Path of Exile 2 Update 0.3.0 Changes Overview

The Third Edict, Path of Exile 2’s 0.3.0 Update, is packed with a whole slew of additions and updates. We’ll cover the important changes and updates here.

New Features

Below are all the major features being added with Update 0.3.0.

Act Four

The Fourth Act of Path of Exile 2’s story is finally here. This Act is a non-linear Act, similar to Act 2, but far more open.

It consists of eight different Islands, each with its own monster varieties, including bosses.

These can be tackled in any order, allowing for more open choice. This also allows us to tackle certain bosses within the Act in any order we see fit, allowing us to generally be stronger for the tougher bosses.

Interludes

Interludes are temporary Side Stories bridging the gap between Act 4 and the Endgame. Yes, this means no more repeating Acts 1-3 a second time in Cruel, with cruel being removed entirely.

These are stand-ins for Acts 5 and 6, and will be removed when those acts are finished and ready to be released. They consist of 6-8 smaller areas each, paying a small visit to each of the first three acts.

Rise of the Abyssals League

With a new patch comes a new League. The Rise of the Abyssals League features Abyss encounters, complete with additional bosses and powerful rewards like the Darkness Enthroned Unique Belt.

New currency items are being added that allow us to apply Abyssal Affixes to our Gear. These affixes work similarly to POE1’s Veiled Affixes, offering a version of existing Affixes as well as unique and powerful options only available through this system.

Path of Exile 2: Abyss League Guide

Sprinting

Spinting is being added to Path of Exile 2, giving us a quick way to traverse zones and move from pack to pack. All done by simply holding the Dodge Roll button after performing a Dodge Roll.

Be careful, however, as taking a hit will cause a Heavy Stun on our character, leaving us vulnerable to Attacks. This shouldn’t happen too often, as this option is faster than the movement speed of most enemies, so careful use can keep us safe.

Asynchronous Trade

It’s finally here, Asyncronous Trade. This long-awaited feature allows us to set up a vendor in our Hideout to sell our Items. This prevents us from having to pause maps or keep a sale waiting as we clear maps in the endgame.

For Premium Tab purchased before the Update, GGG is offering the ability to convert these tabs to Merchant’s Tabs, allowing us to expand their inventory.

Following the Update, these will need to be purchased separately. They will also carry over to POE1 when this feature is implemented there.

Currently, it will only work with set prices, but even this will alleviate a ton of issues with the previous trade system.

While it likely won’t eliminate price fixers attempting to devalue items, it will make it much easier to work around them. This also makes it far easier to buy and sell cheaper Unique Items, which is a huge win for the overall gameplay experience.

Support Gem System Overhaul

Support gems are getting a ton of love in this update, most notably getting a new tiering System and removal of the support limit.

The support limit being removed means we’re able to finally use multiple copies of any support. No more having our secondary or combo skills being significantly slower than our main skill. This may homogenize of aspect of using supports, but overall should lead to far more build options.

The new tiering System allows some supports to have upgraded versions, scaling from their existing base version to a much more powerful version at the highest tier.

This even includes new Lineage Supports, which function as Unique Support Gems. These grant incredibly powerful effects, but will drop rarely or be exclusive to certain bosses.

Game Updates

These are the more general updates across the game, which affect various systems.

Endgame Changes

Boss Keys and Passives

All Boss Keys, except Arbiter of Ash, have been converted to a Splinter System. This also includes Oloroth, who no longer appears in Logbooks.

Boss Difficulty is now determined by the number of Splinters consumed at the Realmgate and has been decoupled from the passive Tree. All Passives that previously awarded a full key now grant additional Splinters instead.

Each Mechanic now has a way to unlock the first two passive points without the need to fight is respective Boss. This makes a number of endgame mechanics more approachable and rewarding very early on.

Uber Arbiter of Ash has arrived, requiring a new set of Keys that only drop from Citadel Bosses after investing the maximum points in the Boss Atlas Tree.

Atlas Changes

Altas generation now includes new Anomalies, which provide new challenges similar to those of Citadels. Each of these Anomalies will require taking on surrounding Maps to dispel the Anomaly and reap the benefits.

Waystone Modifers have been changed to be similar to POE1. This means that most affixes will make enemies stronger, but all of them will affect Waystoen Drop Chance in addition to Item Rarity, Item Quantity, or Pack Size.

Crafting Changes

Crafting was in a pretty rough state for all of Dawn of the Hunt, but this update is trending in a much more promising direction. New Crafting Currencies to use, ranging from upgrades to existing currency to powerful new Omens.

Essences

Essences now have four tiers: Lesser, Normal, Greater, and Perfect. Lesser, Normal, and Greater Essence act like Regal Orbs now, turning a magic item to Rare and adding its specified Affix.

Perfect and Corrupted Essences act like Chaos Orbs, replacing an existing Affix with their powerful effects.

Greater and Perfect Currency

Transmutation, Augmentation, Chaos, Regal, and Exalted Orb now all have Greater and Perfect versions. The higher the tier of Orb, the higher the minimum tier of affixes that can roll.

Transmutation and Augmentation orbs are said to function on par with a Tier 5 Magic Item drop (highest available affix tier only). Higher Tier Currencies cannot be upgraded to and are drop-only, but can be converted to lower tiers if desired.

Hinekora’s Lock

Hinekora’s Lock has returned as a currency. This powerful and rare currency allows us to preview the effect of the next crafting currency applied to an item, showing exactly what will change from an item’s current state if it were applied.

This is incredibly powerful for high-end crafts, allowing for insanely powerful items to be created with enough time and currency.

Exceptional Items

Exceptional Items have been added, providing a powerful starting point for crafting an upgrade. These special item drops only drop in high-tier maps and can roll up to 30% Quality or additional Sockets, appearing on Common and Unique Items only.

They’re also able to be corrupted to have yet another socket on top of this, allowing for the potential of up to 3 Socketables on items previously limited to just 1 without corruption.

Omens

There are 15 New Omens, but only a few have been detailed. The Omen of the Ancients guarantees that a Chance Orb will create a Unique item.

There’s also the Omen of Sanctification, which sanctifies a Rare Item when using a Divine Orb.

Sanctifying an item will roll its affixes in a range of 80-120% of their strength.

Might want to combine that with Hinekora’s Lock, as its effects lock your affixes afterwards

Attribute Adjustments

Most, if not all, Gear and Gems have had their attribute requirements lowered by 20-25%, easing up Attribute Requirements for gearing.

This alleviates many of the previous Attribute woes, especially paired with the previously added Runes.

Passive Tree Changes

Many new node clusters have been added to the tree, making it significantly more dense and providing more options.

This includes a variety of new Keystone Passive Nodes, like Hollow Palm Unique. Each section of the Passive Tree seems to have at least one of these added.

There are also plenty of new Notable Passives, like The Great Boar. Every section of the passive tree has approximately 3-4 of these.

Balance Changes

General Defenses

Block and Parry

Maximum Passive Block Chance is now capped at 50%. Block and Parry by default now can block all hits that aren’t unblockable attacks like those of bosses. It will require testing, but this may apply to AoE hits, which often ignore both Block and Evasion entirely.

The Raise Shield and Parry Skills now reduce Movement Speed less, making them generally more comfortable to use. Combined with Mobility Support, it should be much easier to benefit from these skills

Deflect

Deflect is a new addition to Evasion, which provides a chance to reduce incoming damage from All Hits.

This scales with Affixes on gear as well as passives, which provide Deflection Rating equal to a portion of Evasion Rating.

This helps shore up Evasion’s inability to take hits without the need to dip into Evasion and Energy Shield hybrid Setups. Though it will likely still be incredibly strong paired with those setups.

For those familiar with POE1’s Spell Suppression, this is an improved version of that. So welcome back, Spell Suppression. Can’t wait to see you in 90% of Evasion Builds.

Elemental Skills

All individual Elemental Curses have been removed and replaced by Elemental Weakness, which lowers the resistance to all elements rather than a specific one.

Fire Damage no longer has a base chance to Ignite; instead, it applies Flammability. Flammability increases a Monster’s Chance to Ignite and caps at 100%, with the amount of Flammability scaling with damage. Skills that previously always ignited now must reach 100% Flammability to Ignite.

Energy Shield, Life, and Mana Overflow now cap at 150%, rather than 200%. This keeps the effects that consistently cap these Overflow values more balanced.

Elemental Infusions create more possibilities for skill combos, with some skills always creating these while others can be empowered by them. These special Remnants will empower various elemental skills in different ways, ranging from bonus projectiles to increased damage.

Skills that previously applied Cold, Fire, or Lightning Exposure now instead apply Elemental Exposure. This allows these skills to slot into more builds and provide consistent bonuses.

Ascendancy Changes

In general, many Ascendancies were buffed, often combining what was previously a 4-point Ascendancy into the 2-point version. This is applied to multiple ascendancies, but not properly noted.

Warbringer

Warbringer is getting changes to supplement the changes to Totems and Block.

• Answered Call now grants +1 Summoned Totem, alongside the Ancestral Spirit being buffed.
• Turtle Charm no longer reduces Block Chance in exchange for blocking all hits, as this is now the default function of block. Instead now allows 30% of damage to bypass block, but increases Maximum Block Chance to 75%.
• Stacks of Jade are no longer lost on hit, providing a more consistent bonus.

Smith of Kitava

Smith of Kitava has some pretty minor changes, slightly reducing its defensive power.

• Flowing Metal now provides 35% of Armour Applies to Elemental Damage instead of +5% Maximum Fire Resistance.
• Leather Binding Life Regeneration Rate reduced from 5% to 3%.
• Manifest Weapon now gains 1% Attack Speed per 3 Dexterity, as minions no longer have an accuracy check.

Gemling Legionnaire

Gemling gets some adjustment to account for the changes to Support Gems.

• Advanced Thaumthurgy now grants the Thaumathurgical Dynamism Buff instead of modifying Gem Requirements and Skill Cost. Thaumathurgical Dynamism creates an Endurance, Frenzy, or Power Charge every 8 seconds based on our highest Attribute.
• Gem Studded now grants bonuses based on which color Support Gems we have the most of. If equal, it’s likely all bonuses will be applied at once.
  • STR Gems prevent Bonus Critical Damage from enemies
  • INT Gems reduce Skill Cost by 30%
  • DEX Gems reduce Movement Speed Penalty of Skills by 40%.

Tactician

Tactician is a beneficiary of the Ascendnacy Squish as well as adjustments for Totem and Banner Changes.

• Cannons, Ready! now grants +1 Summoned Totem.
• Right Where We Want Them now provides the Projectiles can Pin Bonus (previously a 4-point bonus)
• Polish That Gear provides 20% of Evasion Rating as Deflection Rating instead of Armor as Stun Threshold.
• Supporting Fire, from the Unleash Hell! Ascendancy, now gains 1% AoE per 3 Dex as minions no longer have an accuracy Check. It’s damage has also been significantly increased.
• Whoever Pays Best now grants +5 Glory per second and removes the limit for Banners, instead of allowing multiple banners.
• New Passive passive added after Cannons, Ready!, Strategic Embankments, allows Totems to grant Embankment Auras Based on Type.
  • Ancestral Warrior Totems grants 40% increased Glory Generation
  • Artillery Ballista grants 40% Immobilization Buildup
  • Mortar Cannons grant 15% of Damage as Extra Fire Damage
  • Siege Ballista grants 50% Increased Damage va Immobilized.
  • Shockwave Totems grant 30% increased AoE.

Ritualist

The Ritualist sees minimal changes, outside of the Ritual Sacrifice nodes being squished together.

• As the Whispers Ask has been removed, Ritual Sacrifice is now granted by the As the Whisper Demand Node.
• Wildwood Persistence Life Regeneration increased to 10% Life Recovery Rate per 5% Missing Unreserved Life.

Amazon

Critical Strike was due for a nerf, but at least it benefits from Hobble now.

• Critical Strike now gains 15% of excess Accuracy as Crit Chance, down from 25%. This no longer ignores Hobble.
• Elemental Surge (previously Elemental Infusion) now grants 3 Surges instead of 2 when consuming a charge.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder’s Concoctions are seeing massive changes, giving each a more unique role to play.

• Sustainable Practices grants Elemental Damage Reduction equal to 50% of Evasion Rating, up from 30%.
• Poisonous Concoction is replaced by Acidic Concoction. Acid Concotion now consumes Poisons to deal damage equal to 150% of the Remaining Poison Damage on an enemy with 30% increased AoE per Poison Stack.
• Fulminating Concotion now has 50% increased Shock Magnitude instead of applying Exposure. Quality increases Chance to Shock.
• Shattering Concotion now applies Elemental Exposure and Freezes enemies primed for Freeze. Quality grants Freeze Duration instead of Exposure Effect.
• Bleeding Concotion now Aggravates Bleeding on Hit rather than having increased Bleeding Magnitude.
• Explosive Concoction no longer has increased Ignite Magnitude or inflicts Fire Exposure. Instead, it creates up to 4 mini-flask projectiles that target Ignited Enemies. Quality adds up to 2 additional mini-flasks.

Deadeye

Deadeye is getting some huge buffs, unless our skill of choice relied on high Frenzy Charge counts.

• Avidity now grants a 50% chance to gain an Additional Fenzy Charge when a Frenzy Charge is generated instead of a 30% Chance to generate maximum Frenzy Charges.
• Called Shots now provides the Called Shots Buff, passively applying our Marks to nearby Enemies and Ignoring Mark Limit. Additionally, Projectiles will now chain to Marked Enemies.
• Eagle Eyes no longer removes the distance-based Accuracy Penalty. Instead, it will apply 20 stacks of Critical Weakness when consuming a Mark.

Invoker

Invoker gets some minor tuning, mostly toward making Elemental Expression provide noticeable damage.

• The damage of Elemental Expression has been buffed. Fiery Expression’s base damage is up by ~50% at Level 20, Icy Wave’s Damage is increased by ~45% at Level 20, and Arcing Bolt’s damage is increased by ~33% at Level 20.
• Meditate now has a reduced cooldown, 7 – 5.1 seconds from Level 1-20, down from 10 – 8.1 seconds.

Acolyte of Chayula

Acolyte has gotten the most amount of love, with many reworked nodes. It lost some of it’s damage potential but got significant buffs otherwise.

• Reality Rending is now Sap of Nightmares, losing the damage portion in favor of Chaos Damage Leech.
• Lucid Dreaming is now a multi-choice Ascendancy, guaranteeing that all Flames of Chayula are of a chosen color.
• Into the Breach now passively increases the effect of the Flames of Chayula by 50%
• Grasp of the Void now grants the Void Illusion Skill instead of providing Chaos Damage per Unreserved Darkness.
• Inner Silence is renamed to Deepening Shadows, granting 1% increased maximum Darkness per 1% Chaos Resistance
• Ravenous Doubts is replaced with Inner Turmoil. This now grants 1 Volatility when inflicting an Elemental Ailment, and prevents Volatility Damage.
• Consuming Questions is replaced by Unravelling. This now allows Chaos Damage to contribute to Ignite Chance and Magnitude, Freeze Buildup, or Shock Chance; cycling every 2 seconds.

Blood Mage

Turns out having the first two points be an early game detriment for the Blood Mage was a bad idea.

• Sanguimancy no longer has a lead-up node or Allocation cost. Life Remnant now spawns on Hit, rather than Critical Hit.
• Gore Spike has been reduced to 1% Crit Damage Bonus per 50 Life, from 1% per 40 Life. It has swapped location with Sunder the Flesh.
• Between the Cracks has been replaced by Sanguine Tides. This Grant 1 Life Flask Charge per 4% Life Spent while reducing Life Recovery from Flasks by 50%. Additionally, Life Flasks are automatically used when Charges reach full, consuming 40% of its charges to grant 1% of Damage gained as Physical Damage for 3 seconds per charge consumed by this effect.
• Open Sores has been replaced with Whispers of the Flesh. This reserves 15% of Life of Cursed Enemies, reducing their maximum Life.

Infernalist

The Changes for Infernalist are largely targeted toward making its unique playstyles better.

• Loyal Hellhound now ignites in a 2.5m radius, up from 1.5m.
• Pryomatnic Pact now grants Infernal Flame equal to 200% of Mana and decays at 25% per second instead of 50%.
• Demon Form now longer provides its own stats, instead using our Weapon. Additionally, it grants 3% more Spell Damage per Demonflame.

Lich

Lich’s Spell damage bonuses have been opened up a bit more, losing the Non-Channeling restiction on its buffs.

• Dominion over Flesh has been replaced by Incessant Cacophony, which grants Infinite Curse Duration.
• Eldritch Empowerment now grants Sacrifice 5% of Energy Shield when casting a Spell, and gain 30% more Spell Damage when sacrificing Energy Shield. Additional Sacrificing Energy Shield does not interrupt Recharge
• Price of Power now grants Spells that consume a Power Charge if able to deal 40% More Damage.

Chronomancer

Chronomancer got changes to some of the least reliable passives, instead giving them new tools. Unsurprisingly, their new skills seem to benefit from Skill Effect Duration.

• Flood of Echoes has been replaced by Inevitability. This grants the Inevitable Agony Skill, which curses enemies, causing them to store a portion of the damage they receive. When the curse expires, the enemy will take all of the stored damage instantly.
• Quicksand Hourglass now grants the Sands of Time Skill, which grants 1% increased AoE, scaling up to 60% over 10 seconds before resetting to ramp again.

Stormweaver

Stormweaver is getting changes that sound like a buff overall, but will need testing to determine if that is the case.

• Elemental Storm’s Cooldown is reduced to 3 seconds, from 5 seconds at all levels. This squishes the previous 4-point Upgrade (Rain Dancer) into the base skill.
• Rain Dancer is replaced with Multiplying Squalls, increasing the Elemental Storm Limit by 1.
• Force of Will now grants 20% of Damage Taken as Mana before Life and 20% Arcance Surge Magnitude per 10% missing Mana.
• Scouring Wind is replaced by Storm’s Recollection. This now recreates Remnants 3 seconds after being collected.
• Heart of the Storm has been replaced by Refracted Infusion. This grants a 50% chance when collecting an Elemental Infusion to grant an additional Infusion of another element.

Official Patch Notes

As always, here’s a link to the Official Patch Notes on the Forum as provided by GGG. We’ve done our best to summarize and give context to these changes. The official notes provide the more detailed part changes, such as exact damage value changes.