Path of Exile

The upcoming Secrets of the Atlas expansion is bringing more than new bosses, memory-based progression, and new gold mechanics. For many exiles, the biggest change might not be about loot or combat at all, but the long-requested addition of a pause system in Path of Exile.

Until now, the ability to pause the game hasn’t really existed in the original title. With so much happening in real time and the game’s structure being built around instanced zones and server communication, stopping mid-action wasn’t simple to implement. But with Path of Exile 2 already including it, the developers are now ready to bring the feature into the first game.

So, how does it work? In solo play, opening a full-screen menu like the passive skill tree or simply hitting Escape will now pause the game. On console, opening the standard in-game menu works the same way. In multiplayer sessions, the pause won’t activate unless every party member agrees to it. This way, one person stepping away doesn’t interrupt the flow for others. The system is already in place in the sequel, and it’s working well enough to carry over into the live game.

The pause function also has a built-in safety feature. If the game detects a loss of connection or significant lag, it automatically pauses the instance. That means if your internet drops or your system freezes for a few seconds, your character won’t be left vulnerable. This is especially important for hardcore players, where one lag spike can mean losing hours or even days of progress. While it won’t save everyone every time, it’s a major improvement that reduces the chance of dying from issues beyond the player’s control.

Not every scenario allows pausing, though. The most challenging bosses (pinnacle bosses) are excluded. According to game director Mark Roberts, this decision was made to prevent players from turning these fights into stop-and-start puzzles. Without the restriction, players could simply pause during boss telegraphs, plan out their move, unpause, react, and repeat. That approach takes much of the skill and risk out of the experience, especially when the fights are meant to be high-stakes tests of both character and player.

The pause system is meant to improve usability without compromising the game’s core difficulty. For everyday play, it adds flexibility. For the top-end bosses, the challenge remains untouched. It’s a careful balance, and the development team seems to have landed in a spot that respects both player feedback and the integrity of the hardest content.

Outside of combat, the pause function is also helpful for players who like to take their time when managing builds or inventory. There’s no longer the pressure of sorting through menus while enemies remain active off-screen. For a game as complex as Path of Exile, that extra breathing room could be a welcome change.

The pause feature is part of a broader shift toward giving players more control over their experience without watering down the difficulty where it counts. It’s also a clear example of how ideas from the sequel are helping shape the ongoing evolution of the current game.

With the Secrets of the Atlas update, the team at Grinding Gear Games is delivering new content and experiences in ways that make it more player-friendly without taking away what makes Path of Exile so intense. The new PoE 1 pause feature is one piece of that bigger puzzle, and its arrival in 3.26 is a step forward that many players won’t take for granted