Path of Exile 2 The Last of the Druids: What We Know So Far
27.11.2025 - 09:11:04
Game Guides , Path of Exile 2
Meta Description: Path of Exile 2 is set to have its next major update soon. Click here to learn what we know so far about the upcoming expansion.
Grinding Gear Games (GGG) just dropped some massive news to Path of Exile 2 players. What is it, you ask? Well, it’s now confirmed that the company is going to release the latest class in the game, the Druid!
That’s right! The highly anticipated shapeshifting class is now slated for release in early December, and we happen to have the juiciest details right here for you! Are you interested in finding out what we know so far about Patch 0.4.0? Then come and join us as we unravel them together!
Before we begin, I’d like to invite you to our PoE 2 Store, which will have all of the currencies and new items that you could ever want once Path of Exile 2: The Last of the Druids launches next month!
Here’s Come a New Class: The Druid
After almost a year since the launch of Early Access, the much-awaited Druid class will finally be available in Path of Exile 2: The Last of the Druids! This class is a first of its kind in the franchise because he has the ability to transform into some beastly forms.
Right now, only two forms have been confirmed—one is the Bear and the other the Werewolf. However, GGG might experiment with the cat form in some capacity, since it has been teased in the early days of Path of Exile 2’s development.
The Druid, as it was revealed a couple of years ago, has two main archetypes. The first is obviously the shapeshifter, who has the ability to transform into the Bear and Werewolf forms on a whim.
If we are going to base it on other ARPGs, the Bear Form is likely the sturdier of the two, with a relatively large health pool and the power to stun enemies rather easily. The Werewolf is more of a balanced form, capable of dispatching enemies with high attack speed and a good amount of damage.
The Bear Form also happens to have good interactions with Rage, Warcries, and Stuns. As you can see in the GIF below, the Bear has no problems decimating any enemy in its path using a skill called Rampage.
The second Druid archetype is more of a spellcaster who harnesses the destructive power of nature magic to eliminate his enemies. You can expect this class to excel at casting Tornado, Volcano, and other similar magic spells in PoE 2.
GGG really took the time to develop the Druid Class, so it’s safe to assume that shapeshifting between his beast and human forms is a seamless experience. Besides that, you can possibly incorporate both nature magic and his beastly forms in your rotation. If this can be executed without the clunkiness, then the company has done an admirable job!
Aside from his abilities, the Druid wields a new weapon type by default called the Talisman. Unlike normal conventions, where Talismans are accessories that you equip on your character, the Talisman for the Druid Class in PoE 2 is actually a two-handed martial weapon that requires a balance of both STR and INT to wield.
Since it is a martial weapon, you can place Greater Iron Runes to boost physical damage or Greater Stone Runes to improve your stun build-up on enemies.
Take note that this article was written prior to the reveal of the Druid Class in Path of Exile 2: The Last of the Druids. This means that GGG might tease more features than what was already stated so far. Don’t worry, I am going to bring you the updates as they come, so stay tuned!
The Reveal of the New Class in PoE 2
The Druid is confirmed as the latest class to grace Path of Exile 2. However, there are certainly more things to be revealed! As is customary with every major expansion, GGG is going to host a reveal event on December 4 at 11 AM PST.
Path of Exile 2: The Last of the Druids Release Date
Although the company has yet to reveal any new information about the upcoming major update for Path of Exile 2, GGG has already chosen a release date for The Last of the Druids expansion!
So, mark your calendars! PoE 2 Patch 0.4.0 will launch on Friday, December 12, at 11 AM PST! This is for all supported platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Now, Path of Exile 2 still requires that you have an Early Access Key to play. However, it seems that Christmas came early because GGG is going to have a free weekend when Patch 0.4.0 goes live!
This means that you can enjoy the game’s latest expansion during the weekend when it’s released. The company said that this is true for all platforms, including the standalone and Steam clients on PC.
Possible Changes in Patch 0.4.0
Since the reveal event is still a week away, the PoE 2 community is in full speculation mode about what changes we can expect in Patch 0.4.0. Here are just some of the more plausible ones:
More Nodes on the Left Side of the Tree
It is without a doubt that the left side of the passive tree will have substantially more nodes in Patch 0.4.0 compared to what it has currently. This is because the Druid is a hybrid class (STR and INT), which means that his starting point on the tree is at the top-left corner.
For those who are interested, this is what the passive tree looks like prior to the launch of The Last of the Druids expansion:
As you can see, the top-left side of the tree could use a lot more nodes to travel to. Because the Druid is a shapeshifter, we’re going to see more passive skills on the tree that have something to do with improving various aspects of that, such as more damage while shapeshifted, increased cooldown recovery, etc.
It is also possible to have some minion nodes that are near the Druid’s starting point. This is because the said class may have the ability to summon pets to fight by his side. If they’re not offense types, these minions may at least provide some meaningful buffs to their master (though this remains to be seen).
Entirely New League Mechanic
It is also likely that GGG is going to add an entirely new league mechanic in Patch 0.4.0. If you remember the time when the Huntress was released a couple of expansions ago, the company added the Wisps to the game.
These Wisps can influence any monster on the field that they touch, and will merge with the first rare monster they see. Rare monsters that are empowered by Wisps not only gain buffs, but also have a new attack depending on the type of Wisp that assimilated into them.
That said, it is quite possible for GGG to add a new mechanic that has never been seen in the franchise before. As to what this is exactly, it’s probably something that could improve rare loot drops in maps. We’ll just have to wait and see.
New Uber Boss to Enliven the Endgame
There’s no question that the endgame for Path of Exile 2 is a bit bland. For instance, you only have the Uber Arbiter of Ash to deal with if you want some very challenging content. This has to change, obviously, and I hope that happens in Patch 0.4.0.
But why stop at only one? Path of Exile 2 has very rich lore, so GGG could easily implement at least two new uber bosses for you to engage with in the endgame. Hopefully, that will be the case to give people more interest in improving their characters.
New uber bosses will also mean that the company can add new unique items. Perhaps a Bottled Faith that increases the damage taken by nearby enemies when activated would be nice, no?
Abyss Mechanic Does Not Go ‘Core’
The Abyss mechanic is definitely a huge success in Path of Exile 2. You can interact with the abyssal monsters as early as Act 1, making it easier for you to gear up your character. This mechanic also brought new PoE 2 Currencies used for crafting, such as the Ancient Rib for armor, Ancient Jawbone for weapons, and Ancient Collarbone for accessories.
Despite many players loving this mechanic, it is very unlikely that Abyss as extra content will go core in Patch 0.4.0. However, you could expect it to return at some point, maybe in the next major expansion.
Now, I am not dismissing the idea of Abyss going core in PoE 2 entirely. It is still possible to get a somewhat toned-down version of this mechanic in Patch 0.4.0, though that still remains to be seen.
Keep in mind that extra content “going core” just means that you’re not getting the full power when it was first implemented. This means that the highest abyssal currency you can get is the “Preserved” ones, but that’s still a fair compromise if you ask me.
New Ascendancy Classes
In addition to the Wisps and the Huntress, Dawn of the Hunt (Patch 0.2.0) released three new ascendancy classes as well. These are for the Warrior (Smith of Kitava), Witch (Lich), and Mercenary (Tactician).
Prior to the release of Path of Exile 2 Early Access, GGG had already stated that each of the base classes in the game would have three ascendancies. Right now, the Huntress, Ranger, and Monk only have two, so it’s very likely that these classes will have their third ascendancies next.
If you ask me whether this has a high chance of happening in Path of Exile 2: The Last of the Druids, yes, I think this idea is quite plausible. You have to remember that Patch 0.4.0 drops in December, which is the last month of 2025. Why not do it with a bang, right?
Things We’d Like to See in Patch 0.4.0
This section is more of a wishlist, which highlights what the community wants GGG to implement in Path of Exile 2’s next major update. Let’s start with something that concerns all players of the game, shall we?
Improved Visual Clarity
It is without question that visual clutter is one of the major issues that the company needs to address in the near future. When you reach the maps after completing the campaign, you will find that monster density increases considerably. This results in quite a lot of effects happening at any time.
If you don’t believe me, just look at how visually “noisy” it looks when using both Explosive Grenades and Explosive Shot at the same time:
Now, imagine you are mapping in a fully-juiced T16 map with Ignited Ground as a detrimental ground effect. All of the explosions caused by the two aforementioned skills prevent you from seeing the Ignited Ground, which may lead to your untimely demise.
Visual clutter is definitely something that GGG has to address, but how can the company do that realistically? Well, the community has a few suggestions.
First, GGG should implement an “effects slider” that allows players to adjust the level of detail of skill effects, ground effects, and other similar features. Pulling the slider all the way down to zero would disable the effect entirely, thus helping you see what is happening on the screen.
Second, the company could significantly reduce the number of monsters that are available in maps. Now, this might be a controversial suggestion, but the rationale behind this is that GGG can improve the quality and quantity of loot drops instead of increasing the total number of enemies that you have to deal with.
Third, the development team could do a visual overhaul of the effects of everything in the game, including skills, ground effects, and monster attacks/spells. This is more time-consuming, for sure, but it will result in a vastly improved experience.
Don’t get me wrong, Path of Exile 2 is a visually appealing game. However, GGG may have been a little over the top when it comes to visuals, so toning them down a bit won’t hurt the game at all.
Better Performance
Grinding Gear Games is one of those game development companies that’s being run by people who have a lot of ideas in mind. While that is awesome, the only problem here is that GGG is not known for optimizing its games.
Path of Exile 2, despite its beautiful design and engaging mechanics, is far from being optimized. Even a relatively good gaming PC that is rocking a 9800X3D CPU and RTX 5070ti graphics card struggles to maintain 60 FPS during intensive mapping sessions.
Part of this can be attributed to the visual clutter discussed earlier, but a lot of that is due to the things that are working in the backend. GGG should do something about the game’s code to further improve the performance of the game, even on modest systems.
Go Deep in Delve
Latest datamined info suggests that the next big content for Path of Exile 2 is the Delve mechanic. For the uninitiated, Delve is a piece of extra content from the original game, where you explore the endless depths of the Azurite Mine in search of valuable currency and items.
What’s incredible about Delve is that you don’t see it in maps; it is its own separate dungeon. Of course, you still have to engage with maps since you’ll need Sulphite, which is the fuel source of the Crawler Mine Cart in Delve. You can read about Sulphite Farming in our dedicated guide if you’re interested.
Personally, I don’t think that Delve is the latest mechanic to be added to the game. After all, it’s such a massive piece of content that the developers might require more time to polish it. However, GGG could probably surprise all of us and include it in the package for Patch 0.4.0.
If the company does decide to add Delve to Path of Exile 2, what can you expect? For starters, it can likely be accessed from your Waypoint after unlocking it through the campaign.
Additionally, you will need to farm the Crawler’s fuel source by interacting with Sulphite Nodes in maps. This should give you extra motivation to go mapping.
Moreover, GGG might include Aul, the Crystal King, inside Delve as well. This is the boss of this mechanic, though the most challenging thing about him is his actual location, and not the fight itself.
You see, Aul can only be found in The Crystal King’s Throne, situated in the Primeval Ruins inside the Azurite Mine. Finding it is difficult because the way Delve is laid out is similar to the current Atlas in PoE 2: random and near-infinite.
Have you played the original game? If so, were you a fan of the Delve mechanic? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Atlas Rework
Once you’re finished with the campaign, you’ll then be able to interact with the Atlas. The individual nodes there represent the “maps” that you need to complete in order to further your progression.
Unlike in the original game, where you could insert specific maps into the Map Device, you do not have full control over which map you will do next. Sure, you can find specific nodes on the Atlas, but you cannot really do the same map twice, unless there’s a similar map elsewhere that’s within reach.
GGG has promised improvements to the Atlas in Path of Exile 2, and we certainly love to see it in The Last of the Druids expansion.
Some of the possible changes to the Atlas include the ability to go to specific map nodes (without being connected to them), better tower buffs, or the abolition of Waystones in favor of specific maps (just like in the original).
In addition, if there is indeed an Atlas Rework in Patch 0.4.0, you can expect a shake-up in the Atlas Passive Nodes as well. Perhaps GGG may include Abyss Nodes if the mechanic goes core?
Huge Meta Changes
In just a couple of weeks, the Rise of the Abyssals League will conclude. It is safe to say that the current rankings will hold up until the end of the league, so I expect things to be a lot different in Path of Exile 2: The Last of the Druids.
Right now, the top three ascendancy classes include the Deadeye, Blood Mage, and Invoker. The Lightning Arrow Deadeye sits at the top of the throne, garnering more than 20% of this league’s population, and it’s not hard to see why.
The current league introduced new items from the Abyss mechanic, such as the Heart of the Well. You can buy Heart of the Well with extra lightning and cold damage, which can easily improve your DPS by slotting in only a single gem into your build.
The Rise of the Abyssals League also introduced the new Lineage Support Gems. Unlike the normal supports, the Lineage Support Gems provide more powerful effects, so much so that they have a level requirement of Level 65.
That said, the Spark Bloodmage is the second most popular build in the current league, mainly because of the Lineage Support Gem called Atalui’s Bloodletting. When combined with Rathpith Globe, your spark projectiles will deal significant damage to nearby enemies. Besides that, this build has multiple avenues for improving damage. For instance, you could invest in Grand Spectrum Ruby Jewels to increase your life (which translates to more damage).
Invokers are third in ranking, mainly because of the addition of Hollow Palm Technique. This is a new keystone passive that allows you to use quarterstaff skills while unarmed, such as Ice Strike, Tempest Flurry, and Falling Thunder, among others. You improve your damage output with Hollow Palm Technique allocated by wearing evasion- and energy shield-based equipment.
One thing that you can always trust GGG to do is that the company always shakes things up in every major expansion. Hence, the three builds that were mentioned just now might no longer be viable in the next patch.
So, what builds will become viable? That remains to be seen; however, there are some possible contenders. I certainly believe that the Smith of Kitava will see a resurgence in Patch 0.4.0.
Right now, it’s the least-played ascendancy class because it got massively nerfed across the board. For one, “Flowing Metal” no longer grants +5% to Maximum Fire Resistance. Instead, 50% of your total armor now mitigates incoming elemental damage from hits. This change would have been fine if only GGG had not removed the Infernoclasp belt as well, which provided up to 5% to maximum fire resistance.
The Acolyte of Chayula needed further enhancements, too! While it got new ascendancy nodes to make things more interesting, these nodes did not really make a huge difference.
For example, Grasp of the Void is a new ascendancy node that enables the Acolyte of Chayula to create copies of himself that can be damaged by enemies. Once the life of these copies is reduced to zero, they explode, dealing chaos damage. The problem is that the damage from the resulting explosion is mediocre at best.
If GGG could provide more adjustments to what the Acolyte of Chayula has, we could finally have an ascendancy class that can compete with the Pathfinder in terms of chaos damage builds.
The Chronomancer could also use some buffs. As it stands, the Chronomancer is nothing more than an ascendancy class meant for CoC Comet builds. Maybe adding two offensive ascendancy nodes would do the trick!
PoE 2 The Last of the Druids: Final Thoughts
Path of Exile 2 is set to have its third major update in a few weeks. Patch 0.4.0 will bring in a new class in the shapeshifting Druid, along with new uniques, skills, and support gems, among many others.
We don’t know what the main league mechanic is at the time of writing this article, but I am hoping that it’s going to be a really good one! Can the upcoming expansion topple the Rise of the Abyssals League in terms of player retention? Share your thoughts about this in the comments section!
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