Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict Goes Live Today With Act 4, Async Trading and the Rise of the Abyssal League

Grinding Gear Games has shipped Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict, the action RPG's biggest content update since it entered Early Access in late 2024. Patch 0.3.0 went live at 1:00 PM PDT on August 29, 2026, across the standalone PC client, Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, and to mark the launch GGG is making Path of Exile 2 free to play on every supported platform until September 1.

The Third Edict introduces Act 4 — Ngamakanui Archipelago, a non-linear new act spread across eight islands with more than 100 new monster types, twelve bosses and a new area of the campaign that players can reach from the Act 3 town via Alva. Three new Interlude acts replace the previously unloved Cruel difficulty, and according to the developer they will fold into endgame maps once Act 5 ships. A sweeping support-gem rework lands alongside the new content, with 40 new Lineage Support Gems that can be slotted into support slots and a much more flexible gem system that lets players combine effects that were previously locked to specific skill types. Every class is also being buffed, with a new universal defensive layer called Deflect that reduces incoming damage by 40% and can be scaled to 100% through passives and gear.

Perhaps the most-requested change in the update is asynchronous trading, which finally lets Path of Exile players list and buy items without both parties being online at the same time. Sellers can drop items into a Merchant's Tab, set a price and walk away; buyers can purchase and instantly teleport to the seller's hideout to collect. The system debuts alongside new Merchant's Tabs in the store and a one-time conversion path for owners of existing Premium Stash Tabs purchased before the launch of 0.3.0.

The Third Edict also opens the game's first full seasonal league. Rise of the Abyssal runs in parallel with the existing leagues on a fresh economy, sending players into Abyssal fissures that escalate in scale and difficulty, with new bosses, new crafting and new items tied to the encounter. Alongside the league, Path of Exile 2 has added sprinting for all characters via a held dodge-roll input, Deflect as the new defensive layer, balance changes across skill gems and a substantial pass on the Huntress class.

Patch sizes land around 46 GB on the standalone client and Steam and 38.5 GB on consoles, with predownloads already available. To keep the launch window lively, GGG is also running Twitch Drops from August 29 through September 14, with exclusive cosmetics available for viewers and subscribers.

The official Path of Exile 2 forum post with all launch-day information is available at https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3829091, the Third Edict announcement thread sits at https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3826653, and the FAQ — including full details on the free weekend, league characters and stash conversion — is at https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3827171.