Path of Exile 2 is about to plunge Wraeclast into a new era of darkness as Grinding Gear Games prepares to launch the Forbidden Rites Event League alongside the major 0.5.5 update on September 4, 2026, PDT.
The new event league will bring Ritual encounters across the campaign and Endgame, resurrect the dangerous Wildwood mechanic, overhaul the Trial of Chaos, introduce new Abyssal content, and add eight new challenges for players to conquer.
With the launch now just days away, Path of Exile 2 players have plenty to prepare for before Forbidden Rites goes live.
Path of Exile 2 Forbidden Rites Brings Rituals Across Wraeclast
At the heart of the Forbidden Rites Event League is the return of Ritual, with the King in the Mists and his followers spreading their influence throughout Wraeclast.
During the campaign, players will discover Ritual sites in every area. After defeating the monsters protecting a Ritual Effigy, adventurers can activate the effigy and resurrect their fallen enemies, forcing them into battle once again while dangerous plagues threaten the surrounding Ritual site.
Defeating these enemies generates Tribute that can be exchanged for rewards. A major improvement for parties is that each player can now earn and spend their own Tribute, ensuring everyone gets a chance to claim rewards.
Players can also discover clusters of unique Ritual Effigies on the World Map, offering opportunities to obtain powerful Unique Rewards.
The Wildwood Returns in Forbidden Rites
One of the most notable additions to the Path of Exile 2 Forbidden Rites league is the return of the Wildwood.
Players can acquire a Sacred Bloom through Ritual encounters and use it to add a Wildwood entrance to an Endgame Map. Once inside, they will have limited time to follow mysterious trails and collect three different types of Wisps: Primal, Vivid, and Wild.
Each Wisp changes the enemies within the Map in a different way.
Primal Wisps can transform Normal Monsters into Magic Monsters, while Vivid Wisps add modifiers to Rare Monsters. Wild Wisps, meanwhile, increase the rarity of items dropped by monsters.
The trade-off is straightforward: stronger enemies create greater danger, but also provide better rewards.
There may even be another Wisp type waiting for particularly fortunate players — the elusive Sacred Wisp.
Eight New Challenges Offer Exclusive Rewards
Forbidden Rites will also give dedicated players a fresh set of objectives to complete.
The event introduces eight new league challenges, ranging from completing Ritual encounters throughout the campaign to defeating named Rare Monsters and reaching level 90.
Completing these challenges will unlock four exclusive cosmetic rewards alongside a commemorative Hideout Statue.
Rewards include the Locust Footprints Effect, Locust Swarm Finisher Effect, Wildwood Guardian Pet, and Wildwood Affliction Level-up Effect.
For completionists, these challenges offer another reason to push deep into the new league.
Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5 Overhauls the Trial of Chaos
The Trial of Chaos is receiving one of the biggest changes in Patch 0.5.5, with Grinding Gear Games responding to feedback gathered during Early Access.
Players will now be able to pause a Trial between rooms and return later, making lengthy runs easier to manage.
Encounter objectives have also been streamlined. Instead of relying heavily on specialized objectives such as escorting statues or implanting Soul Cores, most encounters will now focus more directly on defeating enemies.
The update also introduces new Wager Modifiers, creating additional risk-and-reward decisions during a run. These modifiers can dramatically increase the danger of a Trial while offering substantially better rewards in return.
Endgame Trials can now reach 30 rooms, with both difficulty and rewards scaling as players progress.
Those who make it deep enough into a Trial can also acquire all three Trialmaster Fragments during a single run, providing a more dependable path toward confronting the Trialmaster.
Faster Atlas Progression Opens the Door to the Endgame
Patch 0.5.5 is also making changes to Path of Exile 2’s Atlas progression.
After completing the main questline, players can venture beyond the campaign and search for another Arbiter of Divinity key. Doing so opens access to a more challenging version of the boss encounter.
Defeating this enhanced challenge has an important payoff. Victory will automatically complete the remaining sections of the Fortress, helping players move more quickly toward the deeper layers of the Endgame.
For players preparing to race through the Atlas, this change could significantly reduce some of the friction between completing the campaign and reaching the game’s more demanding Endgame content.
New Abyssal Ravines Add Another Endgame Challenge
The Endgame is also expanding with the introduction of Abyssal Ravines.
These new Ravines can appear while players explore the Atlas, with Maps along the Ravine containing Abysses that become increasingly rewarding as players progress.
Adventurers will need to push back the Abyssal Legion while moving through the Ravine. Those who reach the final Map will be rewarded with a guaranteed Abyssal boss encounter.
The new system gives Endgame players another progression path to pursue while providing increasingly valuable rewards for taking on greater risks.
Runes of Aldur Content Goes Core
The existing Runes of Aldur content is also moving into the core Path of Exile 2 experience.
While Runes of Aldur encounters will not appear in every area during Forbidden Rites, key Expedition characters and content will remain available, including in Standard leagues.
Expeditions can be encountered starting from Act 4, while Expedition Tablets provide additional ways to customize and invest in the mechanic.
Depending on the modifiers acquired, Tablets can enable features such as two full Expeditions in one area, two standalone Remnant encounters, or increased numbers of Sentries during an Expedition.
Players who are still working through the existing Runes of Aldur league will also be able to continue their Endgame progression and complete its challenges.
Duelist Takes Center Stage Ahead of Path of Exile 2’s 1.0 Launch
Alongside the Forbidden Rites announcement, Grinding Gear Games has offered a deeper look at the Duelist, the sword-wielding class planned for the Path of Exile 2 1.0 Full Release.
Previously unveiled at gamescom Cologne 2026 and showcased during the 0.5.5 livestream, the Duelist emphasizes fast, aggressive and fluid combat.
Rather than forcing players into a strict attack rotation, the class is designed around Skills that naturally flow into one another. This allows players to build their own combinations and adapt their attacks based on the situation.
One of the Duelist’s key mechanics is Ready Stance, which creates opportunities to unleash powerful attack sequences.
Ready Stance can be upgraded into Sand Stance, allowing the Duelist to use Sand Scour to send enormous swirling sand discs through enemies. Perforate can then follow up with a devastating multi-hit attack capable of inflicting heavy Bleed damage.
The Duelist can also enter Blood Stance through Bloodied Blade. Combined with the Default Attack, the stance can unleash a deadly blood wave that causes enemies to bleed, while Perforate can generate miniature blood novas.
With numerous Skill combinations and stance mechanics to master, the Duelist looks set to offer one of the more mechanically flexible melee experiences in Path of Exile 2 when the class becomes available with the game’s 1.0 launch.
Watch the Path of Exile 2 Duelist Deep Dive
Players looking to learn more about the upcoming class can check out Grinding Gear Games’ official Duelist Deep Dive, which explores its early-game and Endgame build possibilities.
The showcase provides a closer look at the Duelist’s combat mechanics, Skill combinations and potential damage setups ahead of the class’s eventual arrival.
Plague and Remidus Supporter Packs Now Available
Path of Exile 2 players can also pick up the newly available Plague and Remidus Supporter Packs, alongside the Curse of the Allflame Mystery Box.
The Mystery Box contains a selection of cosmetic items, including Armour Sets, Weapon Skins, Weapon Effects, Map Devices, Hideouts and a Tracking Scroll.
It also features an especially unusual set of cosmetics: an adorable trio of otters.
The Curse of the Allflame Mystery Box is available through the in-game shop and the official Path of Exile 2 website.
When Does Path of Exile 2 Forbidden Rites Launch?
The Path of Exile 2 Forbidden Rites Event League and Patch 0.5.5 will launch on September 4, 2026, PDT.
With Ritual encounters, the Wildwood’s return, an overhauled Trial of Chaos, new Abyssal Ravines, faster Atlas progression and additional Endgame rewards, the update represents a substantial expansion for players currently exploring Wraeclast during Early Access.
Grinding Gear Games is expected to release the full Patch 0.5.5 notes ahead of launch, giving players more time to study the changes and prepare their characters for the new event.
For players looking to jump into the next chapter of Path of Exile 2, the Forbidden Rites launch is shaping up to be one of the game’s biggest Early Access updates yet.
For more information, please visit the announcement page at https://pathofexile2.com/register.
