PoE2 Shadow Class Guide: Assassin, Infiltrator, Stealth
PoE2 Shadow class for 1.0: how Stealth, Darkness, Shades and Traps work, the dagger and trap skills shown so far, and Assassin vs Infiltrator.
In this guide 12 sections
The Shadow is Path of Exile 2's new dagger and trap class, arriving with the free-to-play 1.0 release on December 11, 2026 (PST). It's built around Stealth, a mechanic new to Path of Exile: monsters can't see you until you're close, your dagger skills hit harder from hiding, and traps you set while hidden go off in sequence when you strike. It launches with two Ascendancies, the Assassin and the Infiltrator (Grinding Gear Games).
Checked against GGG's Full Release page on November 12, 2026.
This PoE2 Shadow class guide covers only what has been shown so far. The Shadow isn't playable until December 11, so everything below is pre-release. The skill descriptions come from the item and gem tooltips on GGG's Full Release page. The Stealth rules come from GGG's ExileCon keynote and developer Q&A on November 6 and 7, as reported by Inven Global, Output Lag and PathofExile.gg. GGG can still change numbers and rules before launch, and it hasn't published either Ascendancy's passive nodes.
Quick summary
- Weapons: daggers, plus Traps, a new weapon type. Both appear on the Full Release page with Dexterity and Intelligence requirements.
- Stealth: monsters only notice you at short range. Dagger attacks from Stealth dash in, and most other actions end Stealth (Output Lag, PathofExile.gg).
- Shroud is the way into Stealth. It dashes you forward and leaves a Shade behind. Killing an enemy outside Stealth resets its cooldown (GGG tooltip).
- Traps placed in Stealth wait, then go off in the order you threw them. Each trap interacts with at least three others (GGG).
- Darkness is a new resource spent on Stealth attacks, and Shades are decoy clones that copy your attacks (Inven Global, Output Lag).
- Ascendancies: the Assassin and the Infiltrator. Only one Infiltrator node has been described so far, and nothing about the Assassin's mechanics.
What is the Shadow class in PoE2?
It's an ambush class: you hide, set up, then strike first. GGG's page says the Shadow "lurks unseen, using daggers, traps, and shades". In the lore he's a Perandus who now owes a debt to the dark god Prospero.
| Part of the kit | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stealth | Monsters can't see you until you're within a short distance | GGG |
| Daggers | Gain extra effects when used from Stealth, from poison explosions to shadow clones | GGG |
| Traps | A new weapon type. Trap skills need one equipped, and the example trap weapons grant a Shrapnel Trap skill | GGG tooltips |
| Shades | Clones that enemies can't tell apart from you. They copy your attacks | GGG, PathofExile.gg |
| Darkness | A resource you collect and spend on attacks from Stealth | Inven Global, GGG tooltips |
GGG's game director told the keynote audience that Stealth is "a totally new mechanic to PoE" (Output Lag). That's why the Shadow isn't a copy of the Path of Exile 1 class with the same name.
How does Stealth work in Path of Exile 2?
You go invisible to monsters until you get close, then your first strike comes from hiding. The details below come from GGG's ExileCon talks and Q&A as reported by the press, so treat them as pre-release:
- Detection: each monster has its own detection range. Touching the edge of one breaks Stealth, so the intended play is to dash in from outside it (Output Lag).
- Dagger attacks from Stealth dash you to the target, and the basic dagger attack does this too (Output Lag, PathofExile.gg).
- What ends Stealth: using most skills, hitting or being hit. A silent war cry and ethereal chaos skills such as Ethereal Knives are the exceptions shown so far (Output Lag, PathofExile.gg).
- Cooldowns pause while you're in Stealth, and entering Stealth gives each trap skill back one use (Output Lag, PathofExile.gg).
- Bosses can see you anywhere in their arena unless they're Blinded, according to PathofExile.gg's recap of the design talk.
Shroud is the core Stealth skill shown on GGG's page. It cloaks you, dashes you toward the target and leaves a Shade where you were standing. Nearby enemies are Blinded, Unique monsters in a larger radius too, and you can use it to interrupt other skills. While you're not in Stealth, a kill resets its cooldown.
How do traps work for the Shadow?
You throw traps, and they all go off when you strike. GGG says traps prepared in Stealth trigger automatically as you attack, in the order you threw them. Each trap can interact with at least three others.
| Trap | What the tooltip says | Combo it sets up |
|---|---|---|
| Freezing Trap | An icy burst, then smaller explosions with a very high chance to Freeze | Extracting an Impale fires an Ice Fragment |
| Concussive Trap | A blast wave that builds a lot of Heavy Stun | Shatters Frozen targets, spreads Ignite as Ignited Ground, expands gas clouds |
| Null Trap | Rips a hole in space, dealing chaos damage and Engulfing targets in Darkness | Engulfed targets explode on death or when Immobilised and leave a Remnant that grants Darkness |
| Shrapnel Trap | Granted by trap weapons such as the Brazier Trap and Spike Trap | Not described in detail |
Output Lag reports eight trap types in total, also naming Poison Gas, Fire and Electrocution traps. The Electrocution trap charges blades stuck in a target. A Detonate skill sets traps off from Stealth and spends Darkness to empower them. The developers compared it to a mine build, so a Shadow doesn't have to use daggers at all.
One community recap of the stage demo describes Traps as a two-handed ranged weapon (PathofExile.gg). If that's right, mixing daggers and traps means swapping weapon sets. GGG's page doesn't say how many hands a trap takes, so check the tooltip on December 11.
Which dagger skills does the Shadow have?
The skills shown so far focus on Stealth, Impale and poison. This list comes from GGG's tooltips and press reports of the keynote, and it isn't the full skill list.
- Shroud: dashes into Stealth and leaves a Shade (GGG).
- Ethereal Knives: you flip backwards and throw a fan of daggers that Impale. From Stealth it doesn't break Stealth and throws spectral knives that inflict Spectral Impales (GGG).
- Viper Strike: used from Stealth, it poisons your blade so later hits set off poison explosions (Inven Global, Output Lag).
- Blade Vortex: pulls Impales back out. Its blades now last a number of hits, not a set time (Output Lag).
- Blade of the Night builds Darkness, Shadow Extraction creates more Shades, and Eclipse puts you in a Shadow Realm where every attack counts as coming from Stealth (Output Lag).
PathofExile.gg also reports that Impale now belongs to daggers, with Poisoned, Electrified and Spectral versions. That fits the Spectral Impales on GGG's own Ethereal Knives tooltip.
Assassin vs Infiltrator: which Ascendancy should you pick?
Nobody can answer that yet, because neither Ascendancy's nodes have been published. GGG's page gives each one a line of lore:
| Ascendancy | GGG's description | Mechanics shown so far |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin | Kills targets before they ever see him, repaying his debt to Prospero one contract at a time | None published |
| Infiltrator | A master thief who keeps an artefact he finds for his own ends | One node: a cog-shaped totem whose pulses set off every trap in its radius, in the order they were placed (developer Q&A via Output Lag) |
Output Lag reports that traps inside the cog totem's radius don't go off when monsters walk near them. Each pulse sets them all off, and you can have several totems at once. That points to the Infiltrator as the trap-focused option. Nothing published ties the Assassin to a particular weapon or playstyle, but its lore suggests single-target killing. That's our reading, not a GGG statement.
What about the Duelist's Knight Ascendancy?
The Knight is the Duelist's other new Ascendancy for 1.0, with the Master-at-Arms. GGG says the Knight leads followers from the front line. Inven Global's keynote report describes a Squire companion that you equip with items and skill gems, a War Banner that raises attack speed and damage for you and the Squire, and a mounted charge that knocks enemies back. Our 1.0 release guide covers the Duelist and the rest of the update.
How to plan a Shadow start on December 11
- Wait for the 1.0 patch notes before you pick an Ascendancy. They should list both node sets.
- Decide between daggers and traps, or both. A Detonate-style trap character and a Stealth dagger character could play very differently.
- Stack Dexterity and Intelligence. The Shadow's skill gems and the example daggers and trap weapons on GGG's page all ask for both.
- Have a backup class. Every Shadow build will be untested at launch. Our league starter tier list shows which existing classes start smoothly.
Example: a player starting in Conquerors of Wraeclast might level a Shadow on Shroud and Ethereal Knives, then use the first Ascendancy trial to choose. If the Infiltrator's trap nodes are as strong as the Q&A suggests, a trap build could take over from there.
Want a hand with this?
If you would rather not level a new class yourself, Path of Exile 2 leveling services and build services are listed on FullBoosts, with everything else on the Path of Exile 2 page. Read Grinding Gear Games's 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 Shadow coming to Path of Exile 2? With the 1.0 full release on December 11, 2026 (PST), when PoE2 also becomes free to play.
What are the PoE2 Shadow Ascendancies? The Assassin and the Infiltrator. GGG has given each a lore description, but no full node list. The only node described so far is the Infiltrator's cog totem that sets off traps.
How does stealth work in PoE2? In Stealth, monsters don't see you until you're close. Attacking from Stealth dashes you in, most actions end Stealth, and cooldowns pause while you're hidden (Output Lag, PathofExile.gg).
Can the Shadow use traps without daggers? It looks that way. GGG's developers described a Detonate skill that sets off traps from Stealth and spends Darkness, and compared it to a mine build with no daggers needed (Output Lag).
What attributes does the Shadow use? Dexterity and Intelligence going by the tooltips: the Shadow's skill gems and the example daggers and trap weapons on GGG's Full Release page all require both. GGG's page doesn't show where the Shadow starts on the passive tree.
Is the PoE2 Shadow the same as the Path of Exile 1 Shadow? No. They share a name, but the PoE2 Shadow is built around Stealth, Darkness, Shades and the new trap weapon, none of which exist in PoE1.
Sources
- GGG: Path of Exile 2 Full Release page (class descriptions and skill tooltips)
- GGG: ExileCon 2026 Announcements (November 7, 2026)
- Inven Global: ExileCon 2026 keynote report (November 6, 2026)
- Output Lag: Path of Exile 2 1.0 adds the Shadow (November 6, 2026)
- Output Lag: the Infiltrator's cog totems (November 6, 2026)
- PathofExile.gg: ExileCon 2026 Day 2 recap (November 9, 2026)
