Everyone in the Path of Exile 2 community is asking the same question right now: when does 1.0 actually land? Grinding Gear Games has spent 2026 rolling out what it calls the final Early Access patches, and ExileCon in November is shaping up to be the moment the whole community has waited two years for.
This guide sorts out what GGG has actually confirmed from what’s still guesswork dressed up in forum posts and YouTube titles. We’ll go through the 2026 patch timeline, the case for a fast 1.0 launch, the reasons it could still slip, and what past ExileCons tell us to expect this time around.
We’re keeping this page updated as new information comes out, right through ExileCon itself, so bookmark it if you want the short version without digging through patch notes and Reddit threads.
ExileCon 2026: Date, Location, and What GGG Has Promised
ExileCon 2026 runs November 7 and 8 in Auckland, New Zealand. Tickets went on sale back in February, and the official event page promises live announcements, developer panels, and hands-on time with new content. This is GGG’s third ExileCon, and the timing isn’t an accident — it lands right after the last planned Early Access patch.
The event will stream online too, so you don’t need to be in Auckland to catch the news.
Buy services for
Path of Exile 2!
Get help with the parts of the game that take the most time. Browse available services or place a custom order.
Order
What Grinding Gear Games Has Actually Confirmed About 1.0
Here’s what’s on record, without the speculation:
- Patch 0.5.0, Return of the Ancients, is the last major content update GGG has planned before 1.0
- There’s no 0.6.0 listed anywhere in the public roadmap
- GGG’s official wording is that the full release is “targeted for 2026, after ExileCon”
- No fixed date, month, or even season has been given for 1.0 itself
That last point matters. “Targeted for 2026” is a goal, not a promise, and GGG has been careful not to box itself in with a hard date.
How Fast PoE 2 Has Moved Through 2026
Looking at the patch cadence gives a decent sense of where things stand heading into ExileCon.
| Update | Date | What it added |
|---|---|---|
| 0.4.0, Last of the Druids | December 12, 2025 | Druid class, economy reset |
| 0.5.0, Return of the Ancients (Runes of Aldur league) | May 29, 2026 | Reworked 301-point Atlas tree, new ascendancies for Monk and Huntress |
| 0.5.4, Grand Expedition | June 24, 2026 | Dedicated Expedition Atlas tree, new Liquid Verisium currency |
| ExileCon 2026 | November 7-8, 2026 | Expected 1.0 announcement |
The gap between 0.4.0 and 0.5.0 was over five months. Since 0.5.0 shipped, GGG has pushed smaller updates roughly every few weeks, which is a much tighter cycle than earlier in Early Access.
The Case for a Fast 1.0 Launch
A few things point toward GGG actually hitting its 2026 target:
- The final planned Early Access patch has already shipped, with nothing bigger scheduled after it
- 0.5.4 focused on polishing and expanding existing systems (Expedition, the Atlas tree) rather than adding brand new mechanics, which usually signals a studio tightening up loose ends
- GGG has publicly framed the entire 0.5.x line as preparation for launch, not as a standalone league
That framing alone is a bigger signal than any leaked comment or forum theory.
Why the Date Could Still Slip
Early Access for PoE 2 was originally meant to run somewhere around a year. That window came and went without a full release, and GGG’s own director has said before that hitting self-imposed deadlines is harder than it looks on paper. A studio can plan a launch window and still miss it once bugs, balance issues, or unfinished systems show up late.
There’s also the sheer size of what 1.0 needs to deliver. Players are expecting the finished campaign, not the placeholder acts still in the game, along with any remaining classes and ascendancies GGG hasn’t shipped yet. None of that is small work, and GGG has a track record of taking longer than its own early estimates suggested.
So treat “2026” as the studio’s honest goal, not a guarantee.
What Past ExileCons Suggest We'll See in Auckland
GGG has used previous ExileCons to drop its biggest reveals — new classes, entire campaign acts, and full expansion roadmaps. Given the timing right after the last Early Access patch, it would be strange for GGG to hold an event this size without at least a firm release window, and possibly the launch date itself.
Don’t expect a surprise same-day launch, though. Studios usually give players a few weeks to a few months of notice before a full release, especially one that likely comes with a league wipe.
Buy services for
Path of Exile 2!
Get help with the parts of the game that take the most time. Browse available services or place a custom order.
Order
Should You Start a New Build Now or Wait for 1.0?
If you’re just here to play, there’s no reason to sit out 0.5.4. It’ll almost certainly stay live and playable for months yet.
If you’re grinding for currency, gear, or ladder rank you want to carry forward, keep in mind that full releases in this genre almost always come with a fresh economy and wiped characters. Anything you build now is for enjoying the current league, not banking for 1.0.
