Path of Exile 2 will have a Free Weekend coinciding with “The Third Edict” launch on September 29th, ending September 1st, allowing players to experience Act 4 without an Early Access key.

Overview

The “The Third Edict” update for Path of Exile 2 introduces significant new gameplay content in the form of Act 4 and three Interlude acts, along with a multitude of new bosses designed to enhance the campaign and early endgame experience.

Act 4: The Karui Archipelago

Act 4 marks the next chapter in the Path of Exile 2 storyline, continuing directly from the end of Act 3.

• Story Objective: Doryani assists you in finding pieces of an ancient weapon, “The Instrument of the Third Edict,” which was broken in ages past. These pieces are believed to be hidden in the Karui Archipelago.
• Location and Exploration: Players journey to Kingsmarch to hire a ship and set sail for the Karui Archipelago, the home of the Karui tribes. Act 4 is completely non-linear, allowing players to visit its eight islands in any order they choose.
  • Examples include the pristine beaches of Whakapanu Island, rumored to be afflicted by a curse.
  • Another destination is the volcanic shores of the Isle of Kin, where the Kin tribe has become restless, mining for Sulphite driven by a dark force.
  • Players can also consult with local Karui tribes for ancient wisdom.
• Gameplay and Content: Throughout Act 4, players will fight dangerous beasts, discover fabulous treasures, and battle incredible bosses.
  • It features over 100 new monster types.
  • It introduces 16 new areas.
  • There are 12 new bosses to encounter.
• Access: Path of Exile 2 will have a Free Weekend coinciding with “The Third Edict” launch on September 29th, ending September 1st, allowing players to experience Act 4 without an Early Access key.

Interludes: Bridging to the Endgame

Following Act 4, players no longer have to repeat the entire campaign. Instead, three new “Interlude” acts are introduced to bridge the gap between Act 4 and the endgame.

• Purpose and Duration: These Interludes are temporary side-stories that will remain in the game until Act 5 is released. They are designed to take players to level 65, where the endgame can begin.
• Content Quantity: Each Interlude contains 6 to 7 new areas and generally includes 4 boss fights.
• Overall Campaign Extension: When combined with Act 4, these additions bring the total to 35 new areas and 24 new boss fights within the campaign.
• Cruel Difficulty Removal: With the addition of Act 4 and the Interludes, Cruel Difficulty is no longer necessary and has been removed.
• Future Integration: While temporary for the campaign, the bosses and areas from the Interludes are not discarded; they will be integrated into the endgame content.

Here’s a breakdown of each Interlude:

• Interlude 1 (Ogham):
  • Setting: Players return to Ogham, where efforts to rebuild after Count Geonor’s defeat are underway.
  • Threat: The nearby town of Holten is surrounded by an impenetrable darkness, with corrupted townfolk raiding farmlands nightly.
  • Objective: Players must find a way through the darkness, uncover the source of the corruption, and defeat it. This Interlude features new areas and new bosses.
• Interlude 2 (Vastiri Desert):
  • Setting: You return to the Vastiri desert where Asala has been tasked with the sacred “Gifting of Water” ritual, but the guardians, the Sel Khari, are missing.
  • Objective: Players must track down the Sel Khari, find those disrupting the ritual, discover ancient secrets, and help Asala complete her duty. This Interlude includes even more new bosses and locations.
• Interlude 3 (Great Mountain Vault):
  • Setting: This Interlude involves Doryani’s ancient plan to seal willing Vaal deep within a great mountain vault near the Azmeri home to survive a cataclysm.
  • Journey: The path up the mountain is dangerous, introducing new foes and increasingly colder environments. Players will explore caves of ice and enter the vault itself.

Bosses and Endgame Encounters

The “The Third Edict” update introduces a vast array of new boss encounters:

• Campaign Bosses:
  • Act 4: Features 12 new bosses across its eight islands.
  • Interludes: Each of the three Interludes includes approximately 4 boss fights, totaling 12 new bosses for these segments.

• Endgame Map Bosses:
  • The update adds 25 new Endgame Maps, which will incorporate all the new monsters and bosses introduced in the campaign, offering repeated encounters.
  • Rockpools Map: Features a giant Goblin King boss.
  • Holten Map: Contains a gothic reaper-like boss capable of manipulating storms and dealing both lightning and chaos damage.
• New Atlas Mechanics for Epic Bosses: To prevent key campaign bosses from being used as regular map bosses, new Atlas mechanics will integrate uber versions of the Act Four boss and the final bosses of each Interlude. These encounters will have their own exclusive drop pools of powerful Lineage Supports.
  • Desert Biome: Encounter a Faridun Swordmaster, blessed with the power of a Time Djinn. This boss can replicate, maneuver rapidly, and sever the fabric of time. He drops Garukhan’s Resolve Lineage Support.
  • Vaal Vault (Mountain Biome): Accessing this vault requires a key found in adjacent maps. Inside, you’ll face a Vaal Elite, an uber version of the Act Four boss or Interlude bosses. This boss drops Paquate’s Pact Lineage Support.
  • Summoning Circles: Some maps can now spawn these rooms, allowing players to activate them to spawn bosses directly.
• Abyssal League Bosses: The Rise of the Abyssal league also brings new boss-type encounters:
  • Lichborn Exiles: Rogue Exiles near Abyssal Pits can be revived as powerful Lichborn with Abyssal Modifiers, dropping unique Jewels.
  • Giga Larvae Creature: If an Abyss spawns near a boss, killing the boss summons this gigantic creature.
  • Abyssal Depths: End of these dungeons feature a Rare monster with a powerful Lichborn Modifier.
  • Ancient Spires: In endgame Abyssal Depths, players destroy these spires and kill their commanders.
  • The Abyss League introduces four main bosses that drop unique items like the Darkness Enthroned belt (which can count as a different equipment slot for socketables) and the Undying Hate unique jewel (which transforms part of your passive skill tree).

Boss Mechanics: A general theme across the game is that it is much harder to Freeze a boss, so players will receive a bigger reward for doing so.

Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict Contents

• Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict and Abyssal League Revealed
• Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict – Support Gems Upgrades