In Path of Exile the new “Legacy of Phrecia” event has started, introducing 19 new expansion classes into the game. However, a change in difficulty is putting pressure on the players.
What kind of event is this? With “Legacy of Phrecia”, Path of Exile has brought back a crazy event that first launched in 2025. During this event, the known 19 expansion classes in the game are replaced by completely different classes, which are primarily creative and somewhat unconventional.
Following the success of last year, 50,000 players were again attracted to the event at its release on Thursday, January 29, 2026. However, they were surprised by the sudden change in difficulty.
Here you can watch the trailer for the current season of Path of Exile:
Suddenly Difficult
Why are players surprised? In the announcement from the developers, they mentioned that they wanted to add some balance changes and map modifiers compared to last year’s event, but apparently, they have made it too difficult for some players.
Users on Reddit are complaining that even the very first boss, which you fight after 3 minutes in the game, presents a significant challenge. Especially when compared to its usual strength. The difficulty is not insurmountable, but the death of one’s character is hard to avoid.
How did the first night go? The new difficulty level shaped the players’ first night. On Reddit, user JSteelz1 writes a warning to everyone who has not started yet:
“Good luck. Choose something with high boss DPS and be ready to spam the life flask. I played for 2 hours and 30 minutes and just reached Act 3, lol. So far, 34 deaths!”
Others agree and share their experiences. The bosses are said to be at the level of endgame bosses right from the start of the game. User HeftyPermit1206 mentions that the endboss Maven should face off against the new “Uber Hillock” at the starting beach in a duel.
The new event clearly targets veterans who already know Path of Exile well and get a nice change with the new expansion classes. It is hardly surprising that the developers tightened the balancing and did not prioritize accessibility for beginners.
As always, Path of Exile focuses on major challenges to reward players with even better rewards. In this case, the reward is likely one of the 19 new expansion classes. You can find more about the event here: Path of Exile introduces its new 19 classes, the community laughs at the patch notes
