Starting from December 8, all “Path of Exile” fans can dive into the new expansion “Affliction”. The already packed hack and slash game will become significantly more extensive. In addition to three new Ascendancy classes and a number of new items, a popular game mode is also set to make its return after some absence.
What is the situation? Aside from the leading title “Diablo” from Blizzard Entertainment, there is hardly a hack and slash game that can match the popularity of “Path of Exile.” Naturally, many other genre representatives want a piece of the pie; you can find out which games they are in a separate article from us.
Famous for its immense complexity, largely due to the skill tree, “Path of Exile” also scores points by allowing players to hunt monsters for free since its release in 2013. The new expansion “Affliction” does not change that.
A first impression is provided by the trailer:
The new expansion “Affliction” will be released this Friday
What does the new expansion bring? Although the official sequel to the main game starts its closed beta on June 7, 2024, developer Grinding Gear Games does not hold back on extensive changes and expansions for the first part. In summary, players can expect the following:
- “Affliction League”: In this new endgame mode, players encounter strange will-o’-the-wisps that lead the heroes to the so-called “Virdischen Finsterwald”. This new area is typically filled with monsters. With the help of the lights, the plague that grips the dark forest is to be fought.
- Three new class specifications: In addition to the already highly complex skill system of the game, three additional Ascendancy classes, essentially subclasses to your current main class, are introduced. These three are called “Guardians of the Maji,” “Wizards of the Fog,” and “Darkwood Primalist.”.
- In addition, there will be numerous new items, including more than 15 completely new and unique objects.
What else can you expect? A special highlight for long-time players might be the return of “Ultimatum.” The game mode, which was only available for a short time, namely between April and July 2021, will be permanently integrated into the main game starting with the release of the new expansion.
In “Ultimatum,” players meet the so-called “Trial Master,” who has valuable loot on offer – provided one faces his tough trials. If you win the fight, the game presents you with a choice: Do you secure the loot, or do you risk it all to double your winnings with another victory? Overall, the game will lose none of its difficulty, which applies to this, as well as past expansions.
So, “Affliction” will occupy players for many hours again. The expansion will be released on December 8 for PC via Steam. Console players will have to wait a bit longer. PlayStation and Xbox players can start on December 13.
Have you already played the main game? Or are you looking for alternatives? We have introduced a selection of them.
