🌀 Runes of Aldur — Patch 0.5 Guide
Return of the Ancients is the biggest content update since Path of Exile 2's launch. Two new Ascendancies, a completely rebuilt endgame, new league mechanics, and balance changes that reshape the entire meta.
Current Event: Forbidden Rites (Patch 0.5.5, live since September 4, 2026)
The new event league brings Ritual to every campaign zone, chained boss clusters, 17 new Soul Cores, the Trial of Chaos rework, and major endgame changes. Jump into our latest guides:
Forbidden Rites event overview → Ritual mechanic guide → 17 new Soul Cores → Endgame & boss changes →
Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients
Patch 0.5.0 — Released May 29, 2026
✨ What's New in 0.5
Martial Artist (Monk)
New Monk Ascendancy built around Hollow Techniques, illusory bells, rune inscription, glove transformation, and Combo execution.
Spirit Walker (Huntress)
New Huntress Ascendancy featuring Wisps, Stag/Owl/Bear spirit companions, Idol-based gearing, and Unique Beast taming.
Runes of Aldur League
New league mechanics featuring the Runes of Aldur reward system, new Unique items, and Lineage Supports.
Rebuilt Endgame & Fortress
Completely restructured Atlas progression with the Fortress, six sealed regions, and new Pinnacle boss encounters.
Arbiter of Divinity
New Pinnacle boss with a multi-phase aerial battle. Essential for full Atlas progression.
Quality System Overhaul
Skill gem quality now provides meaningful new modifiers that affect how skills function, adding another layer of build planning.
📅 Patch Timeline
🆕 New Ascendancy Classes
👊 Martial Artist — Monk
The high-interaction melee Ascendancy. Built around Hollow Techniques (illusions), ghostly bells that guarantee crits, Runic Meridians for extra rune sockets, Way of the Stonefist glove transformation, and Combo-based pressure scaling with Way of the Mountain.
Core Loop: Summon bell → hit bell (guaranteed crit) → trigger resonance → spend Combo points on finishers.
Best For: Experienced players who enjoy complex interaction and high APM gameplay.
🌿 Spirit Walker — Huntress
The nature-spirit Ascendancy. Built around Wisps and three animal spirit paths (Stag, Owl, Bear), Idol-based gearing through Idolatry, Unique Beast capture through The Natural Order, and companion weapon scaling through Sacred Unity.
Core Loop: Summon spirits → empower with Wisps → use companion abilities → scale through Idol synergy.
Best For: Players who want flexible build routes with pets, projectiles, and movement attacks.
🏰 Endgame Restructure
Patch 0.5 completely rebuilds the endgame structure:
- The Fortress: A massive endgame location divided into six sealed regions, each containing multiple map areas with unique mechanics and Atlas Passive Point rewards.
- Arbiter of Ash: Now an early structured Pinnacle challenge within the Fortress, no longer the primary endgame encounter.
- Arbiter of Divinity: The new primary Pinnacle boss, accessed through the Origen Tower. A multi-phase aerial battle essential for full Atlas progression.
- Atlas Tree Expansion: New passive points tied to Fortress regions, encouraging deeper exploration of each area.
- Lineage Supports: New support gem system that modifies skill behavior in unique ways.