PoE 2 Season 1 League Release Date, New Ascendancy Classes & Content (0.2.0 Patch)

Path of Exile 2 is about to receive its biggest update yet with Patch 0.2.0, marking the start of Season 1: Dawn of the Hunt. This update introduces a new league, additional classes, fresh ascendancies, new support gems, endgame changes, and quality-of-life improvements. With a full seasonal reset, players will be diving into a completely fresh experience. So it's time to take a close look at the Path of Exile 2 new league start date and new content rolling out in the first season!

PoE 2 Season 1 Release Date - When will Path of Exile 2 New League Start?

The Dawn of the Hunt League launches on April 4, 2025, at 12:00 PM Pacific / 3:00 PM Eastern for PC and consoles. This marks the beginning of PoE 2 Season 1, bringing a new gameplay cycle and fresh content for players to experience.

Before the launch, Grinding Gear Games (GGG) will host a live stream on March 27 at 12:00 PM Pacific on Twitch. This event will showcase the full details of Patch 0.2, followed by a Q&A session with ZiggyD. Twitch Drops will also be available, giving players an opportunity to earn in-game rewards by watching the stream.

PoE 2 Season 1 Cotent - What to Expect in Path of Exile 2 League Reset?

Here are main new league contents we are going to see in PoE 2 Season 1:

1. New Class: The Huntress & Spear Combat

The Huntress is a dexterity-based class, specializing in spear combat. This marks the introduction of a new weapon type: Spears, which emphasizes precise melee attacks, agility, and mobility.

Combat Style & Playstyle

The Huntress appears to be a fast-paced melee fighter, relying on quick thrusts, evasive maneuvers, and high-damage critical strikes. Given the league's theme, Dawn of the Hunt, the Huntress may incorporate tracking mechanics, bleed effects, and movement-based abilities that allow her to chase down enemies efficiently.

Spears are expected to offer a mix of melee and mid-range capabilities, possibly allowing the Huntress to keep a safe distance while striking enemies. Some potential mechanics that could be tied to spears include:

• Multi-hit combos that chain attacks together.

• Leap or dash attacks for high mobility.

• Precision-based skills that reward well-timed strikes.

• Bleed or poison synergies, fitting the "hunting" theme.

2. New Ascendancies

Alongside the Huntress class, GGG has confirmed that each class will have three Ascendancy options. So far, two new Ascendancies have been revealed:

Mercenary's Third Ascendancy (Sword & Shield Combat)

The Mercenary is receiving a third Ascendancy, focused on sword and shield combat. While the exact name hasn't been confirmed, its design suggests a tactical, defensive warrior archetype. Since this Mercenary Ascendancy revolves around sword and shield combat, it is expected to offer:

• Defensive bonuses, such as increased block chance, armor scaling, or counterattacks.

• Sword-based techniques that boost attack speed, cleave effectiveness, or critical hits.

• Shield-based abilities that allow for damage mitigation, retaliation strikes, or knockbacks.

• A balance of offense and defense, making it effective in both solo and group play.

This new Ascendancy will provide another layer of build customization, especially for players looking to create a sturdy yet aggressive melee fighter.

Blacksmith (New Warrior Ascendancy)

The Blacksmith appears to be a physically powerful warrior infused with fire-based abilities. The teaser image shows a heavily built fighter surrounded by flames, which may indicate mechanics tied to fire conversion, weapon empowerment, or crafting-related skills. Potential mechanics for this Ascendancy could include:

• Physical-to-Fire Conversion – Similar to the old Chieftain Ascendancy in Path of Exile 1, which allowed skills to convert physical damage into fire damage.

• Weapon Overheat Mechanic – A system where attacks deal more damage the longer combat lasts, possibly leading to self-burn trade-offs for extra power.

• Forge-Based Buffs – The ability to "temper" weapons mid-combat for temporary damage or defense boosts, similar to the forging mechanics in some RPGs.

• Enhanced Slam & Strike Skills – Given the Warrior’s association with heavy melee combat, this Ascendancy may improve Slam Attacks, Ignite effects, or AoE-based melee strikes.

3. New Support Gems & Skill Modifiers

Several new support gems are being introduced, adding more ways to modify and optimize builds:

• Batter Shout – Supports Warcry skills, triggering physical damage explosions on enemies with fully broken armor.

• Perfection – Grants a stacking damage buff when landing perfectly timed skill uses, but loses all stacks if mistimed.

• The Range – Alters self-cast damage-dealing skills, applying an Energy Shield cost based on Intelligence while boosting non-ailment damage over time.

• Volcanic Eruption – Modifies melee strike skills, causing them to trigger volcanic eruptions when hitting ignited enemies.

• Emitter – Converts all extra elemental damage from supported skills into Cold Damage.

• Concoction – Consumes 20% of maximum Life Flask charges to increase bleeding damage.

• Commiserate – If inflicted by an ailment (Shock, Freeze, Ignite), supported skills apply stronger versions of the same ailment while also removing it from you.

These additions will give players more ways to optimize their characters and experiment with new synergies.

4. Endgame & Atlas Changes

Patch 0.2 also brings major upgrades to the endgame experience, including:

• Expanded Atlas Passive Skill Tree – More choices for customizing endgame encounters.

• Endgame Tower Mechanics – Towers will now include Breach, Rituals, and Beasts, making encounters more varied.

• Tower Modifiers – Players can apply additional modifiers to Towers using tablets, similar to how Maps are enhanced.

• Possible Map Completion Changes – GGG is considering a new system where defeating a map boss automatically completes the map, rather than requiring players to hunt for rare monsters. This is not yet confirmed but will be discussed in the March 27 live stream.

These updates are aimed at improving the endgame flow and giving players more control over their progression.

5. New Unique Items

Four new unique items have been revealed:

1. Prism Guardian (Shield) – Provides Armor, Energy Shield, and Block Chance, along with the rare Shield ability. It also grants Dexterity, Elemental Resistances, and +1 Maximum Spirit per 50 Maximum Life.

2. Spiritborn Crown (Helmet) – Offers Armor, Energy Shield, Maximum Life, and Chaos Resistance. Additionally, enemies in your presence count as being on low life.

3. Bringer of Rain (Decorated Helm) – Features Armor, Evasion Rating, Accuracy, and Life Regeneration. It allows two-handed weapons to be used but prevents the use of chest armor.

4. Hammer of Faith (Giant Maul) – A two-handed mace with high Physical Damage, Elemental Resistances, and Mana Regeneration. It grants a random Shrine buff every 10 seconds.

These items introduce new gameplay mechanics, encouraging players to experiment with fresh builds.

6. Seasonal League Reset & Character Progression

Like the original Path of Exile, Season 1 will introduce a full reset.

• All characters from Patch 0.1 will be moved to the "Eternal" (Standard) League, where they can still be played.

• A new seasonal League will start, requiring players to create fresh characters.

• The economy will reset, meaning all trades, currency, and progression must begin from scratch.

This system keeps the game competitive and engaging, ensuring that every player starts on equal footing.

7. Quality-of-Life Improvements

GGG has confirmed two key quality-of-life updates:

1. Weapon Set Locking – Players can lock their main hand, off-hand, or both, ensuring that the same items are used across different weapon sets.

2. Visual & Audio Enhancements – Improved graphics and sound design, including a visual upgrade for Essences, making important items and effects easier to identify.

These changes aim to streamline gameplay and improve the overall experience.