Last Epoch Release Date, Gameplay, and Everything We Know

The Last Epoch is set to release pretty soon and players are more than excited to get their hands on this promising title. The game has been in its beta stage since 2019. If you've been around since then, you know why there's a lot of hype behind this game. On this piece, you'll learn about all that there is to know about The Last Epoch.

The Last Epoch Release Date And Platforms

After a successful Kickstarter campaign and nearly four years in the beta stage, developer Eleventh Hour Games are excited to let you know that The Last Epoch is set to launch this Feb. 21. The game will be made available on Windows PC and Linux devices. You can buy the game on Steam and pre-orders are still up. Here's what you're getting with each version.

Standard Edition

• FULL DIGITAL GAME
• "Golden Guppy" the Baby Chronowyrm Pre-Order Exclusive Cosmetic Pet

Deluxe Edition

• FULL DIGITAL GAME
• Pre-Order Exclusive Cosmetic Pet
• Full Original Digital Soundtrack
• Epoch Points (EP)
• Adolescent Chronowyrm - Cosmetic Pet
• Fallen Ronin - Cosmetic Armor Set
• Firefly's Refuge - Cosmetic Portal

Ultimate Edition

• FULL DIGITAL GAME
• "Golden Guppy" the Baby Chronowyrm
• Pre-Order Exclusive Cosmetic Pet
• Full Original Digital Soundtrack
• 100 Epoch Points (EP)
• Adolescent Chronowyrm - Cosmetic Pet
• Fallen Ronin - Cosmetic Armor Set
• Firefly's Refuge - Cosmetic Portal
• Temporal Guardian - Cosmetic Armor Set
• Twilight Fox - Cosmetic Pet
• Adult Chronowyrm - Cosmetic Pet
• Celestial Way - Cosmetic Portal

World And Story

The Last Epoch takes place in the world of Eterra. This world of gods and empires was once safe but is now doomed to a bleak future. To prevent this ruined future from happening, the past must be changed and the Void must be stopped. One of the most unique aspects of the game is its huge reliance on time travel as a key story element.

The story of the game and its campaign will take place across four timelines. Each will come with its distinct places and themes. Of course, the world and the enemies you face in each era will be different as well. The eras are as follows:

• 6020 BE (Ancient Era) - This is a time before the gods. Before the empires and the world's ruin. The land during this era is untouched, pristine, and wild. As the world is primitive at this time, expect to come across fierce beasts in harsh landscapes.
• 12 BE (Divine Era) - The gods and rival nations have started to go to war at this time. It's a time when the world has begun its descent into ruin. While the Eterra is more advanced, the warring states continue to push back advancements.
• 1005 AG (Imperial Era) - The undead rule has become stronger during this era as the Immortal Empire struggles in its final days. Meanwhile, the living are in a desperate fight to survive.
• 1290 AG (Ruined Era) - The world is destroyed in this era and there's nothing left but ruin. The last of humanity isolates themselves within a small area called the Last Refuge, waiting for hope.

There are three main threats that you'll be facing in The Last Epoch. The first is the Void, which can corrupt all that it touches. Once affected by the void, an individual will break mentally and physically until there's nothing but madness and darkness.

The Immortal Empire is another threat. This empire conquered the gods and stole their powers. The empire then used this power to create an army of immortals that seek to destroy all within its path. The last threat is Rahyeh, the god of sun and fire who rules over the eastern nation on Solarum. Rahyeh's main goal is to become the supreme ruler in all of Eterra.

As the main character in the game, your main goal is to change the past in hopes of changing the future of Eterra.

The Last Epoch Gameplay

To put it simply, The Last Epoch is an action RPG. The game shares many elements with Diablo and Path of Exile but it has more than enough new gameplay features to stand out. It particularly shares a lot of similarities when it comes to combat and character customization.

In the game, you can choose from several character classes, each with its own unique abilities and playstyle. You'll embark on quests, explore diverse environments, battle hordes of enemies, and unravel the mysteries of Eterra's history.

"Last Epoch" features a deep character customization system, allowing you to customize your skills, talents, and equipment to suit your preferred playstyle. Additionally, the game includes multiplayer elements, allowing players to team up with others to tackle challenges and explore the world together.

We'll detail each of the game's core gameplay elements in this next section.

Character Classes

In The Last Epoch, you can choose from a total of 5 base classes. You'll eventually have access to Masteries for your class. Each base class has 3 Masteries for a total of 15 in the game. The character you pick will determine the following:

• Passives
• Skills
• Starting attributes
• Starting equipment
• Physical appearance of your character

Here are the classes and Masteries in the game.

Sentinel

The Sentinel is basically the knight class in The Last Epoch. This is a melee-based class that can also stand as a strong support character depending on your build and mastery. The Sentinel is best for players who prefer taking the fight up close and personal to the enemy. It's also great for those who want to tank enemy damage upfront.

• Paladin

Paladins might not be capable of dealing heavy damage but they can work well as the tank of the team. Aside from being blessed with a high defense, Paladins are also capable of using support skills for themselves and for their allies at the same time.

• Void Knight

Void Knights are the complete opposite of the Paladin. The class is focused on dealing with damage. What's even different about them is that they can deal damage to enemies at the expense of their health - similar to how a Lich works, but only this time, it's a melee class.

• Forge Guard

Forge Guards are described as a pure melee class in the game. They rely on a variety of weapons and armor, ultimately using the heat of fire to dominate the battlefield. Forge Guards are primarily offense-focused, as compared to other classes in the game.

Rogue

The Rogue class is the agility-based class in the game. Rogues are capable of dealing heavy damage using melee or ranged weapons. The problem with the Rogue class is that they don't have a lot in terms of defenses so they can be vulnerable in direct combat. When used properly, however, they can deal a lot of damage.

• Falconer

When choosing the Falconer, you'll have access to a falcon companion. The companion will blind your foes, allowing you to deal damage to them. The falcon can also be used to herd your enemies towards traps that you set along the field.

• Marksman

The class deals damage from afar and according to leaks, the Marksman is going to be capable of dealing various status effects to their enemies as well. Like the rest of the Rogue's Masteries, Marksmen are weak when it comes to survivability so it's best to play it safe when using them.

• Bladedancer

The Last Epoch's take on an assassin, the Bladedancer relies on flashy moves and melee weapons. The class is going to be vulnerable because of their low health and defense but they make up for it with high damage and a lot of mobility skills as well. This might be a class that requires a lot more mastery to use compared to others.

Acolyte

Acolytes are a magic class in The Last Epoch. Unlike the Mage class, they're more focused on support magic However, they can also start dealing heavy damage to enemies depending on what Mastery you choose. The Acolyte is a tough class to pick mainly because they play the support role.

• Lich

A Lich is described as an Acolyte that has chosen to embrace the dark side of their power. They harness the power of blood and death. Based on the game's description of the Lich, it's likely that the Mastery can sacrifice portions of their life to start dealing damage to enemies.

• Necromancer

The Necromancer is a common class in many RPGs. In The Last Epoch, the class is most likely going to be capable of summoning the undead to do their bidding in combat. The class will focus mainly on the use of familiars and dark magic to combat enemies in the game.

• Warlock

Warlocks are described as Acolytes who have mastered the forbidden arts. The class is magic-based. As per the game's description, Warlocks can use curses and hexes to deal damage to enemies. What this could translate to in-game are debuffs that can weaken enemies.

Primalist

The Primalist is like a mix between the offensive capabilities of the Mage and the defensive capabilities of the Sentinel. It's like the Monk class in the game. It has heavy damage through a variety of physical and magical skills. The Primalist also has a strong survivability because of their innate durability.

• Shaman

The Shaman harnesses the elemental forces to unleash potent area-of-effect spells. He commands formidable tornadoes that ensnare and draw in foes, unleashes a devastating ice avalanche, or sends tremors through the earth with his weapon, causing aftershocks around him. Additionally, the Shaman can summon a powerful storm totem that unleashes lightning strikes in its vicinity.

Focused on offense, the Shaman's passive skill tree provides significant boosts to Attunement, spell damage, elemental damage, and mana. Moreover, players can foster synergy between themselves and their storm totem, granting enhancements to both.

• Beastmaster

The Beastmaster excels in summoning companions and inflicting close-range physical damage, leveraging his minions' active abilities alongside his own. Additionally, he possesses considerable survivability due to strength-based scaling, endurance, and health regeneration mechanisms. Furthermore, the Beastmaster enhances his Aspect skills to enhance his versatility.

• Druid

Druids harness the power of nature, allowing you to summon vines to control enemies and even spriggans to heal yourself and your allies. You'll also have access to various wereforms including Werebear, Spriggan, and Swarmblade. The class offers defensive and offensive spells at your disposal.

Mage

The Mage class is the pure-magic user in The Last Epoch. The class makes use of the elements to deal vicious damage to the enemies. They specialize in dealing damage from afar but they're pretty vulnerable once the enemy gets too close. As such, range and distance are very important for this class.

• Runemaster

If you like setting up magical traps, then the Runemaster is the class for you. Runemasters can cast protective wards and dangerous runes that when passed through, can hurt or control enemies. This class is best used as a support class that prepares spells from the backline.

• Spellblade

Spellblades are a mix of the Mage and Sentinel classes. They offer a mix of magic and physical damage. It's an experimental class that's very fun to use, especially if you're fond of wielding magic but can't let go of melee combat.

• Sorcerer

If you love the Mage class and want to further expound on the class's spell-wielding abilities, then you should choose the Sorcerer Mastery. The class is mainly focused on using offensive spells to deal heavy damage from a distance. They excel in dealing with mobs as well.

Skills

Each of the classes in the game has access to 20 passive skills and 20+ active skills. Each skill in the game possesses a specific Mana cost and cooldown rate, dictating their availability for use. Some skills may have either zero Mana cost or cooldown.

Certain skills feature multiple charges, enabling rapid consecutive usage. Charges regenerate independently of each other.

Skills with casting delays are accompanied by animations that determine the interval between activation and effect, allowing for subsequent skill usage. For melee and throwing attacks, this is termed attack speed, while for spells and summons, it's referred to as cast speed.

The Area of Effect (AoE) of a skill determines the radius of its impact. Every skill inherently possesses a small AoE, which can be influenced by the character's size.

Attempting to execute an action within the last 0.5 seconds of a skill animation will cause the action to take place at the animation's conclusion, unless overridden. While stunned, attempting to use a skill or move will queue the action for after the stun wears off.

All of the skills in the game are given one ability type.

• Melee Attack Skills
• Bow Attack Skills
• Throwing Attack Skills
• Summon Skills
• Buff Skills
• Minion Skills
• Totems

Aside from that, each skill is given a Damage Type which can be amplified or mitigated depending on the weaknesses of the enemy.

• Physical
• Lightning
• Cold
• Fire
• Void
• Necrotic
• Poison

Skill Specialization

You can specialize in up to five different skills, unlocking powerful skill trees with nodes that enhance each skill. These specialization slots become available at different character levels: level 3, 9, 19, 34, and 50.

Once you specialize in a skill, it gains experience alongside your character. Each level gained by the skill grants a skill point, which you can use to upgrade nodes in the skill tree. The maximum skill level is 20, but items may grant levels beyond that. It's important to note that specialized skills don't have to be added to your skill bar.

You have the freedom to downgrade a skill freely, whether you want to reallocate points or replace it entirely. Removing points decreases the skill's current level by one for each point removed. When you despecialize a skill, it frees up its slot, allowing another skill to take its place.

Each specialized skill can only be downgraded to a minimum level, ensuring that you can always allocate some points in the tree. To recover previously available points, skills must be re-leveled.

Thankfully, skills receive accelerated experience, and the minimum skill level increases as your character levels up. This helps in skill progression, ensuring you continually unlock new potential as you advance.

Item Progression

Aside from the skills, your character's progression through the game will be determined by your items. One of the exciting things about The Last Epoch is that all of the loot is randomly generated. Whether it's an item dropped by an enemy, or an item you get from a chest, the stats will be rolled randomly. This opens up lots of opportunities for grinding and creating a truly unique build.

Every non-unique item you get can be dismantled in the Forge. You can then use the resulting materials to create more gear. On the other hand, you'll always have the chance to get Unique gear which bears one-of-a-kind properties that can drastically change the way that you play.

Equipment can be divided into the following pieces:

• Weapons
• Offhands
• Body Armor
• Helmet
• Boots
• Gloves
• Belt
• Ring
• Amulet
• Idol

While all pieces of gear are important, the Idols you get are going to matter the most. These divine artifacts bestow unique effects that shape and define your build when placed into your Idol inventory. As you journey through Eterra, your Idol inventory will expand, granting you the ability to accommodate more Idols and harness greater power.

Unique Items

The rarity of the gear that you should always strive for in the game are Unique Items. These have powerful stats and effects that cannot be found on any other item in the game. Unique Items can't be modified on the forge but the developers have hinted that some items have the potential to become Legendary.

Endgame

The end of The Last Epoch doesn't come even when you finish the campaign. In fact, that's just the start of your journey as you're going to have to go through the game's robust and expansive endgame content as well. Once the credits roll, you'll have access to a highly replayable slew of content that will let your character grow even stronger.

Monolith Of Fate

Within the Monolith of Fate lie intricate timelines, each weaving an alternate tale of events. These timelines offer a journey to navigate and conquer, rewarding the character with blessings that bestow various buffs.

Initially, only one timeline is accessible. As you progress through the timelines, branching paths on the World Map unlock subsequent timelines. Your progress within timelines persists even after logging out.

The Echo Web is the heart of each timeline, consisting of interconnected nodes. These nodes can be completed individually to gather Stability and earn rewards. Upon completion, more nodes unveil, guiding your journey through the timeline.

Each node presents a unique objective within a specific Zone map. Tasks range from slaying enemies to uncovering hidden Gates, defeating ambushes or powerful Bosses, destroying Spires, confronting patrolling foes, or surviving waves of monsters in an arena.

Echoes within the timeline bestow modifiers upon enemies, escalating their danger while enhancing item rarity and Experience gained. These modifiers persist across multiple echoes, challenging your skills and offering greater rewards.

Furthermore, each timeline houses three Quest Echoes, pivotal milestones in the timeline's story. As you accumulate enough Stability, these quests become accessible. Completing the final Quest Echo concludes the timeline's narrative journey.

Corruption

In the Echo of a World nodes lies the formidable Shade of Orobyss, whose defeat heralds corruption within the timeline. Corruption entails a permanent increase in monster health and damage across all echoes, accompanied by heightened stability gains, monster levels, item rarity, and experience.

Blessings

Upon completing a timeline, players are presented with a selection of at least three blessings, from which one can be activated. These blessings bestow permanent buffs upon your character, which can be re-rolled or swapped out by re-completing the timeline. Each timeline permits only one blessing to be equipped at a time.

The fourth and fifth blessing slots become accessible when 50+ and 200+ Corruption saturates the timeline, respectively. This progression adds an exciting layer of complexity to character enhancement.

Special Echoes

The Echo Web may house unique echoes, offering opportunities to gather information or manipulate timeline properties:

• Vessel of Memory: Resets the Echo Web, allowing the opportunity to claim the rewards of discovered nodes once more.
• Vessel of Chaos: Rerolls the rewards of uncompleted nodes within the echo.
• Beacon: Illuminates a broad area around the node, revealing additional echoes within a larger radius.
• Sanctuary of Eterra: Reduces Corruption within the timeline (exclusive to Empowered timelines).
• Echo of a World: Resets the Echo Web while introducing Corruption to the timeline, altering the landscape of challenges and rewards.

Rewards

Upon successfully completing an Echo and returning through the portal, you'll be rewarded with a treasure chest that contains rewards depending on the number of enemies you defeat. This chest holds a variety of treasures, including items, glyphs, and runes.

Additionally, Echoes offer node-specific rewards, particularly if conquered on the initial attempt:

Normal nodes yield supplementary loot, which can be claimed from the reward crystal post-node completion. These rewards can contain:

• Three Tomes of Experience.
• Piles of Gold.
• Assorted Affix Shards, Glyphs, or Runes.
• Assorted Rare items of a designated type.
• A Unique or Set item.
• An Arena Key (an Arena Key of Memory is granted above level 90).

Echo of a World, Vessel of Memory, and Vessel of Chaos nodes have double the rewards of a regular node.

Empowered Timelines

After beating the three level 90 timelines, you'll unlock Empowered Mode. You can do this by activating the crystal at their location. Once done, you'll be able to participate in level 100 variants of the timelines, all of which, will have a base Corruption of 100.

Empowered Timelines are just like their regular counterparts with the exception of some modiiers:

1. An additional Unique or Set Item, specific to a given type, is introduced into the reward pool. These nodes have an increased likelihood of appearing with higher Corruption levels.
2. Sanctuary of Eterra nodes are incorporated into the central area when Corruption surpasses 100, offering unique challenges and rewards.
3. The third Quest Echo becomes accessible solely based on stability, eliminating other prerequisites.
4. Upon defeating the timeline boss, players acquire 1 Gaze of Orobyss and are rewarded with Grand Blessings.
5. Boss encounters in Empowered Timelines may yield exclusive items unattainable elsewhere.
6. Conquering The Shade of Orobyss requires the expenditure of all Gaze of Orobyss for additional Corruption. However, if defeated, gazes are forfeited upon death to the Shade.

These differences add depth and challenge to the Empowered Timelines, offering seasoned adventurers new trials and greater rewards.

Arena

The Last Epoch also involves an Arena mode. In this endgame content, you'll be facing off against waves and waves of enemies, whether in solo or with the help of others. You can be ranked based on your performance. Aside from a place in the leaderboards, you'll get various rewards by doing the arena as well.

The developers are planning more endgame content in the future and this is going to further enrich your experience in The Last Epoch.

Ready To Save The Timeline?

The Last Epoch is shaping up to be a great RPG, even when compared to the likes of Diablo and Path of Exile. Those who have their hands on the beta are very happy with what the game offers now and hopefully, it delivers at launch.