Grinding Gear Games has pulled back the curtain on Path of Exile 2's next major content update, and it sounds massive. Return of the Ancients, version 0.5.0, arrives May 29 on PC and consoles, with a full reveal livestream scheduled for May 7 that promises to detail what GGG is calling one of the largest content drops in the game's Early Access history.
The teaser trailer, which landed earlier this week, shows a colossal fortress materializing across the landscape of Wraeclast — a structure that GGG describes as containing mysteries and incredible challenges behind its walls. The brief cinematic offers more questions than answers, but the scale alone suggests this update is designed to address the community's long-standing requests for deeper endgame content.
According to early details, Return of the Ancients will deliver significant changes to the Atlas endgame system and introduce deeper lore ties to the mysterious Ancients — a faction that has been hinted at since Early Access launched in late 2024. The expansion is positioned as GGG's direct response to community feedback, with a focus on fixing pain points that players have raised since the game first became playable.
The timing is also notable. Return of the Ancients drops exactly one month after Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion on April 28, giving ARPG fans a staggered schedule rather than forcing them to choose between the genre's two biggest titles. Whether that timing was strategic or coincidental, it works in players' favor.
The full reveal livestream airs May 7 at 1 PM PDT on the official Path of Exile Twitch channel, featuring a detailed showcase and Q&A with Grinding Gear Games' Jonathan Rogers and community host ZiggyD. Path of Exile 2 remains in paid Early Access, with Return of the Ancients expected to push the game significantly closer to its eventual full release.