After nearly a year of anticipation, Grinding Gear Games is set to deliver a substantial update to the original Path of Exile with the 3.26 Secrets of the Atlas expansion. This marks the studio's return to regular content updates for the acclaimed action RPG, introducing a new companion system, extensive endgame modifications, and quality-of-life improvements that aim to reinvigorate both veteran players and newcomers alike.
Development Schedule Changes
- Both Path of Exile 1 and 2 on staggered 4-month cycles
- Total of 6 leagues per year across both games
- One new league every 2 months alternating between games
Mercenary System Brings Tactical Companionship
The centerpiece of this expansion is the introduction of mercenaries through the Mercenaries of Trarthus challenge league. These companion characters are veterans from the lawless cities of Trarthus, each equipped with unique gear sets and skills that players can inspect before deciding how to interact with them. Players face three distinct options when encountering a mercenary: hire them for ongoing companionship, challenge them to a duel for specific items from their inventory, or exile them entirely to prevent future encounters. The hiring process requires gold, which has been integrated as a core currency following the permanent addition of Settlers of Kalguur league mechanics to the base game.
New Mercenary System Features
- Three interaction options: hire, duel for items, or exile
- Requires gold currency for hiring
- Mercenaries scale difficulty equivalent to half a real player
- Full equipment and skill inspection available
- Provides passive buffs and combat assistance
Enhanced Endgame Through Atlas Tears
The expansion fundamentally transforms Path of Exile's endgame experience through a new storyline involving tears in the Atlas created by distorted memory threads. Players work alongside newcomer Eagon to rescue the trapped master cartographer Zana by navigating sequences of four to eight interconnected maps. These memory-infused areas introduce a dynamic power system where defeating monsters grants memory petals that can be spent on temporary abilities appearing alongside regular skills. The system allows for strategic combinations, such as using Memory of Impatience for increased power, followed by Memory of Panic to make monsters revive once for double farming opportunities, and Memory of Disbelief to replace equipment drops with more valuable currency and maps.
Memory Thread Mechanics
- Map sequences typically range from 4-8 connected maps
- Memory petals grant temporary abilities during runs
- Stackable power combinations possible
- Special Altars apply modifiers to future maps in chain
- Leads to three new pinnacle bosses stronger than current roster
New Pinnacle Bosses and Crafting Mechanics
Completing memory thread sequences leads to encounters with warped versions of existing powerful bosses, ultimately granting access to three entirely new pinnacle bosses that rank among the strongest in the game's current roster. These encounters introduce exclusive rewards including the Starcaller axe, which triggers the new Starfall skill to blanket screens with falling stars upon melee critical hits, and the Wine of the Prophet flask that provides random divination card effects for twenty seconds. The expansion also introduces memory strands, a new crafting system where items found in thread maps can possess varying amounts of these strands that influence modifier quality and potency during crafting processes.
Quality of Life Improvements and Betrayal Rework
Beyond the major content additions, Secrets of the Atlas addresses long-standing player concerns through numerous quality-of-life enhancements. The update introduces an almost universal pause function, additional map device inventory space, automatic Breach splinter collection, and vendor search memory functionality. The Betrayal mechanic receives significant attention with the removal of the requirement to reset Immortal Syndicate progress when facing the Mastermind, alongside a streamlined boss fight featuring fewer immunity phases and improved rewards including new Allflame Embers for monster pack customization.
Release Information
- Launch Date: Friday, June 13, 2025
- Expansion Name: Path of Exile 3.26 Secrets of the Atlas
- Challenge League: Mercenaries of Trarthus
- Availability: Free on Steam and standalone launcher
Development Schedule and Availability
This expansion represents Grinding Gear Games' commitment to supporting both Path of Exile titles simultaneously through staggered four-month development cycles, resulting in six total league releases annually across both games. The Secrets of the Atlas expansion and Mercenaries of Trarthus league launches on Friday, June 13, 2025, available free through Steam and the standalone launcher. The update particularly targets long-term players while maintaining accessibility for newcomers, especially those who may have started with Path of Exile 2's early access release.