Grinding Gear Games is getting ready to launch the next major update for Path of Exile. The long-running free-to-play ARPG has remained popular for over 10 years for a reason. And part of that reason is that each new update shakes up the gameplay, inviting players to experience new mechanics, new class builds, and more. The upcoming Path of Exile: Mirage league is no different. Launching on March 6th, this update will bring in a new gameplay mechanic, a new Ascendancy Class, and much more.
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On February 26th, Grinding Gear Games unveiled the details for the upcoming Path of Exile: Mirage update. I had an opportunity to preview this exciting info early and chat with the team as part of a press preview. So, I’m here to break down the biggest takeaways for what’s coming with this latest Path of Exile update on March 6th. And it’s going to be a big one.
Path of Exile Mirages Let You Reap Double the Rewards from Each Map
The new league will introduce players to the Afarud, necromancers who linger on the edges of society. They’re making a bid for controlby capturing the souls of Djinn, sapping their energy as they do so. In addition to battling it out with these dangerous necromancers, players will need to enter the Astral Realm to free the captured Djinn. And that’s where the league gets its name, Mirage.
These Mirages are imperfect copies of the surrounding area, meaning that players will explore a distorted version of the map. Before entering, Wishes will let you modify the Mirage area to add even more rewards, spawn more rewarding foes, and even improve your own power within the Mirage.
Essentially, players will step into a shadow version of their current area, offering the chance to more quickly gain double the rewards as they do so. If used correctly, that means gaining better rewards more quickly as you progress through this Path of Exile league. And yes, you can create Mirages from Endgame maps, complete with scarab, atlas, and map modifiers. Everything that you did to enhance the original map will carry over to the Mirage, though the imperfection of the astral copies may mean some slight tweaks. This mechanic will definitely be an interesting one to dig into once this latest league goes live, particularly for players who want to get the most out of each area.
The Reliquarian Ascendancy Class Will Shake up the PoE Meta Over and Over Again
Of course, the Mirage mechanic is hardly the only new thing we’re getting with this league. Along with new skills and supports, the 3.28 update will usher in balance adjustments for multiple classes. Most notably, the Scion is getting a brand-new Reliquarian Ascendancy Class. This Ascendancy carries over much of what players may remember from the Legacy of Precia events, and it’s got the potential to really shake up the Path of Exile meta.
The Reliquarian draws its power from the Unique items they’ve collected, letting players choose from Unique Armor, Unique Weapon, and Unique Jewelry powers to customize their Ascendancy build. Not only that, but the Unique Powers on offer will change with each expansion. That means the potential for creating different builds will shift with every new Path of Exile update, making this the most flexible Ascendancy to date. It will be interesting to see how the Reliquarian mixes things up with each new update.
Enhanced Endgame Overhaul Reshapes the Path of Exile Atlas
GGG is also looking to once again improve the Path of Exile endgame with this expansion. The highlight this time around is a massive rework to the Atlas and how players engage with maps. Drawing from a mechanic that dates back to the War for the Atlas, GGG is reworking the Atlas entirely.
This means a few key changes, including divorcing map items from specific areas, offering more flexibility for how players take on different map tiers. The update will also change the overall structure of the Atlas, with players now starting at the center and working their way out. Everything from the map device will be physically represented on the Atlas as you explore and remove the fog of war.
A new Arcane Astrolabe mechanic will also enter the fray, directly impacting the tlas by introducing new Shaped Regions that impact the maps contained within. This could mean adding more Abysses to Abyssal Regions or more Blight encounters to areas with Blight, and so on. You’ll need to complete this additional content to remove the Shaped Region’s influence, unlocking new modifiers for all remaining maps. And of course, once you do, you will be rewarded with access to powerful rewards in the Memory Vaults.
In theory, this system will encourage players to explore many different maps. But if you’d rather run the same map over and over again, there’s still space to do that, as well. And the Mirage mechanic for this League could make that all the more rewarding for the time being.
Overall, Path of Exile: Mirage is shaping up to offer an exciting new world of possibilities for players to explore. For the full list of changes headed our way with this update, you can check out the Path of Exile website for the patch notes. The new league begins on March 6th at 2 PM ET.
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