Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame is set to launch on July 24 PDT, sending exiles beneath the frozen seas of Wraeclast for a dangerous new expedition packed with ocean-floor exploration, powerful crafting systems, revamped endgame mechanics, and major character progression changes.
The latest expansion from Grinding Gear Games is shaping up to be one of the biggest updates yet for the long-running action RPG. With a cursed navigator, a legendary vessel and a sea floor filled with forgotten treasure, Curse of the Allflame brings a distinctly nautical twist to the world of Path of Exile.
Dive Beneath Wraeclast in Curse of the Allflame
The new expansion follows corsair captain Valerie and her cursed navigator Vesper as players piece together scattered treasure charts and venture into the depths aboard The Sovereign.
Expeditions begin inside the Allflame-powered Bathysphere, which carries exiles to the ocean floor. However, survival beneath the waves depends on how carefully players use Allflame Lanterns. These tools create temporary safe zones by pushing back the surrounding waters, allowing players to explore, harvest resources and battle the monsters lurking in the darkness.
Each expedition comes with a ticking threat. As the lantern’s light begins to fade, the creatures beyond its protection grow increasingly dangerous. Players will need to complete their objectives before darkness closes in and forces them back to the Bathysphere.
Among the treasures hidden beneath the frozen seas are valuable relics, forgotten ruins, terrifying sea creatures and strange coral formations. These formations can provide Dead Man’s Sulphur, a resource that plays a major role in both the new expedition system and Curse of the Allflame’s crafting mechanics.
Build High-Risk, High-Reward Voyages
Completed expeditions are recorded as Charts in Valerie’s journal. Players can then arrange these Charts on the Voyage Board to create a single interconnected expedition across the ocean floor.
Each Chart introduces its own modifier, affecting nearby Charts or the entire Voyage. Some modifiers can transform equipment drops into Gold, while others introduce new encounters, empower monsters with Wildwood Wisps, unleash Tormented Spirits or even summon friendly jellyfish.
With up to nine Charts available in a single Voyage, planning becomes a crucial part of the experience. The right combination can significantly increase both the danger and the potential rewards.
The Voyage Board also features Corruption Currents, randomised effects that alter adjacent Charts with each new Voyage. This means players will need to experiment with different layouts to discover the most profitable expedition routes.
Special Charts can also lead to unique destinations, including treasure-filled abandoned anchor fields, lost Kalguuran shipments and sunken Abyssal pits.
New Allflame Crafting System Gives Players More Control
One of the biggest additions in Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame is the new Allflame Crafting system. Powered by Dead Man’s Sulphur, the system allows players to preview multiple potential crafting outcomes before committing to a single result.
Players combine an item, crafting currency and Dead Man’s Sulphur to create several ghostly possibilities. After inspecting the available outcomes, they can select their preferred result. The remaining options then disappear.
The system supports most forms of currency crafting, giving players more control over expensive crafting decisions. However, repeated use gradually makes an item increasingly intangible, reducing the number of possible outcomes Vesper can produce in future attempts.
This adds a layer of long-term strategy to high-value crafting, making every Allflame Crafting decision matter.
Ancient Ducats Unlock Exclusive Crafting Effects
The deepest areas of the ocean also hide rare Ancient Ducats, relics left behind by the pirate lords who once ruled Wraeclast’s seas.
These powerful artefacts unlock crafting effects unavailable through other systems. Among them are Kishara’s Ducat, which creates multiple ghostly copies of an item while preserving individual modifiers, and Genteel’s Ducat, which can transform one attribute requirement into another.
Players can also discover Brinehook’s Ducat, which grants mysterious Aspects inspired by the ancient gods of Wraeclast.
Ancient Ducats can only be found through specialised Charts, rewarding exiles willing to take on the most dangerous voyages.
Mercenaries of Trarthus Return as a Permanent Mechanic
The Mercenaries of Trarthus are returning in Curse of the Allflame as a permanent core mechanic from Act 3 onwards.
Players can challenge these honour-bound warriors to duels for Gold and the chance to claim their equipment. Defeating a Mercenary also grants their temporary service, allowing them to fight alongside the player without increasing monster life or item rewards.
Mercenaries encountered in Maps can also provide Warrants. These allow players to summon the same warrior again in a future Map, complete with their signature skills and a new set of equipment. Warrants can even be traded to other exiles.
The system is supported by a full Atlas Passive Tree and Scarab integration, giving players more control over Mercenary encounters and rewards.
Scion Gets the New Luminary Ascendancy
The Scion is also receiving a major new option with the Luminary Ascendancy.
The Luminary transforms the Scion into a true commander capable of permanently recruiting, equipping and customising Mercenary companions. This opens the door to entirely new builds focused on powerful allies and companion-based gameplay.
Curse of the Allflame will also introduce new Mercenary types, including an elusive warrior found only during rare encounters beneath the sea.
Abyss and Legion Receive Major Endgame Overhauls
Path of Exile’s existing endgame mechanics are also getting significant improvements in the new expansion.
Abyss has been comprehensively reworked, replacing the need to chase winding cracks across a Map with encounters that begin from already-open pits. Nearby enemies are corrupted, and defeating them feeds their souls into the Abyss before unleashing Kulemak’s legion.
The redesigned encounters aim to offer a faster pace with improved visual and audio feedback while removing unnecessary backtracking. Abyss will also become the exclusive source of Abyssal Jewels and Stygian Vises, alongside a refreshed Atlas Passive Tree, new Scarabs and a new Pinnacle Boss with exclusive Unique rewards.
Legion is also being revamped with Vestigial Unique Items serving as its new signature reward. Legion Generals can drop Enshrouding Crystals, which can transform Unique Armour within the Domain of Timeless Conflict and transfer powerful modifiers between Unique items.
The Legion experience is also being streamlined with automatic combat activation after enough key enemies are freed, larger Splinter stack sizes and a redesigned reward tracker.
Meanwhile, Talismans are returning as Bestiary-exclusive rewards with new enchantment-based modifiers, additional crafting opportunities and updated Unique Items.
Atlas Anomalies Add New Endgame Encounters
As Zana’s actions continue to destabilise the Atlas, mysterious new locations known as Atlas Anomalies are appearing throughout its regions.
These encounters can appear after completing Maps influenced by Voidstones and do not require a Map to enter. Many can also be revisited until their rewards have been claimed.
Atlas Anomalies offer standalone experiences inspired by a range of Path of Exile mechanics. Players may bargain with Cadiro Perandus using Gold, explore dedicated versions of Heist, Expedition and the Sacred Grove, or encounter systems such as Reflecting Mists and the Nameless Seer.
With more discoveries waiting to be uncovered, Atlas Anomalies add another layer of exploration to the endgame.
Path of Exile Reimagines Socket Colours and Spellcasting
Curse of the Allflame also introduces one of the biggest character progression changes in Path of Exile’s history.
Socket colours have been fundamentally redesigned for the first time in nearly two decades. Players will be able to place any coloured Skill Gem into linked equipment while coloured sockets remain meaningful through quality bonuses.
Spellcasting is also receiving a comprehensive balance pass. Elemental archetypes are being further differentiated, Intelligence-based Ascendancies are being improved and caster staves are receiving significant buffs.
The expansion also introduces Pacts, a new class of Exceptional Skill Gems that dramatically alter self-cast spells in exchange for powerful demonic afflictions.
For dedicated spellcasters, Pacts could open up some of the most interesting new build possibilities in the expansion.
The Plague and Remidus Supporter Packs Launch
Two new Supporter Pack series, The Plague and Remidus, will launch alongside Curse of the Allflame.
The packs are inspired by opposing forces, with one embracing corruption and disease while the other represents purification. Each pack includes its full value in Points alongside a collection of exclusive cosmetic items, including Armour Sets, Weapon Skins, Pets, Weapon Effects, Hideouts, Portals, Map Devices and Stash cosmetics.
As with other Path of Exile cosmetics, the items are purely visual and do not affect gameplay or character progression. The cosmetics are also fully compatible with Path of Exile 2.
Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame Launches July 24 PDT
With a new underwater expedition system, expanded crafting options, returning Mercenaries, a new Scion Ascendancy and sweeping endgame changes, Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame is shaping up to be a massive expansion for Wraeclast’s exiles.
The expansion launches on July 24 PDT. Players ready to brave the frozen depths will soon be able to chart their own course into the darkness and discover what lies beneath the seas of Wraeclast.
