In this Path of Exile 2 Act 4 overview, you’ll discover everything new coming with Act 4. We’ll walk you through the very first full league in PoE 2, highlight the endgame changes, and explain how crafting has evolved with new currencies and higher item tiers. On top of that, we’ll cover the new bosses and encounters waiting for you in this major update.
4.9Path of Exile 2 Act 4 Release Date
The second major update since early access in Path of Exile 2 — The Third Edict — will release on August 29, 2025. With the release of this update, Grinding Gear Games is hosting a free‑to‑play weekend from August 29 (1 pm PDT) to September 1 (1 pm PDT) so newcomers can experience the new content without purchasing early access.
This free weekend is a great opportunity for players who skipped the previous updates, and those who like what they see can then buy into early access. The weekend is a perfect opportunity to decide whether you like PoE 2 or not, and the best time to secure a Level Up for your character with the help of our team.
Path of Exile 2 Act 4 Features
Act 4 of Path of Exile 2 is nonlinear: you can sail between the islands in any order. Also, there are 3 mini-acts to smoothly transfer you into the endgame upon reaching level 65. According to previews, PoE 2 Act 4 adds more than 100 new monster types, 16 areas, and a dozen boss fights. Additionally, it brings tons of new features:
- New League: Rise of the Abyssal;
- New Zone: The Islands of Ngamakanui;
- New Bosses: Lord of Kin, Diamora, the Song of Death, and more;
- Three New Mini Acts;
- New Feature: Sprint;
- New Support Gem System;
- Major Balance Changes & New Skills;
- Crafting Updates.
And that’s not all! As usual, Path of Exiles 2 introduces new items, new endgame encounters, maps, rewards, and most importantly, the long-awaited feature — Asynchronous Trade.
Act 4 expands the campaign beyond the three original acts. In the story, Doryani agrees to help the player find an ancient weapon called the instrument of the Third Edict. The search leads to Kingsmarch and the Ngamakanui archipelago, eight islands ranging from tropical beaches to volcanic shores.
Path of Exile 2 Rise of the Abyssal League
One of the most noticeable updates in PoE 2 is that the Third Edict launches Path of Exile 2’s first full league, Rise of the Abyssal. This is a new challenge for us, where we will fight against empowered creatures, affected by breaches.
During the league, numerous breaches will appear all around the world, and these fissures are the central feature of the new PoE 2 league. All league mechanics basically revolve around them. Once the breach appears, it affects the monsters roaming around it, and you need to kill them all to close the breach.
If you manage to close the last breach in a sequence, you’ll receive an Abyssal trove with powerful items and rewards. You’ll surely need a reliable League Starter Build for a head start in the Rise of the Abyssal league, so don’t be afraid to ask our professional team for assistance.
Path of Exile 2 Abyssal Monsters
A central mechanic that you’ll witness in the Rise of the Abyssal League is the ability of the Abyssal creatures to inherit traits from monsters with special modifiers if you kill them. Taking down the Abyssal creatures with inherited traits is often more rewarding.
However, it should be noted that the enemy power rises accordingly to your progress. It also applies to such foes as Rogue Exiles, who can benefit from Abyss modifiers.
Path of Exile 2 Abyss Crafting
In the new Path of Exile 2 league, we’ll get to try out a unique crafting system that makes every Abyss encounter more rewarding. We can now add hidden Abyss modifiers to their gear using a brand-new currency called Ancient Bones. These bones can also be spent to unlock fresh modifiers that have a big impact on your equipment.
In Act 2, when you reach the Mastodon Badlands, keep an eye out for the Lightless Passage. This is where you can dive into the Well of Souls and apply hidden modifiers to weapons. And don’t forget to stock up on some PoE 2 Currency to craft whatever you need whenever you want.
Path of Exile 2 Rise of the Abyssal League Variations
PoE 2 Rise of the Abyssal is available in Standard, Hardcore, and Solo Self‑Found modes, with identical mechanics and items. You can also create private league versions, giving groups full control over rule sets. Since the 0.3.0 Patch resets early‑access characters and grants a passive tree refund, starting a new character in the league is recommended to enjoy the full experience.
Path of Exile 2 Asynchronous Trade
In Act 4 of PoE 2, the long-awaited Asynchronous Trade system finally arrives. This feature lets players trade items without requiring both parties to be online at the same time.
What’s the main benefit? You no longer need to coordinate logins with buyers or sellers. Just click Secure Item, and the trade is instantly handled for you.
📌 Trading will be available through the Trade section on the official Path of Exile website.
Path of Exile 2 The Islands of Ngamakanui
Path of Exile 2 The Ngamakanui Archipelago is a brand-new location made up of several islands that we can explore in the new Act. Each island plays a key role in the questline, as you’ll need to travel across them to gather the pieces of a powerful weapon — the Instrument of the Third Edict — the only tool capable of defeating the Beast.
Path of Exile 2 New Bosses
The new Act in Path of Exile 2 will feature a total of 24 new bosses, including a brand-new Pinnacle Boss tied to the Abyssal Depths. In addition, rewards tied to this boss have already been revealed. They include:
- Darkness Enthroned Fine Belt — a new belt with 2 Charm Slots.
- Elaman’s Gaze — a unique item that can be socketed into gloves, body armor, or helmets.
- Omen of Abyssal Echoes — a new consumable that, when activated, lets you reroll options while revealing desecrated modifiers.
We can help you with any Campaign Boss if you need. Our team is highly professional and well-trained, so it would only take a few moments till the boss falls.
Path of Exile 2 Three New Mini Acts
Path of Exile 2 Act 4 brings something unique to the game — three mini-acts that dive deeper into the story and create a smoother transition into the endgame. New mini acts in PoE 2 are:
- The Curse of Holten;
- The Stolen Barya;
- Doryani’s Contingency.
Together, these mini-acts introduce 19 new areas and 12 fresh bosses. By completing all three, your character will reach level 65, setting you up for a seamless entry into the Path of Exile 2 endgame. Want to get to the endgame even faster? Complete the Campaign with the help of our pro players to skip the grind.
Path of Exile 2 Sprint
A major update to the movement system in Path of Exile 2 is the addition of Sprint. To sprint, hold down the Dodge Roll button — once the roll ends, your character will automatically transition into a sprint.
This mechanic not only makes traveling the world faster but also adds more dynamic options in combat. Imagine dodging an attack and instantly bursting forward with extra speed — it opens up a whole new layer of mobility and tactical play.
Path of Exile 2 New Support Gem System
According to the developers at Grinding Gear Games, the Support Gem system in Path of Exile 2 has been completely reworked for the new Act. The main change is that you can now use multiple copies of the same support gem on your character.
On top of that, every support gem now comes with several tiers, allowing you to upgrade them as you progress. The tier of the gem is visible next to its name (e.g., Inginte I, Ignite II, Ignite III).
Path of Exile 2 Lineage Support Gems
In the endgame of Path of Exile 2 The Third Edict, you’ll get to experience the full potential of 40 brand-new Lineage Support Gems. These gems act almost like unique items for your skills, fundamentally changing how they function. Here are some examples:
- Zarokh’s Refrain — supports area or targeted spells, making them echo twice with a short delay. Supported skills also gain a cooldown, turning many abilities into powerful burst mechanics.
- Rakiata’s Flow — supports damaging hit skills, causing them to treat enemy elemental resistances as inverted. This gem can completely flip the damage calculations of certain builds, opening up devastating new setups.
- Ratha’s Assault — supports crossbow ammunition skills, loading multiple extra bolts whenever you dodge. Normal reloads become disabled, but you gain the ability to unleash triple volleys for massive burst damage.
To obtain and use Lineage Support Gems in PoE 2, you’ll need to defeat bosses. Some gems drop from specific encounters, while others can be farmed more generally.
📌 Developers have confirmed that several of these gems will be build-defining, so make sure to keep track of updates to your favorite setups.
Path of Exile 2 Major Balance Changes
In addition to new features, Act 4 also introduced major balance updates that change the way builds are created in Path of Exile 2. The full list of changes is massive and can be found on the official PoE 2 website. Key updates include:
- Over 100 new passive clusters have been added to the tree, with redesigned keystones and modifiers that open new synergies.
- Every class received buffs to increase build diversity, giving players more freedom to experiment both while leveling and in the endgame.
Want to ensure that your build is up-to-date and works perfectly for you? Consider asking our team for a Custom Build based on your preferences and optimal in-game items and skills.
Path of Exile 2 New Skills
PoE 2 The Third Edict expanded the skill arsenal, and now we have even more active and persistent buff gems. The key skills added in Path of Exile 2 Act 4 include:
- Fortifying Cry with shield shockwaves;
- Forge Hammer with fiery weapon recalls;
- Ancestral Cry transforms attacks into volcanic eruptions.
Dexterity users gained tools like Ice-Tipped Arrows and Toxic Domain, while Intelligence builds can now experiment with Frost Darts, Ravenous Swarm, and Siphon Elements. These new skills bring a breath of fresh air to gameplay but will also require players to adjust and fine-tune their builds.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Updates
Crafting is one of the core systems in Path of Exile 2, and it keeps evolving with every update. In Act 4, the system received major improvements to make it more powerful and predictable for players.
Path of Exile 2 New Crafting Currency
A brand-new crafting currency, Hinekora’s Lock, is now a part of Path of Exile 2 crafting system. You can imbue it into an item to preview the outcome of applying another currency. This makes crafting far more reliable and less RNG-heavy, which is essential for high-tier builds.
📌 Once you modify the item, the Hinekora’s Lock effect is removed.
Path of Exile 2 High-Tier Currency Items
PoE 2 base currencies now come in stronger tiers. This change applies to all standard currencies, including Transmutation, Augmentation, Chaos Orbs, and more. The new tiers are:
- Greater;
- Perfect.
Greater and Perfect currency items guarantee modifiers with a minimum level, giving you much more consistent results. In addition, Exceptional items are now available from the highest-level areas. These can roll extra sockets or even exceed maximum quality.
Path of Exile 2 Essence Changes
Essences across all tiers in PoE 2 received an update as well, and now they upgrade magic items to rare. On top of that, using an Essence is much more transparent — you’ll see the result before applying it. New higher tiers of Essences have also been added, making them an even stronger tool for crafting.
By the way, another option to receive a Rare Item is to reach out to our team, and we will deliver whatever you need as soon as possible.
Path of Exile 2 New Omens
In Path of Exile 2 Act 4, we receive several new Omens:
- Omen of the Ancients — your next Orb of Chance will upgrade the item into a random Unique of the same class.
- Omen of Sanctification — your next Divine Orb used on a Rare item will Sanctify it.
- Omen of Chaotic Monsters — your next Chaos Orb used on a Waystone will reroll all modifiers into ones that grant Pack Size.
📌 Some older Omens were removed due to their low impact.
Path of Exile 2 New Items
Path of Exile 2 The Third Edict introduces brand-new items designed to make player builds even more unique and customizable. Among the new additions, we can highlight the following:
- Marohi Erqi, Totemic Greatclub — a mighty two-handed mace with massive physical damage scaling, extended stun duration, and the signature “Crushes Enemies on Hit” effect.
- Thunderfistб, Utility Wraps — gloves that grant the skill Level 19 Crackling Palm. They boost evasion and energy shield, add lightning damage to unarmed melee attacks, and even increase attack speed.
- Totemic Greatclub, Base Item — a new weapon base type available from level 50. While weaker than Marohi Erqi, it shares the unique “Crushes Enemies on Hit” property.
Path of Exile 2 Endgame Updates
In Path of Exile 2 The Third Edict, reaching the endgame will be easier and faster than ever before. But what exactly awaits players once they get there? Quite a lot of updates, including brand-new maps, an updated Atlas system, and a wide variety of fresh encounters.
You can easily progress through the Atlas in the endgame with the help of our best players. They know how to work fast and complete whatever task you provide.
Path of Exile 2 New Endgame Maps
In PoE 2 Act 4, a total of 25 brand-new endgame maps will be added, greatly expanding the world and exploration opportunities. Each map comes with its own unique environment, new monster types, and challenging bosses. These bosses are drawn both from Act 4 itself and from the three mini-acts.
Path of Exile 2 New Endgame Encounters
Aside from new bosses, Act 4 in PoE 2 also brings a variety of fresh encounters, such as Sandstorm, Maelstrom, and more. These aren’t just natural disasters — they’re full-scale adventures, each with its own mechanics.
For example, if you get caught in a Sandstorm, be ready to face wild magic. If you stumble into a Maelstrom, prepare to uncover hidden treasures and battle dangerous monsters before you can return to the map.
4.9To make a long story short, Path of Exile 2 Act 4 brings plenty of major changes. First, the new league opens up fresh opportunities for players of all levels. Second, the early game has been expanded with mini-acts, making progression more engaging and less drawn-out on the way to the endgame. And once you reach the late phase of PoE 2, there will be no shortage of content — crafting, farming currency, and hunting bosses will keep your hands full!
