Grinding Gear Games announced the major update 3.29 'Curse of the Allflame' for Path of Exile, releasing July 25. The update introduces a new league with deep-sea exploration mechanics, a new Ascendancy class for the Scion, and the return of Mercenaries of Trarthus as a core mechanic. A key system change relaxes equipment socket color restrictions, allowing any gem to be equipped in any socket.
A Path of Exile 2 player discovered a hidden device that sacrifices a level 100 character to grant the title 'Martyr of the First Edict' and gives all players in the same league a permanent skill point. The find, shared by streamer cArn_, has already been replicated in the current season league, sparking discussion about the game's secret systems.
Grinding Gear Games launched a free weekend for Path of Exile 2 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, running until June 2. The event coincides with update 0.5.0, 'Return of the Ancients,' the last major early access league before the planned full version 1.0 release later in 2026. The update refreshed endgame content and added new Ascendancies. SteamDB recorded a peak of about 410,000 concurrent players within 24 hours, the highest for any update so far, though below the launch peak of around 580,000.