Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict brings a slew of new features, changes, and improvements to the existing gameplay loop, impacting both the campaign and the endgame. Rise of the Abyssal is the name of the new PoE 2 league, involving new monster types and a unique mechanic that will add a new flavor to the experience.
Although no new class was announced for The Third Edict, fixing the core basics that many players have been frustrated with for a long time is much more important, and from the looks of it, version 0.3 is doing just that. Here are the most impactful changes being made in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict.
Act 4 and Interlude Acts
Removal of Cruel Difficulty
One of the biggest new changes coming in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict is the arrival of Act 4 and the removal of the cruel difficulty. From this update onwards, after clearing Acts 1-3, players will be tasked with sailing to a brand new archipelago map in Act 4 where they’ll have the freedom to complete the seven islands in the Act in any order they like.
Afterwards, instead of repeating Act 1-3 in cruel difficulty again, players will get to experience three Interlude Acts in the lead-up to the endgame, which contain new permanent bonuses to uncover. Completing all three Interlude Acts will put players somewhere within the level 65 range, neatly transitioning into the Atlas of Worlds. The Interlude Acts can be completed in any order and will dynamically adjust their level depending on how powerful the player is.
Sprinting
Faster Clear Speeds and Travel Time
A big problem in Path of Exile 2 used to be that getting from point A to point B used to be a slog, especially in larger maps like the Apex of Filth. Using Waypoints to fast travel did reduce travel time, but these points are typically far apart and don’t cover the entirety of the map.
With version 0.3, The Third Edict, GGG is introducing sprinting, a mechanic that nearly doubles a character’s movement speed when they press and hold the dodge roll key. To avoid making it too powerful a movement ability however, getting hit with an attack while sprinting stuns the player character for a long time.
New Trade System
Completely Asynchronous Trade
A huge quality-of-life feature being added in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict is the new, completely asynchronous trade system. In this new system, players will give items they want to up for sale to a dedicated vendor in their hideout, which will then be automatically listed on the trade website.
When players who want to purchase the item click on the trade site entry, they will be automatically teleported to the seller’s hideout in-game and will be able to purchase the item from the merchant and browse any other wares the seller has for sale while they’re there. Players will be able to convert their premium stash tabs into merchant tabs from the official website. The previous PoE 2 trade system will still be in place for players who prefer that method.
Multiple Support Gem Copies
Build Variety Like Never Before
A big limitation on making a viable build in Path of Exile 2 used to be the restriction of one Support Gem of a specific type per character. Support Gems used to be exclusive, meaning if players slotted a Martial Tempo in one of their skills, they could not slot another Martial Tempo in any other skill of that character, forcing prioritization and careful planning.
With PoE 2’s The Third Edict, this limitation is now removed. If they want to, players can now place the same Support Gem in all of their skills, flipping the current build meta on its head. That said, doubling up in a single skill is still not allowed.
Lineage Support Gems
Unique Supports For Powerful Builds
In addition to reworking how the base Support Gem system in Path of Exile 2 works, The Third Edict update also adds unique Supports Gems with exclusive effects that can only be found as drops by certain bosses and enemy encounters in the game, and cannot be obtained using Uncut Support Gems.
Lineage Support Gems range from build-defining items to simple damage upgrades to situational picks. Certain builds will benefit heavily from obtaining a specific Lineage Support, and since they can only be found as drops, it gives players more tangible rewards to work towards in the endgame.
Deflect
New Evasion Mechanic
Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict introduces Deflect, a defensive mechanic that reduces all incoming damage by a certain percentage and scales with Evasion. This was added as a means of solving Evasion’s biggest problem as a defensive stat: the inability to evade all hits except in niche circumstances, like with the Acrobatics Notable.
Currently, the main way to get Deflect on your character is through new passive skill tree nodes or by equipping an item that has the modifier “Gain Deflection rating equal to X% of Evasion Rating.”
Block and Parry Changes
Major Buff to the Defensive Playstyle
Owing to their lackluster results in the previous league, the Block and Parry mechanics are seeing a new rework in The Third Edict. Now, Block and Parry work on all enemy attacks, with the only exception being telegraphed red flash attacks that are only available to bosses.
In addition, players will now also be able to move faster while blocking and parrying, as GGG has reduced the movement penalty for doing so, although it has not been removed completely.
All Classes Buffed
Rebalancing the Meta
A major change in The Third Edict is that all classes are receiving major buffs to their weakest skills, least-used ascendancy subclasses, and forgotten builds. Everything from the Ranger’s Snipe to the Warrior’s Totems to the Monk’s Hand of Chayula class will be seeing improvements in the coming updates.
In particular, the Warrior’s fire and shield skills, the Witch’s minion skills, and the Mercenary’s entire kit have seen major reworks that will hopefully make them much more enjoyable to play. This is in addition to reworking various miscellaneous skills for other classes that shore up their weaknesses and bring up their strengths as well.
More Passive Skills
100+ Passive Notables
The passive skill tree in Path of Exile 2 is receiving a major upgrade in The Third Edict, as many more nodes are added to all parts of the tree, increasing the number of options players have at their fingertips.
In total, the new update adds over 100 new Notables on the tree, making the already intimidating skill selection even more dense. The new passives open up new theorycrafting opportunities for players, opening the door for new archetypes and playstyles.
New Abyssal League Mechanics
Rise of the Abyssal Pits
Path of Exile 2’s new league is named Rise of the Abyssal, which adds a new twist to the campaign and the story of Wraeclast. The main mechanic of the league is Abyssal Pits, giant fissures in the ground that lead to a large green pit that gives birth to monsters with special modifiers.
When any creature is killed while within the range of an Abyssal Pit, a newer, meaner abyssal monster rises from the pit to attack the player, increasing the threat but also the rewards. When all are defeated, the pit will close and an Abyssal Trove containing the rewards will emerge. This is also the only way to obtain the Gnawed Jawbone, an item that adds a hidden modifier to an item.
