Path of Exile 2 league start dates, from 0.1 to 1.0
Every Path of Exile 2 launch since early access opened, with the reveal and the patch notes before it.
The next Path of Exile 2 league start is the 1.0 launch on Friday, December 11, 2026, when the game leaves early access. The developer shows 1.0 in full at ExileCon on November 6, 2026 (PST), 35 days before the start — the longest gap between a reveal and a launch so far. The last content update before it, 0.5 Return of the Ancients, launched on May 29, 2026.
Key dates at a glance
- Next start: Path of Exile 2 1.0 on Friday, December 11, 2026
- Full 1.0 reveal: ExileCon 2026, November 6 (PST)
- Early access opened on December 6, 2024
- Five early-access versions came before 1.0: 0.1 to 0.5
- The 0.5.5 Forbidden Rites event league started on September 4, 2026
When is the next PoE 2 league?
The next start is the full release itself: Path of Exile 2 1.0 launches on December 11, 2026. The developer announced the date on August 25, 2026 at gamescom Opening Night Live, together with the first Duelist trailer. The countdown shows the time left and the start time in ten time zones.
Before it come the full reveal at ExileCon on November 6 (PST) and the patch notes. If the last two launches are a guide, the notes arrive about 8 days before the start, around December 3 — that second date is our estimate, not an announcement.
When did Path of Exile 2 come out?
Path of Exile 2 came out in early access on December 6, 2024. Early access was version 0.1, and every version up to 0.5 kept the early-access label. Version 1.0 on December 11, 2026 is the full release — the date most people mean when they ask when the game comes out. Path of Exile 2 on Wikipedia keeps a short history of the game and its studio, Grinding Gear Games.
How a PoE 2 launch is announced
The order has been almost the same every time. Using 0.4 as the example: a content update timeline on November 10, 2025; a post naming the stream date on November 20; the reveal stream and the announcement on December 4; the patch notes the same evening; item filter details on December 9; a “launches soon” post the day before; and on December 12 a launch-day Live Updates thread for server news and hotfixes.
For 1.0 the sequence is longer. The date came first, on August 25, 2026, and registration for the full-release rewards opened with it; the reveal stream was set on October 29 for November 6 (PST). The reveal leaves 35 days to the launch, against 8 to 9 days for 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 and 22 days for 0.5.
Every PoE 2 version in one line
0.1 — Early access, December 6, 2024: six classes (Warrior, Ranger, Witch, Sorceress, Mercenary and Monk), three acts and the endgame; access required a supporter pack.
0.2 — Dawn of the Hunt, April 4, 2025: the Huntress class, spears and bucklers, five new ascendancies and the first temporary league.
0.3 — The Third Edict, August 29, 2025: Act 4, three Interludes in place of Cruel difficulty, sprinting and the Rise of the Abyssal league.
0.4 — The Last of the Druids, December 12, 2025: the shapeshifting Druid and the Fate of the Vaal league.
0.5 — Return of the Ancients, May 29, 2026: an endgame overhaul, two new ascendancies and the Runes of Aldur league; the director called it the last big early access update.
0.5.5 — Forbidden Rites, September 4, 2026: an event league built around Ritual that runs until 1.0.
1.0 — Full release, December 11, 2026: free to play, six acts and the Duelist.
How many people play Path of Exile 2
On Steam alone the game peaked at 578,562 players at once in December 2024, the month early access opened, and at 420,409 in May 2026 with the 0.5 launch, according to SteamCharts. Launch months stand out every time; in October 2026, between updates, the peak was 37,377. These counts leave out the standalone client, the Epic Games Store and consoles. Wikipedia has more on the game's release history.
PoE 1 3.30 starts first, on November 13
Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2 are separate games with separate leagues. If you searched for the next “PoE season”, you may mean PoE 1: its next league, 3.30, starts on November 13, 2026 and is also shown at ExileCon. This site follows Path of Exile 2 only.
Path of Exile 2 launches, reveals and patch notes
| Version | Name | Reveal | Patch notes | Launch | Reveal to launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Early access opens | — | — | Dec 6, 2024 | — |
| 0.2 | Dawn of the Hunt | Mar 27, 2025 | — | Apr 4, 2025 | 8 days |
| 0.3 | The Third Edict | Aug 20, 2025 | Aug 20, 2025 | Aug 29, 2025 | 9 days |
| 0.4 | The Last of the Druids | Dec 4, 2025 | Dec 4, 2025 | Dec 12, 2025 | 8 days |
| 0.5 | Return of the Ancients | May 7, 2026 | May 21, 2026 | May 29, 2026 | 22 days |
| 0.5.5 | Forbidden Rites (event league) | Aug 27, 2026 | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 4, 2026 | 8 days |
| 1.0 | Full release | Nov 6, 2026 | not out yet | Dec 11, 2026 | 35 days |
UTC dates of the developer's announcements on the Path of Exile forum. Early access 0.1 had no separate reveal; for 0.5.5 the reveal is its announcement post.
Path of Exile 2 peak players on Steam in launch months
| Month | Launch that month | Peak players at once |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0.1 early access | 578,562 |
| April 2025 | 0.2 Dawn of the Hunt | 245,870 |
| August 2025 | 0.3 The Third Edict | 352,104 |
| December 2025 | 0.4 The Last of the Druids | 290,305 |
| May 2026 | 0.5 Return of the Ancients | 420,409 |
| September 2026 | 0.5.5 Forbidden Rites | 147,624 |
Monthly peak of concurrent players on Steam from SteamCharts, read on November 2, 2026. Steam only.