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Path of Exile: Covens of Umbra, Path of Exile 2 Extra Details Revealed

by Alex Fuller · November 8, 2026

Grinding Gear Games is hosting its ExileCon event, during which it announced a new expansion for Path of Exile, plus additional details for Path of Exile 2‘s upcoming 1.0 release. The Path of Exile: Covens of Umbra expansion will release for PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 13, 2026, with Path of Exile 2′s full free-to-play release following for PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on December 11, 2026.

Path of Exile: Covens of Umbra sees the Coven Queen seeking to control Wraeclast after putting her homeland of Umbra into eternal darkness. Her followers have spread around the continent, and are performing forbidden, cauldron-based rituals. Players will need to hunt the witches and help her mysterious prisoner Mora to disrupt the rituals. Defeating coven members grants Fates, which can transform bosses to grant greater rewards. Up to three can be used at once, implementing effects such as explosive backfire, deadline vines, and bone harpoons.

The Covens of Umbra challenge league also introduces a wooden effigy called the Wickerman. It allows players to harvest the strength of their defeated enemies, binding their souls to the Wickerman and letting players equip trophies called Visceras. Each Viscera grants unique bonuses, such as increased life and regeneration, or more potent poisons. There are over 120 Visceras across the campaign and Atlas, with four slots available.

The expansion will also add new Grim Fates, which are harvested from empowered bosses in higher-level Atlas areas. Unlike ordinary Fates, these persist between instances and can be invoked against specific Pinnacle Bosses. For example, Sirus’ storms become devastating swarms of crows, Uber Elder unleashes destructive dark energy, and the Shaper conjures deadly illusions that mirror his abilities. Defeating these empowered versions reward exclusive Pinnacle Boss Viscera, which offer some of the most powerful upgrades available through the Wickerman.

The update will also bring a new endgame overhaul. This is said to give players greater control, plus more variety, tougher challenges, and richer rewards. The Atlas will feature distinct regions tied to different league mechanics. Completing Maps within these regions strengthens their associated mechanics, generating more dangerous encounters with greater rewards and the opportunity to unlock powerful new modifiers.

The overhaul will replace Scarabs with a new system called Threads of Creation. These allow players to enhance the ten primary league mechanics. Players can invest up to eight Threads into a single mechanic, which increases its difficulty, rewards, and chances of generating special modifiers. The system is said to streamline the mapping experience, allowing thread configurations persist between Maps, while many of the effects previously provided by Scarabs have also been incorporated into the redesigned Atlas Passive Tree. Other changes sees Mirage being rolled into the core game. There are also changes for Beyond, Harvest, and Incursion encounters, as well as adjustments to ground loot and item rarities.

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Path of Exile 2′s full release give the game the remainder of its story campaign with acts five and six. The fifth act will see players return to the once-great city of Oriath. Players will need to carve their way through the city’s fallen districts, ravaged by war and corruption, to confront the monstrosities and pave the way for a full-scale assault.

The game will also be receiving the new Shadow class. It specialises in dagger, traps, and stealth, with players able to set and instantly execute ambushes, with each successful resetting its stealth cooldown. While concealed, players can lay down multiple traps, which denote in the order they were set when they leave stealth. There are eight different trap types for players to combine. In addition, the Shadow can summon Shade versions of itself to both deceive enemies and replicate attacks. It makes use of a new resource, Darkness, which empower strikes while in stealth, while its Eclipse ability lets it temporarily enter the shadow realm and transform every attack into a stealth attack. It will come with two Ascendancy classes: Assassin and Infiltrator.

Grinding Gear Games also revealed the Knight Ascendancy class for the Duelist. Utilising martial prowess, War Banners, and mounted combat, the Knight lets players recruit a loyal Squire, which can be outfitted with weapons and armor that can use any melee Skill Gems. The Knight can also wield War Banners, which grant unique bonuses inspired by the different empires of Wraeclast. It can also unleash a Mounted Charge, whereupon it rides a chariot headlong into the enemy, causing them to scatter and be stunned. The second Duelist Ascendancy class, Master of Arms, is set to follow at a later date.

The full release will also introduce a new Challenge League: Conquerors of Wraeclast. It will introduce large-scale warfare, castle building, and territorial conquest to the game. By improving their stronghold prowess, players will become able to march to enemy castles and take them through use of siege engines, war elephants, and two-headed Chimeras. Its story content involves the rival Maraketh clan, which are bound by a promise from the ancient vampire lord Severa, whose followers seek to resurrect her through forbidden blood-infused rituals. To stop Severa, players must conquer the three rival clans before marching her own stronghold. Other features in the league include a reforging system, recruitable independent commanders, and a faction conquest mode with rival players.

Other additions and changes announced include additional base item types and Unique Items, new skills, and an overhaul of the Passive Skill Tree. There are also reworks to existing classes and Ascendancies, including Mercenary, Infernalist, Blood Mage, and Acolyte of Chayula. The Atlas Passive Tree has also been reforged, with Atlas Passive Points able to be earned progressively by completing objectives, defeating bosses, and conquering special maps. Meanwhile, the game has received significant performance improvements and is now Steam Deck Verified.