The next Path of Exile 2 update has a date as GGG establishes its new schedule

The next Path of Exile 2 update, which will also mark the beginning of the third league for the new ARPG, has a date. Following several months of disruption as it got PoE 2 up and running, developer Grinding Gear Games has now returned to its intended schedule, which will see both Path of Exile games running simultaneous, alternating seasons. With the original's Secrets of the Atlas update in the books, it turns its attention to the newcomer, confirming the PoE 2 Season 3 start date.

Path of Exile 2 shows a ton of promise. Its early-access launch hasn't been completely smooth sailing, with the most recent Dawn of the Hunt update landing to an initially downbeat response. But there's plenty of room for optimism; I maintain that the core experience GGG has crafted, which I praised in our Path of Exile 2 early access review, pushes the genre forward. Given enough time to keep building on that, Grinding Gear could certainly have a second mainstay on our list of the best games like Diablo.

With Secrets of the Atlas in the rear-view mirror, GGG has laid out its plans for the next season. The studio's new schedule is set to run a total of six leagues per year, three for PoE 1 and three for PoE 2, each on four-month cycles (meaning anyone who likes both should have a new season to play every two months). This therefore puts the next Path of Exile 2 update in August, with the one to follow expected in December.

Grinding Gear Games confirms Path of Exile 2 0.3.0 will launch on Friday August 29. It will feature a corresponding league as usual, meaning a fresh economy and new, exclusive content to that league. If you'd rather keep playing one of your old characters, they'll be transferred over to the 'Standard' league, but there's something special about experiencing the new patch from scratch alongside everyone else.

GGG says 0.3.0 is landing "a little later in the month than we had hoped, but this is a big update, and there were a few other constraints we had to work around." While it doesn't specify further, it's likely the studio wants to avoid releasing in the middle of Gamescom, which takes place the week prior.

It does, however, tease that we can expect to discover what the new season will look like "around one week beforehand," and we'll of course bring you all the details as we get them, on the march towards the full Path of Exile 2 release date.

Until then, take a look through our breakdown of the best Path of Exile 2 classes in the current season, and make sure you never miss a crucial skill input by upgrading to the best gaming keyboard for your preferred play style.

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