PoE: Keepers of the Flame comes with lots of changes. Breach 2.0 and the option to get a hand or two is just the beginning

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Grinding Gear Games showcased everything coming in the new Path of Exile update, Keepers of the Flame, during yesterday’s livestream. The update will launch on October 31st at 11:00 AM Pacific Time. You can check out the official trailer below.

Keepers of the Flame – key new features

Breach 2.0

The new league’s biggest addition is an updated version of the well-loved Breach mechanic. This update is central to the expansion’s story, where players help Ailith, a member of the Order of the Keepers of the Flame, to prevent the Breachlords from taking over.

This update introduces a new challenge: protecting Ailith while she destroys special structures she encounters during gameplay. It takes her time to break these structures, so players will need to defend her. The existing fast-paced combat focused on defeating monsters will remain a core part of the game.

Later in the game, you’ll discover structures known as Breach Hives. Your goal will be to capture these hives alongside Ailith, but be warned – powerful Breachlords might be guarding them, making it a tough fight.

Tree within a tree

As you play, Ailith will guide you to the Monastery of the Keepers. Inside, you’ll find the Genesis Tree, which lets you earn various rewards, such as in-game currency and powerful items. You can customize these rewards to match your playstyle using the tree system shown below.

Get a new hand… or two

The Genesis Tree will mainly let us unlock Grafts – think of them as special attachments for your character that give you extra abilities. These Grafts offer a wide variety of benefits, including stronger attacks, better defense, and ways to control groups of enemies.

As a huge fan, I’m really excited about the combat system! There are 16 different hand types in the game, and each one lets you play differently with its own special skill. Plus, as you level up, you can unlock a second Graft slot, which means even more ways to customize your character. And if you want to really fine-tune things, you can use a currency earned from the Genesis Tree to tweak the modifiers on your abilities. It’s looking awesome!

New Ascendancy classes

The upcoming Keepers of the Flame update will add 10 new ways to customize your character with unique classes. However, you won’t replace your current class—instead, you’ll unlock these new classes by defeating certain bosses and use them alongside your existing one. Importantly, you won’t get any additional skill points; you’ll need to decide how to distribute your current points between your original class and the new one.

Interestingly, the group known as the Bloodline Ascendancy isn’t tied to any particular character. This means you’ll have access to all ten members no matter who you choose to play as.

Asynchronous trading

Path of Exile will soon get a feature from its sequel that allows players to trade with each other even when they aren’t playing at the same time. You’ll list items for sale through a character named Faustus, but you’ll need a special storage tab called the Merchant Stash Tab to use the system.

A new item search engine will be added to Path of Exile along with the updated trading system.

Other changes

The latest update includes numerous changes and new features, and you can find a complete list on the game’s website. Some of the highlights include:

  1. new active and support skills;
  2. three additional Uber Bosses;
  3. a host of Quality of Life improvements;
  4. 40 new league challenges, completion of which will grant a unique armor set.

Path of Exile is available for free on PC, PS4, PS5, XOne, and XSX/S.

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2025-10-24 15:03