Quick answer: There is no confirmed PoE2 1.0 release date yet. Grinding Gear Games has said the next major content update is 1.0 — game director Jonathan Rogers publicly targeted a late-2026 launch landing "a little bit after ExileCon," which runs November 7–8, 2026 in Auckland. GGG has also confirmed that one or more short "economy-reset" event leagues (the 0.5.5 event) are planned as stopgaps before 1.0, which is exactly why the Gamescom reveal is a coin-flip between the two. The nearest hard date on the calendar is the Gamescom 2026 broadcast on August 25 at 11:00 AM PST (9:00 PM GMT+3) on twitch.tv/gamescom, where GGG will show "what we've been working on." Bottom line: watch August 25 for the reveal, ExileCon for the concrete 1.0 date, and expect any full launch or event league to reset the economy.
The single most-asked PoE2 question right now is some version of "when is 1.0?" — and with a Gamescom stream 13 days out and the Runes of Aldur league winding down, the speculation has hit a fever pitch. This guide separates what's confirmed from what's speculation, gives you every date that actually matters, and — because a full launch wipes the economy clean — tells you exactly what to finish before the reset and how to hit the ground running after it.
PoE2 - Divine & Exalted Orbs
Skip the grind — get Divine & Exalted Orbs
Quick answer: every date that matters for PoE2 1.0
1.0 is confirmed as the next major content update — but no release date is set. GGG's game director has said the next big update is 1.0, targeted for a late-2026 launch shortly after ExileCon, with short economy-reset "event" leagues (0.5.5) possible in between. No exact day has been announced. The two dates to circle are Gamescom (Aug 25, 2026) for the reveal and ExileCon (Nov 7–8, 2026) for the likely concrete release date and full showcase.
| - Aug 25, 2026 — Gamescom broadcast: 11:00 AM PST / 9:00 PM GMT+3 on twitch.tv/gamescom. Hands-on demo in Hall 6.1 | B031, Cologne. |
|---|
- Nov 7–8, 2026 — ExileCon 2026: Aotea Centre, Auckland, New Zealand. GGG's 20th-anniversary convention and the expected home of the 1.0 date + deep-dive.
- Late 2026 — 1.0 full release (target, unconfirmed): "a little bit after ExileCon," per the game director.
- Now — Runes of Aldur (0.5.x): the current Early Access league, in its final stretch before the launch reset.
Is the Gamescom reveal 1.0 or 0.5.5?
This is the exact debate lighting up the subreddit, and the honest answer is: GGG hasn't said. The official Gamescom post only teases, "We can't wait to share what we've been working on with you all!" — no version number, no feature list.
Here's what we can reason from the facts:
| - A hands-on demo points to real, new content. GGG is running an exclusive playable demo in Cologne (Hall 6.1 | B031). Players have pointed out that a booth build isn't how you'd market an economy-reset event patch — you build a demo to show new weapons, areas, or a class, which reads as 1.0 content rather than a 0.5.5 tune-up. |
|---|
- Gamescom is a global marketing stage. Casual and lapsed players in that audience don't know or care what "0.5.5" means. Studios use Gamescom to sell the big thing — again pointing toward a 1.0 showcase or at least a "coming soon" teaser.
- The 1.0 hype is being saved for ExileCon. The counter-argument (and a reasonable one) is that GGG will hold the meatiest 1.0 reveals — final class, release date, endgame overhaul — for its own convention in November, and Gamescom gets a taste.
Most likely outcome: a 1.0-flavoured reveal at Gamescom (new content, maybe a class or act tease, possibly a date window), with the full deep-dive and firm release date at ExileCon. Treat any "0.5.5 only" or "confirmed release date" claim before August 25 as speculation.
What has GGG actually confirmed about 1.0?
Cutting through the noise, here's what's on the record versus what's a guess.
| Claim | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The next major content update is 1.0 | ✅ Confirmed by the game director | Interview, Jonathan Rogers |
| Targeting a late-2026 launch | ✅ Stated as the goal (not a promise) | Jonathan Rogers |
| 1.0 lands "a little bit after ExileCon" (Nov 7–8) | ✅ Stated | Jonathan Rogers |
| Short 0.5.5 economy-reset event league(s) before 1.0 | ✅ Confirmed as planned (no date set) | GGG Q&A, Jonathan Rogers |
| Gamescom broadcast Aug 25, 11 AM PST | ✅ Confirmed | pathofexile.com |
| ExileCon Nov 7–8, Auckland | ✅ Confirmed | pathofexile.com |
| Exact 1.0 release day | ❌ Not announced | — |
| New classes / weapons in 1.0 | ⏳ Expected, unconfirmed | Community inference |
| Economy reset at 1.0 (and at each event league) | ✅ Standard for a full-league launch | GGG league history |
On the timeline itself, the clearest statement comes straight from the top. Game director Jonathan Rogers said the next big content update is the finished game: "The next update we do will actually be 1.0… it will be a little bit after ExileCon, which is in November." He was blunt about the motivation, too: "I really want to get this game finished. I really, really do." That's about as close to a roadmap as GGG gives publicly — a target, not a pinky-swear. (Separately, GGG has said short one-month "event" leagues with their own fresh economy — the 0.5.5 event — can run in the gap before 1.0, which is why "next update" and "0.5.5" aren't mutually exclusive.)
For context on scale: Path of Exile 2 launched into Early Access on December 6, 2024 and remains one of the biggest ARPGs going, still pulling tens of thousands of concurrent players even deep into a league. ExileCon 2026 also doubles as Grinding Gear Games' 20th-anniversary event — a natural stage to launch the finished game.
Why the 1.0 economy reset matters (and what to do about it)
Every full Path of Exile league launch starts a fresh economy. When 1.0 drops and its launch league begins, your current-league divines, exalts, and stash of items do not carry into it — they stay on your Runes of Aldur / standard characters, not the new economy where everyone starts from zero. That single fact should shape how you play the next few months.
There are two windows to play well:
Before the reset (now → launch): This is your last stretch to actually use the wealth and progress you've built this league. Loot sitting in your stash is worth nothing to your 1.0 start, so spend it:
- Finish the bucket-list bosses and pinnacle content you've been putting off — Arbiter of Ash, the pinnacle fights, deep Trial content — while your build is geared and the economy is liquid.
- Complete your Ascendancy if you haven't. Trials get grindier to rush at the tail of a league when the player pool thins.
- Convert hoarded currency into the chase items you wanted to try, or into finishing your atlas/challenge goals. Divines don't transfer; experiences and completed challenges do.
After the reset (1.0 launch): A fresh economy is the great equalizer — everyone starts broke, and the players who get a clean early leveling run and their first divines fastest set the pace for the whole league. Early currency buys the difference between clearing content and getting stuck.
If you'd rather skip the parts of that grind you don't enjoy — the leveling slog, a stubborn boss, or building a starting currency buffer for launch day — that's exactly what fast, safe services are for:
Prep for 1.0 (or finish this league) the fast way:
- PoE2 Currency (all orbs) — divine · chaos · exalted · more, instant delivery at the best rate
- PoE2 Divine Orbs — trusted, instant, top rate for chase gear
- PoE2 Exalted Orbs — fast & secure crafting fuel
- PoE2 Leveling & Boss Carries — skip the grind, pinnacle kills and Ascendancies by pro players
PoE2 - Items
Skip the grind — get Items
What could the 1.0 reveal actually include?
Nobody outside GGG knows, but the community's best-supported guesses — the ones grounded in datamines and dev comments rather than wishlists — are worth knowing so you can read the Gamescom stream in real time:
- New weapon types. Swords are the running joke-and-expectation ("no swords before release" has become a meme). Daggers and other missing weapon classes are also widely anticipated to round out the arsenal at launch.
- New acts / campaign completion. Early Access ships a partial campaign; 1.0 is the natural point to fill in the remaining acts. Players have flagged Act 5 zones as a likely showcase.
- A new class / Ascendancy. A full launch usually brings the roster to its intended lineup. A fresh class reveal is prime Gamescom-trailer material.
- Endgame and mechanic overhauls. Datamined hints (e.g. Delve-style assets and NPC references in existing acts) fuel hope that classic PoE1 mechanics get PoE2 versions over the 1.0 window.
Keep expectations calibrated: Gamescom is a teaser stage, ExileCon is the deep-dive. If August 25 shows a class or a new act and hints at a date, that's a win — the firm date most likely waits for November.
How to watch the Gamescom 2026 broadcast
- When: Monday, August 25, 2026, 11:00 AM PST (2:00 PM EST / 7:00 PM BST / 9:00 PM GMT+3).
- Where: the official twitch.tv/gamescom channel (the PoE2 segment runs as part of Gamescom's broadcast).
| - In person: playable demo at **Hall 6.1 | B031** in Cologne — GGG noted weekend demo slots were still opening up, and media/creators can request access via media@grindinggear.com. |
|---|
- After: expect the reveal trailer and any announcements to hit the official Path of Exile news page and YouTube shortly after the stream.
FAQ
When is the PoE2 1.0 release date? There is no confirmed day yet. GGG's game director has said 1.0 is the next major update and is targeting late 2026, landing "a little bit after ExileCon" (November 7–8, 2026). The most likely place for a firm date is ExileCon itself, so expect concrete timing in November rather than August.
Is the Gamescom Aug 25 reveal 1.0 or 0.5.5? GGG hasn't said officially. Both are live possibilities: 0.5.5 is a confirmed-but-undated short "event" league (a ~1-month economy reset with balance/QoL, no major new systems), while 1.0 is the full launch. The presence of an exclusive hands-on demo and Gamescom's global-marketing nature lean toward a 1.0 preview (new content/class/act) rather than a small event patch — but the biggest 1.0 reveals may still be held for ExileCon. Treat anything definitive before the stream as speculation.
What time is the PoE2 Gamescom broadcast? August 25, 2026 at 11:00 AM PST / 9:00 PM GMT+3, streaming on twitch.tv/gamescom.
Will 1.0 reset the economy? Do my divines carry over? A full league launch starts a fresh economy, so the currency and items you hold now stay on your current-league/standard characters and do not transfer into the new 1.0 league where everyone starts from zero. Spend your wealth on goals before the reset, and plan a fresh start (early leveling + first currency) for launch.
Should I still play Runes of Aldur before 1.0? Yes — it's your window to finish bosses, complete your Ascendancy, and use up currency that won't carry over. Just don't hoard divines expecting them to matter at launch; they won't.
What is ExileCon 2026 and why does it matter for 1.0? ExileCon is GGG's own convention, November 7–8, 2026 at the Aotea Centre in Auckland — also the studio's 20th anniversary. It's the expected venue for the full 1.0 deep-dive and, most likely, the concrete release date.
Bottom line
The 1.0 launch is real, next, and close — GGG has confirmed the next update is the full release and is chasing a late-2026 window right after ExileCon. But the exact date is not out yet. Circle August 25 for the Gamescom reveal (probably a 1.0 taste) and November 7–8 for ExileCon (probably the date and the full showcase). In the meantime, treat Runes of Aldur as a going-out-of-business sale on your own stash: finish what you've been meaning to finish, spend the currency that won't carry over, and be ready to move fast when the fresh economy opens.
