TL;DR: Path of Exile 2 1.0 launches on December 11, 2026 with 10 classes. Two are new: the Duelist (swords, Stance system, Knight ascendancy) and the Shadow (daggers, Traps and Stealth, with the Assassin and Infiltrator ascendancies). 1.0 also adds Acts 5 and 6 and the Conquerors of Wraeclast league. Marauder and Templar are still missing.
Path of Exile 2 leaves Early Access on December 11 with a finished six-act campaign and two new classes, per Grinding Gear Games' ExileCon 2026 announcement. The Duelist is the game's first sword class and plays around a new Stance system. The Shadow brings daggers, Stealth and a new off-hand weapon type, Traps. Together with the eight Early Access classes that makes ten classes and 25 confirmed ascendancies.
Data as of November 12, 2026, after ExileCon and before GGG's full 1.0 patch notes, which are expected about a week before launch. Ascendancy node lists for the new classes aren't public yet, and anything GGG hasn't published is marked "not confirmed".
All classes and ascendancies in PoE 2 1.0
Here is every class at launch with its main weapon, attributes and ascendancies, as listed on Game8's class tracker after ExileCon. The two new classes are in bold.
| Class | Main weapon | Attributes | Ascendancies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Maces | Str | Warbringer, Titan, Smith of Kitava |
| Monk | Quarterstaff | Dex / Int | Invoker, Acolyte of Chayula, Martial Artist |
| Mercenary | Crossbows | Str / Dex | Witchhunter, Gemling Legionnaire, Tactician |
| Witch | Wands | Int | Infernalist, Blood Mage, Lich |
| Ranger | Bows | Dex | Deadeye, Pathfinder |
| Sorceress | Staves | Int | Stormweaver, Chronomancer, Disciple of Varashta |
| Huntress | Spears | Dex | Amazon, Ritualist, Spirit Walker |
| Druid | Talismans | Str / Int | Oracle, Shaman |
| Duelist (new) | Swords (one- and two-handed) | Str / Dex | Knight; second ascendancy not confirmed |
| Shadow (new) | Daggers, Traps (off-hand) | Dex / Int | Assassin, Infiltrator |
Swords, Daggers and Traps aren't locked to the new classes. They enter the general item pool, so a Mercenary can carry a Trap off-hand and a Warrior can swing a two-handed sword. The class decides where you start on the passive tree and which ascendancies you get, not which weapons you're allowed to use.
Two classes are still missing at 1.0: Marauder (Axes) and Templar (Flails). GGG's long-term plan is 12 base classes with three ascendancies each, 36 in total. With 10 classes and 25 confirmed ascendancies, launch is not the final roster.
PoE 2 Duelist: swords, Stances and ascendancies
The Duelist is a Strength/Dexterity fighter with one-handed swords, two-handed swords and shields. GGG's 1.0 press release calls him "a master of both sword and shield". If you want fast melee without the Warrior's slow mace slams, he is the pick for 1.0. What sets him apart is the Stance system: certain sword skills change behavior depending on your current stance.
| Stance | How you enter it | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Ready Stance | Hold the button on certain sword skills | Releasing fires an enhanced version of the skill; turns into Sand or Blood Stance when their conditions are met |
| Sand Stance | Heavy Stun an enemy or consume a Frenzy Charge, use Sand Scour, then enter Ready Stance | Cyclone releases Sand Disks |
| Blood Stance | Hit a Parried enemy with Bloodied Blade, then enter Ready Stance | Cyclone releases Blood Waves |
Game8's Duelist breakdown lists 14 sword skills (counting the basic attack) and 5 sword supports:
| Group | Skills |
|---|---|
| Stance payoffs | Cyclone, Blade Plunge, World Cutter |
| Stance enablers | Sand Scour, Bloodied Blade |
| Buried Blades | Earthrend, Blade Plunge and Rain of Steel leave blades in the ground; Charged Slash and Blade Conduit add Lightning to them |
| Other sword skills | Sword Slash (basic attack), Perforate, Intimidate, Rending Dash, Hemorrhage |
| Sword supports | Eroding Sands, Sandstorm, Galvanising Blades, Gouge, Shattering Parry |
Is the Duelist's Knight ascendancy good?
Knight is the confirmed Duelist ascendancy. In Destructoid's ExileCon hands-on it revolves around standards and banners that buff you and debuff enemies, plus a Squire who fights at your side. You give the Squire weapons, armor and skills yourself, so you are effectively gearing two characters. That means more power per drop, but also more gear to chase on a fresh 1.0 economy. Whether it's "good" depends on numbers GGG hasn't shown, but it is the most distinct support-style melee ascendancy in the game so far.
The second Duelist ascendancy is unclear. Game8 lists it as Weapon Master, several other outlets report Master-at-Arms, and as of mid-October Wccftech wrote that GGG hadn't named any Duelist ascendancy at all. Treat its name and whether it ships on December 11 as not confirmed until the patch notes.
PoE 2 Shadow: daggers, traps and stealth
The Shadow is a Dexterity/Intelligence rogue built on Stealth. Dagger skills used from Stealth gain bonus effects against enemies that haven't noticed you. Traps don't trigger while you stay in Stealth and then fire in the order you placed them, so the class plays as "set the room, then pop it". Two more systems sit on top: Darkness, which Eclipse turns into Glory, and Shades, which Shadow Extraction pulls out of enemies Engulfed in Darkness.
| Type | Skills |
|---|---|
| Dagger skills (9) | Dagger Stab (basic attack), Ethereal Knives, Pestilent Volley, Blade Vortex, Viper Strike, Blade of Night, Shadow Extraction, Eclipse, Shroud |
| Trap skills (6) | Shrapnel Trap, Concussive Trap, Poison Trap, Fire Trap, Electrocution Trap, Freezing Trap |
| Dagger supports (3) | Impaling Blade, Volatile Shades, Vampirism |
Shroud ties the kit together: it blinds nearby enemies, creates a Shade and puts you into Stealth in one button. Expect most early Shadow builds to open fights with it.
Shadow ascendancies: Assassin and Infiltrator
The Shadow launches with two ascendancies: Assassin, returning from Path of Exile 1, and Infiltrator, which is new. Neither node list is public. Game8 expects the Assassin to lean on critical strikes and poison as it did in PoE 1, and the Infiltrator to build on Stealth and Traps. Both are educated guesses until GGG posts the patch notes.
Which new class should you play at 1.0?
| If you want… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Melee with a clear rotation | Duelist | Stances turn the same skills into different attacks; the only sword class |
| A companion without playing a minion build | Duelist (Knight) | The Squire is one geared ally, not an army |
| Burst and setup play | Shadow | Stealth openers plus Traps that fire in sequence |
| Ranged elemental damage | Shadow | Six Trap skills cover Fire, Cold, Lightning and Poison |
| The safest first league | A returning class | New classes ship with no community builds, and 1.0 balance changes will reshuffle everything |
Our honest take: if this is your first PoE 2 character, start the league on a returning class with known builds and level a Duelist or Shadow second, once the first week of 1.0 builds has been posted. If you're playing on a pad, see our Path of Exile 2 controller support guide. Trap placement and Stealth timing reward clean stick input.
How many acts are in PoE 2 1.0?
Six. Act 4 arrived during Early Access, and Acts 5 and 6 complete the campaign on December 11. GGG's press release calls them "the final two acts". Act 5 is the assault on Oriath, and Destructoid previewed it at ExileCon. Act 6 hasn't been shown yet.
Beyond the acts, 1.0 includes the following. Patch notes will add the numbers:
- A passive tree update and an Ascendancy skills update
- A Support Gem rework
- New and reworked uniques, plus new skill gems for Swords, Daggers and Traps
- A Death Summary screen
- A new endgame storyline
Game8 reports that 1.0 does not add a new Ascendancy Trial. The new classes earn their points through the existing trials.
What is the Conquerors of Wraeclast league?
Conquerors of Wraeclast is the 1.0 challenge league. GGG sums it up as "siege your enemies". Game8's league guide fills in the details, and it runs for about four months:
- Army: rescue Varek in Clearfell during the campaign to start recruiting soldiers. Battlefield encounters let you position troops by unit type and fight alongside them.
- Factions: every player joins one global faction. Factions holding more strongholds pay "significantly higher upkeep" to rivals, which pushes players to switch sides. Faction names are not confirmed.
- Strongholds: you get a personal Stronghold in the endgame and spend Gold on upgrades that boost unit production and unlock better troops. You can siege other players' strongholds for personal and faction rewards.
- Expeditions: send Commanders with troops to clear endgame maps on the Atlas. Each one needs a minimum Unit Strength and a Gold investment, and it runs in real time, even while you're logged off.
- Forgemarks: a crafting tool that turns a targeted modifier into a random Fractured modifier. Items can hold up to two Fractured mods.
- Rewards: holding Atlas strongholds gives a modest Item Rarity bonus. Expeditions return currency and gear.
Offline Expeditions are the change that matters for players who can't grind every night, because part of your Atlas progress keeps running while you're away.
PoE 2 1.0 release date, free to play and wipe: the short version
- Date: December 11, 2026 (PST). Launch hour not confirmed.
- Price: free to play on PC (standalone, Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- Wipe: Early Access characters aren't deleted. They move to a separate Early Access league with their gear and stash, which matches GGG's original Early Access FAQ. The 1.0 economy starts from zero, so every class, new or old, starts level 1 on day one.
- Purchases: stash tabs and cosmetics carry over, per Wccftech.
If you're planning a league start, our PoE 1 league starter builds show how the same archetypes (traps, swords, stealth crit) play in the original game. A dedicated PoE 2 1.0 starter list follows once the patch notes are out. Before launch night, run your pad through our online gamepad tester so stick drift doesn't misplace a trap or a dodge roll.