Over the years, Path of Exile has gone through a lot of changes. The addition of new patches and expansions have long since left the early foundations of the iconic ARPG behind. The multitude of expansions have added a glut of new mechanics, and tweaked a bunch of existing ones. And it’s this delicate balancing act of making existing mechanics more appealing for many fans of Path of Exile. The game got a pretty big shakeup with the minion-focused balance pass for POE 3.8 and Blight League. And we’re now left wondering just what the heck Grinding Gear Games has planned for the next patch.
The fanbase has not gotten any real details about Path of Exile 3.9 other than a release window, and the developer looks to be holding things pretty close to the chest. Players aren’t sitting on their hands waiting though, as speculation runs rampant about what skills will get rebalanced, as well as what new mechanics the patch will bring to the table. There have already been focused passes on melee, casting and minons, with ranged attack skills the most likely candidate ahead of 4.0. Split Arrow, Explosive Arrow, Shrapnel Shot, and many more are skills up on the block for a major balance pass, although we’re also just as likely to see some minion skills get nerfed too.
The 3.9.0 expansion will be announced in full at ExileCon, during the Keynote presentation on the morning of November 16th. And there’s still the 4.0 mega-expansion ready to be revealed as ExileCon too, bringing an entirely new gameplay loop and a bunch of new mechanics that are likely to be on par with 3.0 and the Fall of Oriath in terms of scope.
The POE 3.9 expansion is currently expected to release on in early December, and a firm release date should be announced at ExileCon. The company has been ramping up that convention quite a bit recently, with tons of announcements and reveals planned for the New Zealand event, and multiple competitions aimed at giving away tickets these last few months. And while the most recent fanart competition doesn’t have such a prize, it’s still a sign that GGG is amped up and wants the community to be on the same level.
Path of Exile is out now as a free-to-play game for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
