Path of Exile

Path of Exile's next major expansion, Secrets of the Atlas, drops on June 13 with patch 3.26. It's shaping up to be one of the most impactful updates recently. The focus this time is on expanding and reshaping the endgame, with new mechanics, new enemies, and systems aimed at both high-end players and adventurers of the Atlas.

At the heart of the expansion is a new storyline that is centered on Zana and her memories. The Atlas has shattered, opening rifts connected to her past. Eagon, her brother, is the one leading the investigation, and players will help him track down the truth by stepping into strange, memory-twisted versions of the world. Inside these threads, familiar bosses return in altered forms, and each fight ties into the larger mystery.

The memory zones are not just for story. They also tie directly into the new crafting system. You'll collect PoE items and Strands that introduce new ways to shape gear, but you'll still encounter well-known systems like Shaper and Elder modifiers along the way. It's now possible to apply effects to rare PoE Items directly using new exalted-style PoE 2 orbs, which gives players more freedom and reduces dependence on random drops or trading.

One of the best features in the expansion is a proper pause function. In solo play, opening certain menus like the passive skill tree or Escape menu now pauses the game, giving players a breather. Hardcore players will also be protected if they disconnect, as the game will detect it and pause before death can occur. Pausing is limited during top-tier boss fights, though, to keep those enemies challenging and prevent players from gaming the system by pausing during telegraphed attacks.

Players who enjoy mapping in bulk, there's a new storage panel specifically for PoE Maps, scarabs, and fragments. It's a clean way to organize materials when you're running a big batch of content back-to-back. Instead of flipping between stash tabs and digging through clutter, you can just load up your preferred setup and go. It's especially useful for high-end farming sessions but works for anyone who prefers to plan ahead.

The Atlas passive tree is getting a few new PoE Cluster Jewels tied to the memory mechanics and the Settlers content. Some of the new passives let you farm specific bosses more effectively or improve your odds of finding memory-based loot. While the full tree isn't getting a full overhaul, it's clear the devs are adding new tools to specialize in the new systems.

The new league, Mercenaries of Trarthus, introduces a different kind of bosses and monsters. In each zone, you'll meet a mercenary and get the chance to challenge them to a duel. If you win, you can choose to hire them, loot their gear, or exile them. Mercenaries come with unique gear and randomized abilities, and their equipment can often be stronger than what you'd normally find. You can only have one active at a time, but you can upgrade them or swap them out as you go.

Looking ahead, the devs are exploring ways to make ascendancy classes feel more engaging. While alternate classes won't be added in this patch, some old passive nodes from temporary classes are being worked into the core game. It's a slower rollout, but the goal is to bring in the best parts of past experiments without overhauling things just for the sake of change.

Secrets of the Atlas bringing a shift to the whole game. New boss mechanics, smarter crafting tools, and player-friendly tweaks make the most intense parts of the game smoother, more flexible, and enjoyable. If everything goes well, it is a solid update with room to grow even more in future patches. There are very few chances like this to get into Path of Exile 1 with so much fresh content and renewed focus. June 13 is coming — are you ready?