Grinding Gear Games is taking a fresh look at some of Path of Exile’s oldest systems for version 3.29, but one long-requested feature remains firmly out of favor. The studio is not currently planning to let players skip the campaign and begin leveling through maps from the start.
That approach came up during an interview with Game Director Mark “Neon” Roberts and Game Designer Christopher “Octavian” Laferriere. The conversation covered the removal of socket colors, the future of the campaign, the new Luminary ascendancy, returning mini-events, and what lies ahead for both Path of Exile games. The interview was published by PCGamesN.
GGG says no system is protected from change
Path of Exile 3.29 is removing socket colors, a system that has been part of the action RPG since its early years. The change is being paired with balance work across more than 100 skills and the introduction of underwater combat, giving the upcoming version a different feel even though its scope is more compact than the previous expansion.
Laferriere said the team does not consider any feature permanently off-limits. That does not mean Grinding Gear Games plans to alter systems without careful review. The socket decision went through extensive internal discussion before the team agreed that the benefits outweighed the initial shock of changing such a familiar part of gearing.
In short, age alone will not protect a mechanic. The developers still want a clear reason before making a major adjustment.
The campaign skip remains unlikely
Players have repeatedly asked for a way to bypass the campaign, either by starting directly in the endgame or by running maps from level one. Laferriere said he would consider the idea, but still feels that skipping the campaign would be a poor fit for Path of Exile.
Roberts offered a similar explanation. Developers can create fully leveled characters whenever they need to test the game, but doing so removes much of the attachment that grows during a normal playthrough. His view is that the work required to reach the endgame is part of the reward, since it teaches players how their characters develop and why their choices matter.
Running maps from the beginning is also not something Roberts supports. He said the campaign gives characters a place in the world, and that the studio should keep improving the campaign with league mechanics, new encounters, and quality-of-life changes instead of treating it as disposable content.
The Mirage league added roughly 20 new campaign landmarks, ranging from obvious encounters to hidden secrets. Laferriere said he wants to do much more with the Path of Exile campaign, though the work takes far longer than it might seem. He made no specific promise about when those changes could arrive.
Scion gets a new way to use Mercenaries
Version 3.29 adds the Luminary, a third ascendancy for Scion. It is built around recruiting and equipping the returning Mercenaries of Trarthus.
Mercenaries are becoming a core part of the game, so the developers wanted players to have a permanent way to build around them without forcing the mechanic on every character. Since a permanent mercenary contributes to a character’s power, the team decided that using one should carry an opportunity cost. The ascendancy itself provides that cost.
Scion was chosen because it was the only class that did not already have three ascendancies. Laferriere said another ascendancy probably will not arrive soon, although the three-ascendancy limit is not an unbreakable rule.
More bonus events are planned
Grinding Gear Games has been running extra events alongside the main Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 leagues. The recent Return of the Ancestors event required relatively little development time, according to Laferriere, and Roberts said it delivered enough player value to justify bringing it back.
The team now has a stable version of the event that it can reuse for Path of Exile. However, the Trials mechanic is not expected to move to Path of Exile 2 soon because its animation and visual effects do not yet match the newer game’s campaign.
Path of Exile 2 will also receive an economy-reset league alongside its current Runes of Aldur content. Roberts said Runes of Aldur may continue, with the reset arriving as an additional event league rather than replacing it. He also teased that the event will not be Trial of the Ancestors, but did not reveal its mechanic.
Path of Exile 2 has more secrets ahead
The developers expect players to find Path of Exile 3.29’s new Breach-linked pinnacle boss within a few days. Its access method involves an item called Zorath’s Eye of Malevolence. Laferriere said the mystery is not especially complex, although there is another mystery hidden inside it.
Path of Exile 2 has its own secrets, including the recent Martyr of the First Edict discovery. Roberts said most of the current mysteries may have been found, but not all of them. He also has more secrets prepared for the game’s eventual 1.0 launch.
Path of Exile 2’s full 1.0 release is scheduled for the end of 2026, after Exilecon in November. Roberts confirmed that version 3.30 will arrive before 1.0, adding another league to the game’s schedule. He said the team has become much faster at building acts now that the campaign structure and endgame are more settled.
The rest of 2026 will be busy for Grinding Gear Games, with Exilecon, Path of Exile 3.29, another Path of Exile 2 league, and the planned 1.0 launch all on the calendar. Tell us what you think about the studio’s stance on campaign skips in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
Path of Exile 2
Developed by Grinding Gear Games
Path of Exile 2 is a next generation Action RPG created by Grinding Gear Games. Set years after the original Path of Exile, you will return to the dark world of Wraeclast and seek to end the corruption that is spreading. Path of Exile 2 is a free-to-play online multiplayer game with co-op for up to six players.
- Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Release: 2024-12-06
- Publisher: Grinding Gear Games, Kakao Games
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Age Rating:
GRAC 19+ / PEGI 18 / ESRB M
- IGDB Rating: 82.1/100
