Path of Exile 2 1.0 Release Date: Dec 11, Free to Play
Path of Exile 2 1.0 releases December 11, 2026 (PST) and goes free to play, adding Acts 5 and 6, the Shadow, the Duelist and Conquerors of Wraeclast.
In this guide 13 sections
Path of Exile 2 1.0 releases on December 11, 2026 (PST), when the game leaves Early Access and becomes free to play for everyone. The full release completes the campaign with Acts 5 and 6, adds two classes (the Shadow and the Duelist) and launches a new challenge league, Conquerors of Wraeclast (Grinding Gear Games).
Checked against GGG's Full Release announcement and the Steam store page on November 12, 2026.
Everything below comes from what GGG has announced so far: the August 25 release-date post, the ExileCon 2026 announcements of November 7, and the Full Release page. None of the 1.0 content is playable yet, so skill numbers, boss counts and league rules can still change before launch. The 1.0 patch notes will be the final word, and we'll update this page when they're out.
Quick summary
- Release date: December 11, 2026, PST. The Steam page lists "Leaving Early Access: 11 Dec, 2026". The pages we checked give the date but no launch hour.
- Price: free to play once it leaves Early Access (Steam store page, GGG).
- Campaign: six Acts in total. Acts 5 and 6 add 24 areas and 18 new unique bosses (GGG).
- New classes: the Shadow (daggers, traps, Stealth) with the Assassin and Infiltrator Ascendancies, and the Duelist (swords, Stances) with the Knight and Master-at-Arms.
- League: Conquerors of Wraeclast, built around recruiting troops, sieging castles and building a stronghold.
- Early Access characters: they aren't wiped. GGG's Early Access FAQ says they move to a league called Early Access and never join Standard.
When does Path of Exile 2 1.0 come out?
Path of Exile 2 fully releases on December 11, 2026, in Pacific time. GGG announced the date at gamescom on August 25, 2026, and repeated it in its ExileCon announcement on November 7.
| Milestone | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Early Access began | December 6, 2024 | Steam store page |
| Release date announced at gamescom | August 25, 2026 | GGG forum announcement |
| Forbidden Rites (0.5.5) event league starts | September 2026 | GGG forum announcements |
| ExileCon 2026 full reveal | November 6, 2026 (PST) | GGG forum announcement |
| Full release registration closes | December 11, 2026 | GGG forum announcement |
| 1.0 full release, free to play | December 11, 2026 (PST) | GGG, Steam |
Release coverage lists PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and the standalone client), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S as launch platforms (RPG Site, August 25). Because the date is given in PST, players in Europe, Asia and Oceania may see the servers open on December 12 local time. Check GGG's announcements for the hour once it's posted.
Is Path of Exile 2 free to play?
Yes, from December 11. GGG calls 1.0 "a fully free-to-play action RPG", and the Steam page says that once the game is out of Early Access it will be free to play. Until then, Early Access still needs a supporter pack or an access key.
GGG said on October 23 that the Early Access Supporter Packs would leave "in a few weeks", replaced by a set of five new packs. If you want one of the old packs for its cosmetics, that window is closing. You don't need any pack to play 1.0.
There's also a free reward for signing up. Register at pathofexile2.com/register and confirm the email before December 11 to get the cosmetic rewards unlocked by community milestones. GGG's October 20 post says two cosmetic effects were unlocked by then. Existing Early Access players have to register too, because owning Early Access doesn't add you automatically.
How many acts are in Path of Exile 2?
Six. At 1.0 the campaign runs from Act 1 to Act 6. GGG's Full Release page calls it "the complete six-Act Campaign".
Early Access had four Acts and three Interludes, which stood in for the missing story. Our Acts and leveling guide covers that current route.
| Act | What we know | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 1 to 4 | Already in Early Access | GGG |
| Act 5 | Set in Oriath, where you face the Twilight Order and the Beast. Areas include slums, estates, the Temple District and a Grand Arena | GGG |
| Act 6 | Not described beyond the shared totals | GGG |
| Acts 5 and 6 together | 24 areas, 18 new unique bosses, more than 20 new Champion Rare encounters | GGG |
Inven Global's keynote report adds that Oriath's harbor is blocked by giant chains, so you land on the far side of the island and lower them from inside. GGG hasn't said where the Interludes' zones and bosses go once Acts 5 and 6 arrive.
What are the new classes in PoE2 1.0?
The Shadow and the Duelist. That brings the game to ten classes, and Inven Global reports GGG saying the last two of the twelve planned classes will come in later updates.
| Class | Weapons | New mechanic | Ascendancies at 1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow | Daggers and Traps (a new weapon type) | Stealth | Assassin, Infiltrator |
| Duelist | Swords | Stances: Ready, Sand and Blood | Knight, Master-at-Arms |
The Shadow was the ExileCon surprise. In Stealth, monsters can't see you until you're close. Dagger skills used from Stealth gain extra effects, and traps you set while hidden go off in the order you threw them once you strike (GGG). Our PoE2 Shadow guide covers its skills and both Ascendancies.
The Duelist was revealed at gamescom in August. Its Ready Stance boosts sword skills. Stunning an enemy moves you into Sand Stance and parrying moves you into Blood Stance, and each one changes how your sword skills behave (GGG). Inven Global describes the Knight as having a Squire companion that you equip with items and skill gems, a War Banner and a mounted charge.
What is the Conquerors of Wraeclast league?
It's the 1.0 challenge league. You join the mercenary leader Varek, recruit troops and fight battles during the campaign, then build a stronghold in the endgame (GGG).
| Part of the league | What GGG has announced |
|---|---|
| Campaign | Over 70 points of interest for recruiting troops, and over 20 missions such as defending villages, assaulting forts and breaking gates |
| Stronghold | Pick one of three factions, each with its own fortress style and troops, and over 20 buildings and upgrades per faction |
| Reforging | Castle treasuries can hold a new crafting material that swaps an unwanted modifier for a random fractured one |
| Commanders | Up to three commanders take troops and Waystones and clear maps, complete Towers or chase Tablet rewards for you |
| Conquer Wraeclast | After the endgame storyline, your faction competes for over 100 castles. Held castles add item rarity, open special maps and act as Atlas launch points |
| Storyline | A new endgame story about the Sanguar bloodline and the Blood Lord |
Inven Global reports the three stronghold styles as Ezomyte, Maraketh and Karui. GGG hasn't published league rewards or the league's length yet.
What else changes in 1.0?
GGG lists these on its Full Release page:
- Uniques: over 40 new Unique Items, and more than 70 existing ones reworked.
- Passive tree: hundreds of new stats, and every Jewel Socket moved into the clusters.
- Gems: new skills for classes that were missing them, and a large Support Gem rebalance.
- Class reworks: the Mercenary reloads in the background, and the Infernalist, Blood Mage and Acolyte of Chayula get new tools.
Inven Global's keynote report adds 25 new endgame maps, over 200 new base item types and an Atlas passive tree cut down to 70 nodes. Treat those as reported numbers until the patch notes confirm them.
What carries over from Early Access to 1.0?
Your characters stay, but they don't join the new economy. GGG's Early Access FAQ says there won't be a wipe. Characters "will just go to a league called Early Access (so they will never be in Standard)", and after launch they will still exist.
So 1.0 starts everyone fresh in Conquerors of Wraeclast or the new Standard. Items and currency in the Early Access league don't move over, and later balance changes can make old characters play differently. Account-wide purchases such as cosmetics aren't part of that FAQ answer, so check GGG's 1.0 FAQ when it's published.
How to get ready for December 11
- Register at pathofexile2.com/register and confirm the email for the launch cosmetics.
- Play out Forbidden Rites if you still have goals there. It runs until 1.0, and our league starter tier list shows what works on 0.5.5.
- Pick two starters: one main and one backup. Shadow and Duelist builds will be untested on day one, so a familiar class can be a safer first character.
- Plan for a slower campaign. With two more Acts and league missions spread through the campaign, your 0.5.5 campaign times won't carry over.
- Read the 1.0 patch notes before you commit to a build, since numbers shown at ExileCon can still change.
Example: a player who wants to try the Shadow but also wants a smooth league start could level a familiar class to maps first. After a few days of community testing, they'd roll a Shadow with a tested Ascendancy and build.
Want a hand with this?
If you would rather not grind the new campaign yourself, Path of Exile 2 leveling services, build services and Atlas help are listed on FullBoosts, with everything else on the Path of Exile 2 page. Read Grinding Gear Games' Terms of Use before you buy any service from anyone, FullBoosts included. A marketplace listing isn't publisher permission.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Path of Exile 2 1.0 release date? December 11, 2026, in Pacific time (PST). That's when PoE2 leaves Early Access on Steam.
Is Path of Exile 2 free to play at full release? Yes. GGG and the Steam store page both say it becomes free to play when it leaves Early Access on December 11, 2026. Optional purchases are cosmetics and extra stash tabs (RPG Site).
How many acts are in Path of Exile 2 1.0? Six. Acts 5 and 6 are new in 1.0 and add 24 areas and 18 new unique bosses. Early Access had four Acts and three Interludes.
What is the new class in Path of Exile 2 1.0? Two classes arrive: the Shadow, a dagger and trap class built on Stealth with the Assassin and Infiltrator Ascendancies, and the Duelist, a sword class with the Knight and Master-at-Arms.
Will my Early Access characters be wiped at 1.0? No. GGG's Early Access FAQ says they move to a league called Early Access and never go to Standard, so they can't trade or play with 1.0 league characters.
What is the PoE2 1.0 league called? Conquerors of Wraeclast. You recruit troops with the mercenary Varek, build a stronghold, send commanders to clear maps and compete for castles with your faction.
Sources
- GGG: Path of Exile 2 Fully Releases on December 11! (August 25, 2026)
- GGG: ExileCon 2026 Announcements (November 7, 2026)
- GGG: Path of Exile 2 Full Release page
- GGG: Full Release Registration (October 20, 2026)
- GGG: Early Access Supporter Packs Leaving Soon (October 23, 2026)
- GGG: Path of Exile 2 Early Access FAQ
- Steam: Path of Exile 2 store page
- Inven Global: ExileCon 2026 keynote report (November 6, 2026)
- RPG Site: Path of Exile 2 reaches its 1.0 Full Release on December 11 (August 25, 2026)
