Path of Exile 3.28 has "serious implications for juicing" and a major endgame rework, but GGG is sticking by one divisive change

At first glance, the Path of Exile Mirage update doesn't sound as bold or dramatic as some past installments, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it'll be remembered as a major inflection point in the free-to-play ARPG's life. Grinding Gear Games has now had some time to establish the differences between the up-and-coming PoE 2 and its still-active predecessor. In PoE 3.28, the team is implementing some fundamental changes to the way endgame progression works, alongside a new Mirage mechanic that transforms existing activities, and a special Scion ascendancy that's planned to stick around for the long term.

It's still hard to argue against the original Path of Exile as the reigning champion among action RPGs. Its sequel is making great strides, but GGG intends for the two to live side by side, and there's more than a decade of features and polish present here that outstrips what rivals like Diablo 4 are able to bring to the table. In an attempt to lighten his desk, game director Mark Roberts (who is working across both games) has handed a little more of the PoE 1 workload over to game designer Christopher 'Octavian' Laferriere, and another designer who's asked to just be referred to as 'Andrew.'

Those familiar with Octavian's work will be unsurprised to hear that endgame changes are at the top of his list for PoE 3.28, so I want to talk about them before we get into the Mirage system that's being introduced as a seasonal mechanic. Influenced by the actions of Zana during recent leagues, the Atlas map that serves as the very foundation of Path of Exile's endgame has been reshaped. The old bottom-to-top layout is gone, and you now start in the middle, with four quadrants branching out in all directions around you. Roberts says this was inspired by War of the Atlas, and wanting to make the system feel "more like a physically connected space," rather than just a fancy checklist.

To help ensure this new design flows smoothly, Maps that drop are no longer tied to specific areas, only a difficulty tier. You can use them in any location of your choice on the Atlas, completely stripping out the frustration of not having the right one you need to progress and being forced to farm or trade for it. You can even use the 'Synthesised Stability' keystone on the Atlas passive tree if you just want to run the same area over and over, causing different map types to collapse as you do so.

Using an Astrolabe on a map within the Atlas will manifest a 'Shaped Region' in that quadrant, affecting many of the nodes in that area in a manner somewhat similar to PoE 2's tablets. Each completion removes the Shaped Region's influence on that zone, but sticks an additional modifier on all of the remaining ones, causing them to become increasingly juiced with challenge and rewards as you cleanse your way through the list. Successfully make it to the end, and Eagon will take you to that quadrant's associated Memory Vault, where you can claim some of the most valuable rewards.

This transformation also means all the unique maps are now present on the Atlas screen. You don't need to complete them all, however, as you'll gain an Atlas skill point for each one completed, up to a cap of ten. T17 maps, originally designed as a stepping stone to Ubers in a move that didn't actually work as intended, have now been removed. The bosses associated with them will now appear in special variants of T16 maps - and yes, they can still be affected by map mods, albeit less "heinous" ones than before, because GGG wants to keep this as a way to ramp up the difficulty and potential rewards of the encounters.

The core new mechanic of Path of Exile 3.28 is Mirage. You'll be clashing with the Afarud, desert-dwelling necromancers who have imprisoned the souls of Djinn across Wraeclast to harness their energy. To break their chains, you'll need to enter the Astral Realm through a gate known as a Mirage. This manifests as an imperfect copy of a section of the map you're currently on, including altered copies of most of the other league mechanics. The only ones you won't see are those that require you to travel to an altogether different area to complete.

These copied mechanics, and the map itself, will usually differ slightly from their equivalents in the 'real world,' whether that be a strongbox or a Blight encounter or something else. They can also be empowered, offering "new threats and rewards that are customized to each mechanic, and only available when doing that mechanic within a Mirage." Additionally, you'll be given the ability to augment Mirages further through Wishes, offering you the choice between three different modifiers that can apply bonus rewards or more valuable enemies.

Along with generally pumping up the value of each area and the payouts of the mechanics it alters, Mirages offer some special rewards of their own. Coins of Knowledge, Power, and Skill can be used to corrupt a maximum-level Skill Gem, augmenting it with a random support matching the color of coin used. You can only equip one such Corrupted Gem socketed in each piece of equipment at a time (one in your body armor, one in your helmet, and so on).

The other big introduction is Afarud uniques, which are secretly two items in one. These stolen Maraketh artifacts arrive in your hands in a twisted, befouled form, such as Fleshrender, a blade with a rusted edge ideal for poisoning and withering your foes. Use a Coin of Restoration and it returns to its original glory as Skysunder, a different weapon that reflects your own ignite effects back at you and then spreads them across your foes in a massive area. Naturally, there's also a new endgame boss: Saresh, of the Weeping Black.

With Diablo 2 recently getting its first new class in decades, Roberts stresses that it's unlikely PoE 1 will follow suit. However, it's got some other inclusions that should more than compensate. First is the new Scion ascendancy, the Reliquarian. This will be familiar if you played PoE's experimental Legacy of Phrecia event. It allows you to select the power of a unique armor piece, weapon, and piece of jewelry, making it tremendously flexible. GGG is committing to changing the powers that are on offer here in each expansion, creating a unique experience with every league.

The other addition is a new set of 'holy skills,' which Octavian points to as the equivalent of introducing a class that fulfills a more Paladin-like fantasy. Call down Holy Hammers from the sky, summon armaments that follow you around with Holy Strike, or use Shield of Light and Divine Blast to turn your main defensive tool into a potent offensive one. There's even Holy Sweep, a lightning-infused alternative to one of the very first skills ever implemented in Path of Exile, dating back more than 15 years.

If you're a PoE regular you won't be surprised to hear that we're still not done. 'Exceptional Support Gems' are here to replace the 'Awakened Supports' of old. These can be found after you have defeated the Incarnations of Fear, Neglect, and Dread in the endgame, and are designed to feel more universally transformative than their predecessors. There are more than 40 to find, including the swamp-spawning Hextoad Support from King in the Mists, and the detonating celestial energy storms of Voidstorm Support from the Uber Elder.

Approximately 20 new "landmarks" have been added throughout the campaign, scattered across its ten acts. Some of these will be obvious, such as a central island in the Karui Fortress that awards you a basic tattoo. Others will be more hidden, encouraging you to be a bit more thorough as you blast through the story. If you're a veteran player who zooms through, you probably won't need the power they offer, but it's a good excuse to pay a little more attention to what's become the most routine part of starting a new PoE character.

Now we come to one of the more controversial changes. Keepers of the Flame (the currently running league) is going core, meaning its new-style Breaches are replacing the classic ones for good. To address player concerns, GGG is nerfing the walls that appear in Breach Hive encounters: they're now visually smaller and will be destroyed by any damage. If you never want to see them, the Atlas tree allows you to choose to block either Hive Breaches or Unstable Breaches, ensuring you'll only see the other type. There's no way to go completely back to the old, pre-Keepers style of Breach, however.

The Genesis Tree is also staying, and will start fully grown when you find it in act six, although you'll no longer be able to grow the grafts that could be fused to your character. Expect its power to be diminished somewhat; speaking to me during the preview event, Roberts says, "We're restricting some of the pools, I believe we're even making it so you can't get weapons from it, and that way we can keep it really good at getting certain things and not good at getting others. […] It can't just provide everything."

Grinding Gear has also implemented many more streamlining and quality-of-life features. Cartographer's Chisels and Map Device crafts are gone, with the lost power from this compensated for elsewhere. The "most annoying modifiers" in Originator Maps have been removed. There's a new 'Anarchy Scarab of the Exceptional' that drops a special "antagonist-level" rogue exile into your map. They're empowered by every wisp type, possessed by a tormented spirit, augmented with rare modifiers, and buffed by a shrine. Ouch.

The list goes on. You can now favorite currency trades to access them again quickly, and can open your stash without closing the exchange first. The asynchronous trade history can be hovered for full item descriptions. There's a new port in Kingsmarch, and some shipping rewards have been swapped. Divine Orbs now show exactly which modifiers can be randomized. The Ritual icon will glow if you've forgotten to spend your tribute. Labyrinth font crafts let you choose which transfigured gem type you'd like. Clicking on shrines to absorb their power now takes priority over the monsters around them.

Suffice it to say that Path of Exile Mirage is going to be a pretty important season for the ARPG, even if its main mechanic isn't as outwardly flashy as some. I'm tentatively excited to try the new-look Atlas, and the removal of the location-specific Map restrictions is likely to make the transition into the early endgame feel a lot smoother, especially for newer players. If you've been curious to give PoE 1 a try, this should be a good league to do so.

Path of Exile 3.28 'Mirage' launches on Friday March 6 at 11am PST / 2pm EST / 7pm GMT / 8pm CET. You can play for free on Steam, or via the Grinding Gear Games standalone client.