Path of Exile 2 Patch Notes | 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients
Path of Exile 2 0.5.5 launches Forbidden Rites, putting Ritual in every campaign zone. Full Return of the Ancients changelog, current to archived.
When is the next update?
Path of Exile 2 rolls to its next season on December 11, 2026.
0.5.5 — September 4, 20268 changes
The Path of Exile 2 0.5.5 patch notes put a Ritual encounter into every campaign area ahead of the new Forbidden Rites event league, add 17 new Soul Cores, overhaul the Trial of Chaos, and make Expedition a permanent core mechanic. Track the live Path of Exile 2 season countdown for the Return of the Ancients league close.
TL;DR — 8 changes: 1 buff, 2 nerfs. Biggest buff: Soul Core of Zantipi’s Requirements-to-Intelligence conversion doubled, 20% → 40%. Biggest nerf: Unstable Breach now spawns 5 rare monsters at a time instead of all at once. Meta impact: Breach farming slows for well-geared characters while Ritual’s move into the campaign and Expedition going permanent give levelling characters steadier currency income.
Mechanics
- Ritual goes core in the campaign — every main campaign area now has a Ritual encounter; killing revived monsters earns Tribute, spent in the Ritual reward window on offerings bought now or deferred at a reduced price active
- 17 new Soul Cores added — 13 Jiquani’s, 4 Atziri’s active
- Soul Core of Zantipi — Convert Requirements to Intelligence raised from 20% to 40% buff
- Unstable Breach — now spawns 5 rare monsters at a time instead of all at once nerf
- Ritual completion rewards — now grant only currency and Soul Cores, no longer Corrupted items nerf
- Trial of Chaos overhauled — players can now leave and resume from their last checkpoint, and every room ends in a reward chest active
- Expedition made permanent in the core game, with Expedition Tablets available in the endgame active
Events & Limited Time
- Forbidden Rites event league — new separate economy-reset league running alongside Return of the Ancients; requires a new character event
0.5.4 — June 24, 20267 changes
The Path of Exile 2 0.5.4 patch notes improve the endgame Expedition experience with a new Atlas Passive Tree, the Liquid Verisium currency, and a Pinnacle Boss difficulty correction. Track the live Path of Exile 2 season countdown for the Return of the Ancients league close.
TL;DR — 7 changes: 2 buffs, 0 nerfs. Biggest buff: several unintentionally high Pinnacle Boss resistances lowered across the board. Headline addition: a new 24-node Expedition Atlas Passive Tree tied to the Grand Expedition questline. Meta impact: Expedition farming gets deeper endgame investment options while Pinnacle Boss fights become more consistent.
Mechanics
- Expedition Atlas Passive Skill Tree — new 24-node tree earned by defeating each boss in The Grand Expedition questline; customizes Runic Remnant and Expedition encounter difficulty and rewards active
- Liquid Verisium — new currency that immediately starts a Runic Remnant Encounter with a random Runic Inscription active
- Grand Expeditions — now apply 1 to 2 Expedition Map Modifiers to the area active
- Unique item level scaling reworked — level requirement now matches the item’s minimum level, while its granted skill scales with character level active
- Orb of Sacrifice — new Corruption currency that can further improve a Corruption-granted enchantment by sacrificing a random suffix mod active
Bug Fixes
- Pinnacle Bosses — several had unintentionally high resistances lowered buff
- Vessel of Kulemak — Lightless Serpent’s Burning Ground damage reduced buff
0.5.3 — June 18, 20268 changes
The Path of Exile 2 0.5.3 patch notes land an endgame reward correction across the Return of the Ancients Atlas — Abyss, Breach, and (most heavily) Delirium each get rebalances aimed at compressing risk and lifting payout. Track the live Path of Exile 2 season countdown for the league close on October 4.
TL;DR — Endgame reward pass: Delirium Fog scaling halved at one Tablet (ramps back at three), Abyssal Troves guarantee Desecrated Currency, Breach Strongholds spawn more maps with all monsters at least Magic. Meta impact: lower-investment endgame farming becomes meaningfully more rewarding while high-investment Delirium retains its old ceiling.
Mechanics
- Delirium Fog monster scaling halved at one Tablet — Delirium Tablets now scale Fog effect, returning to previous values at three stacked Tablets buff
- Improved Delirium Pure Escalation shards now enhance all normal shards (not just bar shards) to release Pure Emotion packs; enhanced shards are visibly imbued with purple glassy energy buff
- Summoning Circle encounters pause Delirium Fog while active and again on boss kill buff
- Abyssal Troves at the sub-level end now guarantee one Desecrated Currency buff
- Tasgul, Swallower of Light and Vandroth, Blackblooded Enslaver now always drop Desecrated Currency; the final Large Abyssal Trove in Abyssal Depths now always contains it buff
- Vessel of Kulemak has a chance to drop Ancient Jawbones, Ancient Ribs and Ancient Collarbones on conquest buff
- Breach Strongholds spawn more maps; all Breach Hive monsters are at least Magic buff
- Ailith can create Xesht’s Fervour — a new skill that increases the effectiveness of monsters spawned in the Breach Hive active
All Path of Exile 2 patches
| Version | Date | Season | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5.5 | September 4, 2026 | 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients | 8 changes: 1 buff, 2 nerfs. Biggest buff: Soul Core of Zantipi's Requirements-to-Intelligence conversion doubled, 20% → 40%. Biggest nerf: … |
| 0.5.4 | June 24, 2026 | 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients | 7 changes: 2 buffs, 0 nerfs. Biggest buff: several unintentionally high Pinnacle Boss resistances lowered across the board. Headline additi… |
| 0.5.3 | June 18, 2026 | 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients | Endgame reward pass: Delirium Fog scaling halved at one Tablet (ramps back at three), Abyssal Troves guarantee Desecrated Currency, Breach … |