Grinding Gear Games has announced a massive content update for Path of Exile 2. The 0.2.0 update, titled "Dawn of the Hunt," will launch on April 2, 2025, introducing a brand-new character class, five Ascendancy options, over 25 new skills, and more than 100 unique items to the action RPG. This substantial expansion also brings significant endgame improvements and launches alongside a fresh league economy.
The Huntress Arrives with New Weapon Types
The centerpiece of the Dawn of the Hunt update is the addition of the Huntress, a completely new character class that introduces two exclusive Ascendancy paths: the Amazon and the Ritualist. This marks the first new playable class added to Path of Exile 2 since its Early Access launch.
Supporting the new class are two entirely new weapon types: Spears and Bucklers. These additions expand the itemization options while enabling fresh combat styles and build possibilities. The update includes over 25 new skills, with a primary focus on Spear-based abilities, alongside more than 100 new Support gems to enhance build customization.
Five New Ascendancy Classes Reshape the Meta
Beyond the Huntress's exclusive Ascendancies, three existing character classes receive new specialization options:
- Warrior: Smith of Kitava
- Mercenary: Tactician
- Witch: Lich
These additions, combined with extensive rebalancing of all existing Ascendancy classes, promise to dramatically reshape the game's meta and provide veterans with exciting new build paths to explore.
What's New in Path of Exile 2's Endgame?
The endgame receives substantial improvements, including eight new Maps with unique encounters and rewards. Corruption areas now feature a central Corrupted Nexus as the source of affliction, complete with faction-specific bosses. Players will also benefit from a new respawn system allowing up to six attempts per Map, making challenging content more accessible.
Other notable endgame additions include:
- Four Unique Strongboxes with special encounters
- Twelve Rogue Exiles with distinctive skills and personalities
- Azmerian Wisps that lead players through monster packs while increasing their power
- The Twilight Reliquary Key for accessing special foil versions of Unique items
- Recombination crafting mechanics added to Expedition content
Fresh Start with Dawn of the Hunt League
Alongside the content update, Grinding Gear Games is launching the Dawn of the Hunt league with a fresh economy. Players can choose between Standard, Hardcore, and Solo Self-Found variants. All characters from the Early Access phase will remain available with a free passive tree respec to accommodate the extensive balance changes.
The Atlas Passive Tree has been significantly expanded, with the maximum number of points increased from 30 to 40. This expansion comes with new Notable passives and support for the newly added Azmerian Spirits and Rogue Exiles mechanics.
Technical and Quality-of-Life Improvements
The update includes numerous technical enhancements, including a "Device Removed" crash recovery system for Nvidia hardware. Sound, art, effects, and environments have all received continued improvements, while the user interface and controller support have been enhanced for a smoother gameplay experience.
Additional quality-of-life changes include:
- Pinnacle boss content is now roughly half as time-consuming to unlock
- Difficulty 0 Pinnacle bosses are significantly easier for smoother early progression
- Redesigned Waystone drops make sustaining maps more reliable
- Unified stun mechanics between players and monsters for greater consistency
What's Coming in Future Updates?
While the Dawn of the Hunt update is extensive, Grinding Gear Games has acknowledged that some planned features didn't make the cut. Notably, the ability to lock weapon slots between weapon sets is still in development for a future patch.
The Dawn of the Hunt content update launches on April 2, 2025. Players interested in learning more can visit the official Dawn of the Hunt information page or check out the detailed patch notes on the Path of Exile forums.