Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, first early access update

Path of Exile 2 developer Grinding Gear Games announced that Dawn of the Hunt, the first major content update since the ARPG's Early Access debut last year, will launch in the Philippines on April 5, 2025.

Note that Path of Exile 2 is a free-to-play title, except for the paid early access options (for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games). The game will fully launch in 2025 and will be free for all players.

Some key highlights of the first Early Access update include a new Huntress class, five ascension classes, dozens of encounters in the endgame, and over one hundred unique items. More details below.

New Huntress Class

Enter the bloody boots of the Huntress, a fierce spear-wielder. She stalks her target with spear throws and close combat after being exiled. Her arsenal makes fighting feel like a constant pursuit, moving into and out of melee range at will.

The Huntress may stun monsters with her parry and then counterattack. Disengage after a Parry to jump back, gain a Frenzy charge, and then throw an enhanced spear.

Stalk your target with elemental spear attacks that let the Huntress use her longest combo chains.

5 New Ascendancy Classes

• Ritualist (Huntress) - She shed blood to corrupt their enemies. She uses blood sacrifice and plague to explore Azmeri's forbidden depths.
• Amazon (Huntress) - A hunter who lives on precision and elemental fury. Champions of the Amazon Ascension become elite hunters who safeguard Azmeri Elders.
• Lich (Witch) - The Lich masters undeath and chaos by tearing apart their soul. The Chaos and Curses master Lich can use her life to boost her Energy.
• Smith of Kitava (Warrior) - The Kitava Smith makes weapons from fire and suffering. Resonate with Kitava, the insatiable, to boost Smithing skills.
• Tactician (Mercenary) - He unleashes military-grade brutality. The Tactician, a former Blackguard Elite, can wipe out Wraeclast's monsters while making a good living.

New Skills and Support Gems

Besides 20 new huntress spear skills, Path of Exile 2 brings two other highly-anticipated abilities:

Raise Spectre - You can trap and summon practically any monster's soul with this skill. Expect infinite experimentation to find the ultimate undead army with hundreds of monster variants.

Summon Rhoa Mount - Call a Rhoa to battle with you or ride it to attack at full speed. However, too much damage can knock you off and leave you vulnerable to a horrible fate.

Moreover, this expansion overhauls character development by adding over 100 Support Gems to diversify builds. Support gems change your skills in fascinating, game-changing ways. Haemocrystals transform bleed effects into explosive Vaal crystals, and Caltrops spread, delaying dangers around the battlefield.

100+ New Unique Items

The PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt update emphasizes Mid and Endgame Unique items, giving high-level characters more exciting bounty.

New Crafting Tools

Rewards in various in-game areas include new crafting tools:

• Over 20 runes have been added to help you craft new mods for your gear.
• Stronger endgame mods are possible now that runes grow with several tiers.
• Path of Exile 2 will offer even more crafting options by adding new specialized socketable mods, with the first set coming in the next content update.

New Monsters

Azmeri Spirit inhabits Wraeclast. Wisps retreat when confronted, and monsters they touch become stronger. Wisps also find and own Rare or Unique monsters, which provide them with strong new abilities and rewards. Twelve types of wisps have different mechanics and rewards.

New Maps

Dawn of the Hunt introduces 8 Maps with new challenges and rewards. Each has new, interesting experiences.

Be forced to battle mirrored Rare monsters in The Fractured Lake or enter the untamed Ezomyte Forests of The Phaaryl Megaliths, where rune-carved stones pulse with energy. Full boss rewards and exclusive Runes await those who survive the storm-fueled boss waves.

Unique Strongboxes

Four new Unique Strongboxes offer devastating mechanics and great rewards.

Ogham's Legacy has a rune-carved stone and a wiped out creature that revives as a powerful Rare. Each failure brings another resurrection with variables that make the fight harder but more rewarding.

Ixchel's Torment uses Vaal thaumaturgy to summon Chaos-powered guardians to safeguard a powerful artifact. A unique Corrupted item will be awarded to the winners.

Corrupted Essences

Four new Corrupted Essences—Hysteria, Delirium, Horror, and Insanity—offer new battle dynamics and amazing crafting outcomes, such as guaranteed double Enchantments when utilizing a Vaal Orb on belts.

Cleanse Corruption

As "Corruption" spreads across Wraeclast, zones grow. Each has a Corrupted Nexus with three new bosses, combinations of "Corruption" itself.

Beating these bosses cleanses any lingering "Corruption" areas. Cleansed Maps add monsters, a boss, Modifiers, and rewards.

Rogue Exiles

Traveling, you may encounter Rogue Exiles—exiles like you who are openly hostile. Their challenge is a deathmatch. These Exiles can dodge roll, escape your abilities with sophisticated pathfinding and targeting, and more in this action-packed game. Rogue Exiles employ player skills and items. In addition to dressing in those items, they know how to use Uniques.

If you defeat these Exiles, those items will drop.

Endgame Improvements

The Dawn of the Hunt expansion substantially changes the endgame. Towers have been greatly reduced yet strengthened. Tablets affect twice as many areas, and Towers with higher-tier Maps affect even more. Each Tower can also consume three Tablets.

These adjustments considerably decrease endgame busy work and improve your ability to use them. Additionally, Towers can spawn with all mechanics and have new Bosses.

That's it, guys. I will just repeat that Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt will be released in the Philippines on April 5, 2025. The latest content update will be accessible in Early Access leagues for players with existing characters. Starting again in a new economy is suggested for the complete Dawn of the Hunt league experience.