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 addi… |
| 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, Breac… |