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Path of Exile's June update will add end-game content, new quest system

Item improvements and other player engagement-focused changes are the highlights of the action-RPG's newest patch in June.

David Craddock

May 19, 2016 3:00 PM

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A new patch for free-to-play action-RPG Path of Exile will be deployed on June 3, and it's pretty sizable—not quite big enough for developer Grinding Gear Games to proclaim it a proper expansion on the level of The Awakening, but it still has plenty of major changes in store.

Update 2.3.0, formally titled Prophecy Challenge League, will add a plethora of content ranging from end-game challenges to a new quest system and improvements to items. Like other challenge leagues, Prophecy lets you lock down specific missions in Path of Exile's otherwise-procedural smorgasbord of content.

To play through prophecies, you'll need to give silver to Navali, a soothsayer. "Cross her palm with silver and she will tell your future, divining a Prophecy for you to fulfill," per a developer post detailing some of the new changes in 2.3.0. "These Prophecies will take you to the farthest reaches of the continent as you strive to achieve your destiny."

Where and how does one procure silver coins? From monsters, like all things good and worthwhile in ARPGs. One monster in each area drops a silver coin.

Some prophecies are one-offs, while others will play out in a sequence of events known as a Prophecy Chain. "Completing one stage of these Prophecies unlocks the ability to later acquire the next stage. Each of these Prophecy Chains culminates in a valuable reward, or a component that will allow you to face the Pale Council."

Besides prophecies, chains or otherwise, Path of Exile's 2.3.0 update will contain more unique items, challenges that yield exclusive microtransactions, and another endgame labyrinth. "The Endgame Labyrinth rewards you with a new tier of item Enchantment and two additional Ascendancy points. The new total of eight Ascendancy points open up entirely new build possibilities."

Look for Path of Exile 2.3.0, aka Prophecy Challenge League, on June 3.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.