Path of Exile 2 Beginner's Guide

New to Path of Exile 2? What the game is, how classes, gems and ascendancy work, what the campaign and endgame look like, and the tips that save new players the most pain before and after the free 1.0 launch.

Updated 1 November 2026Checked for patch patch 0.5.5e9 sources
Image: Path of Exile / YouTube

Path of Exile 2 is Grinding Gear Games' dark action RPG and the sequel to Path of Exile. It's known for its huge passive tree, flexible skill gems and a deep endgame that rewards theory-crafting. Combat is slower and more deliberate than the first game – bosses have readable attacks and a dodge roll is your main defensive tool.

The game has been in early access since December 6, 2024 and launches in full – free-to-play – on December 11, 2026.

The basics

Free at 1.0Early access needs a supporter pack. From December 11, 2026 the full game is free-to-play, with optional cosmetics and stash tabs.
PC and consolesPC (standalone, Steam and Epic), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S – with cross-play and cross-progression.
League-basedBig updates launch new leagues with fresh economies every few months.

Getting started, step by step

1. Pick a classEight classes now, nine at 1.0. Pick the fantasy you like – any class can use any skill gem.
2. Play the campaignFour acts plus three Interludes take you to around level 65. 1.0 adds the last two acts.
3. AscendClear the Trial of the Sekhemas (Act 2) or the Trial of Chaos (Act 3) to choose your ascendancy.
4. Start mappingIn the endgame, Waystones open maps on the Atlas of Worlds. Each map gives you one attempt.
5. Chase pinnacle bossesAtlas questlines lead to the hardest fights, like the Arbiter of Divinity added in 0.5.

Tips that help everyone

Dodge roll is your friendThe dodge roll has no cooldown. Hold it to sprint. Bosses telegraph their big hits – learn to roll through them.
Uncut gemsSkills come from Uncut Gems: you pick which skill to carve from each one, then link support gems to it.
Mind your SpiritSpirit is a resource reserved by persistent effects like minions, auras and buffs – it caps how many you can run.
Two weapon setsYou can swap between two weapon sets and assign passive points to one specific set.
Use the Currency ExchangeTrade currency with other players by setting what you have and what you want – no haggling needed.
Resistances firstElemental resistances get harder to keep up as you progress. Check them every time you change gear.

Coming back for 1.0?

Version 1.0 adds the Duelist, the first sword class, and the final two acts of the campaign. Our Leagues & Updates page covers everything that changed in early access, and our ExileCon and patch 0.5.5e news has the dates for the last big show before launch.

Our Path of Exile 2 articles on this

Reference page written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games change with every patch – the patch this page was last checked for is shown at the top.