Path of Exile 2 Return of the Ancients Is The Big Endgame Rework You Were Waiting For

If you'd been possibly tired of Path of Exile 2's endgame Atlas loop, it might be a good time to come back with the Path of Exile 2 Return of the Ancients update, which addresses that specific fan criticism. 

This huge update sees sweeping reworks to the endgame, with Path of Exile 2 Return of the Ancients launching on May 29th. 

In addition, Grinding Gear Games has confirmed this to be the final update for the game in Early Access, with the game's long-awaited 1.0 launch coming later this year after ExileCon. 

Reworking The Endgame In Path of Exile 2 Return of The Ancients

The meatiest chunk of this update comes in the form of the endgame rework, which sees the Atlas transformed into an actual explorable world with fixed objectives. 

To better acclimate newer players into the endgame loop, the game will feature new storylines for the endgame, as an ancient fortress rises from the ground in Wraeclast as a failsafe against The Beast. 

Players will have to dive deep into these fortresses, while also disabling traps and disarming ancient precursor weapons all while picking up powerful loot and engaging with new mechanics. 

Similarly, players who want to hunt certain bosses can now also do so via dedicated quests, removing the reliance on random key drops from previous updates. 

To further enhance the mapping experience, the game is also introducing Masters of the Atlas, which sees three new characters who give additional bonuses to enhance your endgame experience.

The Fortress isn't the only new endgame storyline, however- previous Early Access Leagues like Delirium, Breach, Ritual and Expedition are all getting updates, as they now live in fixed locations on the Atlas. 

Each questline also leads to the encounter with their respective bosses, such as Tangmazu the Raven Trickster for Delirium.

Path of Exile 2 Return of the Ancients will also include quality of life changes, such as a live-search Atlas Map, as well as in-game Build Guides that the community can contribute to. 

Runesmithing In The Aldur League

Naturally, the update also comes with a new league, which sees players access Ezomyte Runesmithing via the NPC Farrow. 

The core of this league is made of the new Remnants- powerful, ancient Kalguuran devices that players must inscribe with runes using a mix of pre-existing and player selected symbols. 

These will create powerful items, but only after you fight off waves of enemies- enhanced by the very same combination of symbols chosen by the player. 

Enough messing with Kalguuran magic introduces a new skill system powered by Runic Ward instead of Mana, which also allows powerful new skills that are entirely class-agnostic. 

New Ascendancy Classes

Similarly, this update also adds new Ascendancy Classes for the Huntress and the Monk, letting players duke it out with the powers of a cool boss monster you've found or just your bare knuckles. 

The first of these is the Spirit Walker, a new Ascendancy for the Huntress. 

This new Ascendancy Class harnesses Azmerian Spirits letting players channel powers of the Stag, Owl or Bear spirit to get powerful abilities like empowered projectiles, as well as literally just summoning a bear. 

Additionally, with her Idolatry ability, she can use Idol Socketables in equipment for Minion focused builds, including taming Beast bosses and using them in fights. 

The second of these ascendancy classes is the Martial Artist for Monk, which lets players trigger their inner V-ism using spiritual energy to duplicate attacks to keep the combo up. 

Additionally, players can also fortify their bodies with Stone, empower blows as well as take runic tattoos in a build that's all about becoming the living weapon.