those Acts are Like the Tutorial of the Game. You can expect over 500 Hours of Gameplay if you want to check every aspect of the Endgame.

How do you Level Up Fast in Path of Exile?

-  First of all, you need to know what you are doing. Passing through the 10 Acts fast is the best way to improve your Leveling. Run through the Maps killing only blue monsters and making the necessary quests. This way you can reach Level 80 in just a few hours.

How do I get to the Syndicate Safehouse?

-  First of all, you need to get enough Intel about the Safehouse you want to go. To do that you need to interrogate the Syndicate Members. After you get enough Intel, talk to Jun and ask her to show the Investigation. There you’ll find a Button that opens a Portal to the Syndicate Safehouse.

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