The developers of Path of Exile have announced their new season after eleven months of waiting and are now showing how new companions will change a lot.
What have the developers announced? On June 13, 2025, at 10:00 PM, the new season of Path of Exile (1) starts. The developers have revealed the new features in their livestream and showcased the season mechanics.
Every season of Path of Exile brings a new mechanic into the game, this time it is the new mercenaries that could change the ARPG as much as few things before.
Here you can see the trailer for the new season:
Mercenaries as Friends and Foes
What is the deal with the mercenaries? The mercenaries are coming as a new mechanic to Path of Exile. They will be found as random encounters on the maps and will initially talk to the player as NPCs. In the conversation, you can then see the equipment, role, and skills of the character.
There are three ways to interact with the mercenaries:
- Hire: You pay the mercenary gold for their services, and they will become a constant companion. You can also give items to the mercenary to improve them. If a mercenary dies, you can resurrect them for gold.
- Duel: If you want to take the good items that the mercenary carries, you can challenge them to a duel. If you win, you will receive some of the mercenary’s items as a reward.
- Exile: If you frequently encounter the same useless mercenary, you can also expel them. This requires winning another duel.
How good are the mercenaries? The mercenaries are formidable companions or foes who truly pack a punch. They utilize enhanced skills, carry unique items, and their other equipment also has good bonuses that fit the character.
They can carry unique items that are not found anywhere else and can only be obtained by the player if they emerge victorious in duels. Due to their good gear, improved abilities, and better movement patterns, they can play at a higher level than the player character currently does.
As companions, they can change and enhance entire builds with their appearance. Here the developers suggest, for example, that players choose a strong tank as a partner for an archer who keeps the enemies at bay (via YouTube).
With the mercenaries, Path of Exile brings a lot of potential for strong builds and combinations between characters into the game. How well the system really works will only become apparent at release on Friday, June 13. For fans of Path of Exile 2, the next season will be released in August, but after that, it shouldn’t take too long: Head of Path of Exile 2 admits mistakes and explains how often new content should be released
