- Full release
- 11 December 2026 (Pacific time), announced at gamescom Opening Night Live.
- Price
- Free-to-play from that day; no supporter pack needed to get in.
- New class
- The Duelist, the game's first sword-focused class.
- Campaign
- The remaining acts arrive, which finishes the story.
Announced so far
Out on 11 December 2026
Grinding Gear Games (GGG) revealed the date with a trailer at gamescom Opening Night Live on 25 August 2026. Its press release, its Steam announcement and the Steam store page all give 11 December, Pacific time (PST). GGG has not yet published the launch hour, so in Asia and Oceania it may already be 12 December when the servers open.
Free-to-play
In early access you pay to get in: you buy a supporter pack. At 1.0 that changes. GGG's announcement calls it a 'fully free-to-play action RPG' from 11 December; press reports note that the first Path of Exile is free-to-play too, and that cosmetic microtransactions fund the game. GGG's own Steam text promises that its games and expansions will never be 'pay to win'.
The Duelist
The 1.0 class, shown in the gamescom trailer and playable at GGG's gamescom booth. GGG calls him the game's first sword-wielding class and a master of sword and shield, built for fast, aggressive melee. A hands-on preview says his skills change depending on whether he uses a sword and shield, two one-handers or a two-hander. GGG's Forbidden Rites FAQ answers 'Is Duelist in 0.5.5?' with a plain no: he arrives on 11 December, with 1.0.
The story is finished
GGG's press release says the final two acts launch with 1.0. That completes the six-act campaign the Steam page has always promised. At gamescom, game director Jonathan Rogers was more careful. He said the finale is 'more than one act' and that the studio is 'being a bit coy' about exactly what is in it.
What goes away
- The paywall. From 11 December you will not need an Early Access key to play.
- The current Early Access Supporter Packs. GGG says they leave the store 'in a few weeks' (it said this on 22 October) and five new packs replace them. The next page has the details.
- The three interludes that now run between the end of Act 4 and the endgame. Rogers said in a gamescom interview that they are being removed. Their bosses, monsters and unique pieces will move into the endgame or into quests.
- The two current leagues. GGG says the Runes of Aldur league and the Forbidden Rites event (0.5.5, which began on 4 September) both run until the 1.0 release, and that Forbidden Rites ends at the same time as Runes of Aldur.
Not announced yet
- The Duelist's ascendancy classes. GGG has not named them; its Steam page says every class has three, and Notebookcheck says the gamescom footage shows at least two.
- Which of the three classes still missing after 1.0 come next, and when. At 1.0 the game will have nine of its twelve planned classes.
- Changes to the endgame, and whether 1.0 starts a new league. GGG's posts only say that the Runes of Aldur league and the Forbidden Rites event run until the 1.0 release; none of the GGG posts or press reports read for this guide announces a 1.0 league.
- What the five new supporter packs contain and what they cost.
- The launch hour, the download size and any system requirements for 1.0.
Watch ExileCon on 6 November
GGG says ExileCon 2026, its fan convention, runs on 7 and 8 November New Zealand time, and that the keynote streams on its Twitch and YouTube channels at 1pm PST on 6 November. GGG's 25 October post adds a pre-show from 12:30pm; its 6 October post had said the stream starts at 12pm. GGG says the keynote lasts about two hours and covers both Path of Exile games, with announcement pages going live as each item is revealed. GGG says it treats ExileCon like its regular reveal livestreams, so some of the open questions above may be answered there. This guide will be updated afterwards.
Cross-checked
Cross-checked on 28 October 2026 against GGG's press release 'Ready Your Blade' on the official forum, its Steam announcements of 25 August, 31 August, 6 October and 25 October 2026, the Steam store page, and reporting by IGN (25 August), Notebookcheck (August), GosuGamers, PC Gamer, Game8 (25 August), Tech Times (26 August), Mein-MMO's gamescom hands-on and PCGamesN's gamescom interview with Jonathan Rogers (31 August). Not from a playthrough: cross-referenced against GGG announcements, as 1.0 is not out. Still to confirm in-game. Nothing on this page comes from the early-access build.