The end date is the publisher’s own timestamp, taken from an official announcement or the in-game season panel.
Path of Exile 2 League Countdown and End Date
Path of Exile 2 No. 05 Confirmed
0.5.0: Return of the Ancients
The current Path of Exile 2 season ends on December 11, 2026. 48 days left. Season rewards expire at the same moment: anything unclaimed is gone forever.
48 days left Day 148 of 196
48 Days 11 Hrs 52 Min 46 Sec
Season ended This Path of Exile 2 season has ended. The next season's dates appear here as soon as the publisher confirms them.
Season progress 75.26%
Day 148 of 196
196d Season duration
Free (Cosmetics in shop) Battle Pass
Grinding Gear Games Publisher
Confirmed Status
Path of Exile 2 season end & 1.0.0: Full Release release time by country
In your time zone 20:00 UTC on Dec 11
| Location | Local time | Local date |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 12:00 PST | Dec 11 |
| Chicago | 14:00 CST | Dec 11 |
| New York | 15:00 EST | Dec 11 |
| São Paulo | 17:00 GMT-3 | Dec 11 |
| London | 20:00 GMT | Dec 11 |
| Berlin | 21:00 CET | Dec 11 |
| Moscow | 23:00 GMT+3 | Dec 11 |
| New Delhi | 01:30 GMT+5:30 | Dec 12 +1 day |
| Singapore | 04:00 GMT+8 | Dec 12 +1 day |
| Tokyo | 05:00 GMT+9 | Dec 12 +1 day |
| Sydney | 07:00 GMT+11 | Dec 12 +1 day |
Season trailer
How this date is sourced
Recent season cadence: last 3
0.4.0: The Last of the Druids 140d
0.3.0: Update 84d
0.2.0: Dawn of the Hunt 168d
More from Path of Exile 2
Path of Exile 2 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients ends on December 11, 2026 (verified October 8, 2026). Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.0, Return of the Ancients, launches on May 29, 2026, marking the biggest content update of the Early Access period. The patch delivers a complete endgame overhaul: Atlas Tree rework, revised Waystone progression, and nearly 200 new skill gems spanning active skills, supports, and companion abilities that expand every class archetype.
Path of Exile 2 0.5.0 league end date
Path of Exile 2 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients has been live since May 29, 2026. This page tracks the PoE2 0.5 league end timing, current Early Access schedule, and the transition to the 1.0 full release.
0.5.0 is the final Early Access league before Path of Exile 2's 1.0 full release. GGG confirmed at Gamescom Opening Night Live that 1.0 launches December 11, 2026, no 0.6.0 patch is planned, so 0.5.0 bridges directly to the complete game launch and runs until December 11, 2026.
What's New in Return of the Ancients
Patch 0.5.0 is the largest update of Path of Exile 2's Early Access, launching on PC and consoles on May 29, 2026 alongside the Runes of Aldur challenge league in Standard, Hardcore and Solo Self-Found variants.
Runes of Aldur league mechanic
The league is built around Runeforging: you gather Remnants and new crafting materials to enhance Rare and Unique items, trading risk against reward. It adds over 100 new runes and crafting currencies, plus new Skill and Support Gems that spend Runic Ward instead of Mana and have no Attribute or weapon requirements, so any class can use them.
Endgame and Atlas rework
The Atlas endgame was rebuilt. The Atlas Passive Tree grew to more than 300 nodes, all of which can eventually be allocated through Fortress progression, with many nodes offering alternative choices; passive respecs on the Atlas were removed. Waystone progression was also revised.
New Ascendancies
Two Ascendancy classes arrived: the Martial Artist for the Monk, built around combo timing, and the Spirit Walker for the Huntress, built around animal companions. Nearly 200 new skill gems and broad balance changes to skills and items shipped with them.
Before Return of the Ancients Ends: What to Finish
Path of Exile 2 has no battle pass, so nothing purchasable expires. What closes is the league itself.
League challenges
Any Runes of Aldur challenge rewards have to be earned while the league is running; they cannot be unlocked through play once it closes.
Your characters and stash
Characters are not deleted. Grinding Gear Games has said that at 1.0 every Early Access character moves into a separate league called Early Access rather than into the new Standard, which starts from zero for everyone. Gear, currency and levels from this league therefore will not follow you into 1.0.
The fresh economy
The Runes of Aldur trade economy ends with the league. If you are sitting on currency or valuable Runeforged items, use them now; there is no 1.0 market to sell them into.
What Comes Next After Return of the Ancients
The next step is confirmed: there is no 0.6.0, and Path of Exile 2 goes straight to its 1.0 full release, announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, 2026. 1.0 adds the final two campaign acts for a six-act campaign, a new Duelist class using one-handed swords and two-handed greatswords, and launches on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as a free-to-play game. Grinding Gear Games usually reveals a major update in a livestream about two weeks before launch, followed by full patch notes on its forum.
See every Path of Exile 2 league for past dates.
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Frequently asked
When does the PoE2 0.5.0 league end?
Grinding Gear Games confirmed at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, 2026 that Path of Exile 2 1.0 launches December 11, 2026. Because Return of the Ancients (0.5.0) is the final Early Access league, with no 0.6.0 patch planned; it bridges directly to the full release, so the 0.5.0 league ends when 1.0 launches on December 11, 2026.
When did the PoE2 0.4.0 league end and 0.5.0 begin?
PoE2 0.4.0: The Last of the Druids ended on May 1, 2026 at 17:00 UTC, after a 140-day run. 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients launched 28 days later, on May 29, 2026, unlike most live-service games, Path of Exile 2 leagues do not roll straight into each other.
What time did the PoE2 0.4.0 league end?
0.4.0 ended at 17:00 UTC on May 1, 2026, 1:00 PM ET, 10:00 AM PT, 7:00 PM CEST. Characters from 0.4.0 migrated to the Standard realm at that timestamp; nothing was deleted.
Is PoE2 0.5.0 the last Early Access league?
Yes. Grinding Gear Games has confirmed there will be no 0.6.0 patch, Path of Exile 2 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients is the last league of the Early Access period. The next major release after 0.5 is PoE2 1.0, the full release launching December 11, 2026.
Does the PoE2 0.5 league have an end date?
The PoE2 0.5.0 league ends when Path of Exile 2 1.0 launches on December 11, 2026, GGG confirmed the 1.0 date at Gamescom on August 25, 2026. Return of the Ancients bridges directly into the full release with no 0.6.0 in between.
When does Path of Exile 2 1.0 release?
Path of Exile 2 1.0 launches December 11, 2026, announced by Grinding Gear Games at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, 2026. The full release goes free-to-play and adds the Duelist class, new weapon types, and the remaining campaign acts.
What happened to the PoE2 0.4 league?
PoE2 0.4.0: The Last of the Druids ended on May 1, 2026. League characters migrated to Standard, while challenge cosmetics and fresh-league economy conditions ended permanently.
What happens to my Path of Exile 2 characters when the 0.5 league ends?
0.5.0 is the last Early Access league and ends when Path of Exile 2 1.0 launches on December 11, 2026. Your characters are not deleted: according to GGG's FAQ they move to a separate league called Early Access and do not join the 1.0 Standard league, so the 1.0 economy starts fresh. Account-bound purchases such as stash tabs and cosmetics carry over to your 1.0 characters, and challenge rewards earned in 0.5.0 stay on your account.
When does the next Path of Exile 2 update drop?
Path of Exile 2 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients launched May 29, 2026. The next major release is PoE2 1.0, launching December 11, 2026, no 0.6 patch is planned. Mid-league balance patches ship on Wednesdays.
Is there a PoE2 0.6 release date?
No. Grinding Gear Games confirmed there is no PoE2 0.6.0 patch. Return of the Ancients (0.5.0) is the final Early Access league before Path of Exile 2 1.0, which launches December 11, 2026.
What time does Path of Exile 2 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients end in my time zone?
Path of Exile 2 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients ends at December 11, 2026 at 20:00 UTC. In local time that is 15:00 EST on Dec 11 in New York, 12:00 PST on Dec 11 in Los Angeles, 20:00 GMT on Dec 11 in London, 21:00 CET on Dec 11 in Berlin, 05:00 GMT+9 on Dec 12 in Tokyo. Every conversion is derived from the official UTC timestamp, so cities east of UTC can already be on the following calendar day when the season closes.
Last checked October 8, 2026 Maintained by Salvador Jesus