Path of Exile 2 is in early access, with a major update 0.5.0 'Return of the Ancients' live and a free weekend that drew about 410,000 concurrent players on Steam. A long-standing freeze bug tied to NVIDIA drivers has been fixed via a new driver and patch 0.5.4e, and a hidden league-wide mechanic was discovered.
Path of Exile 2's most recent coverage centers on three developments: a major update, a hidden mechanic, and a long-awaited bug fix. In late May, Grinding Gear Games ran a free weekend on PC and Xbox Series X|S alongside update 0.5.0, 'Return of the Ancients.' The update is described as the final major early access league before the planned full version 1.0 release later in 2026. SteamDB recorded a peak of about 410,000 concurrent players within 24 hours, the highest for any update so far, though below the launch peak of around 580,000.
In June, a player discovered a hidden device that sacrifices a level 100 character to grant the title 'Martyr of the First Edict' and gives all players in the same league a permanent skill point. Streamer cArn_ shared the find, and it was replicated in the current season league, prompting discussion about the game's secret systems.
In July, director Jonathan Rogers reported that the 'Device Removed' bug, which froze gameplay when the graphics driver crashed, was traced to specific NVIDIA drivers. A new driver plus patch 0.5.4e resolves it, and shader compile times are also being reduced. The fix ends a roughly year-and-a-half investigation that required a dedicated replay system and a full test PC setup shipped to NVIDIA before the driver vendor assigned an engineer.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Release
- game · 2026-08-07 · 2026-08-07
- Release
- game · 2026-05-30 · worldwide · 2026-05-30
- Noted
- The 'Device Removed' bug, which froze gameplay when the graphics driver crashed, has been traced to specific NVIDIA drivers. · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- A new driver plus patch 0.5.4e resolves it, and shader compile times are also being reduced. · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- The fix ends a roughly year-and-a-half investigation that required the developers to build a dedicated replay system and ship a full test PC setup to NVIDIA before the driver vendor assigned an engineer. · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- A Path of Exile 2 player discovered a hidden device that sacrifices a level 100 character to grant the title 'Martyr of the First Edict' and gives all players in the same league a permanent skill point. · 2026-06-11
- Announced
- free weekend and update 0.5.0 'Return of the Ancients' · 2026-05-30
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CC BY 4.0.
1d ago
Grinding Gear Games announced during gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 that Path of Exile 2 will receive its full release on December 11, 2026. The action RPG, currently in early access, will be offered as a free-to-play title across all supported platforms when it officially launches. The game supports solo play and cooperative play for up to six players on the dark continent of Wraeclast, where players build characters using various enhancement elements and take on powerful enemies. Early access began on December 7, 2024, for DLC purchasers, meaning the official release arrives about two years after the initial early access period started. Supported platforms include PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The announcement trailer shown at the event featured battle scenes and appeared to reveal a new class specializing in sword action. The game is the sequel to Path of Exile, which debuted in 2013. Early access launched with six classes, with additional classes such as Huntress and Druid added through major updates since then.
Aug 7
Path of Exile 2 director Jonathan Rogers reported on July 30 that two long-standing technical issues have been dramatically improved. The 'Device Removed' bug, which froze gameplay when the graphics driver crashed, has been traced to specific NVIDIA drivers. A new driver plus patch 0.5.4e resolves it, and shader compile times are also being reduced.
Jun 11
A Path of Exile 2 player discovered a hidden device that sacrifices a level 100 character to grant the title 'Martyr of the First Edict' and gives all players in the same league a permanent skill point. The find, shared by streamer cArn_, has already been replicated in the current season league, sparking discussion about the game's secret systems.
May 30
Grinding Gear Games launched a free weekend for Path of Exile 2 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, running until June 2. The event coincides with update 0.5.0, 'Return of the Ancients,' the last major early access league before the planned full version 1.0 release later in 2026. The update refreshed endgame content and added new Ascendancies. SteamDB recorded a peak of about 410,000 concurrent players within 24 hours, the highest for any update so far, though below the launch peak of around 580,000.