Vortex Gaming

· 0.5.0 'Return of the Ancients' is the final major early access update for Path of Exile 2.
· The full 1.0 release is targeted for late 2026.
· Between the 0.5.0 release and the 1.0 launch, there will be short events including new economic systems and content.
· Seamless switching between controller and keyboard/mouse will be included in the 1.0 release.

· 'Elder's Runes' is a new system combining the Expedition mechanic with PoE1's Betrayal league mechanic.
· Players summon enemies and gain rewards by inscribing runes in ruins via the NPC 'Pharaoh'.
· Up to 8 runes can be combined, increasing enemy count, difficulty, and rewards based on the rune combination.
· Following the traces of runes will lead you to discover 'Berylium Ore'.
· Berylium Ore grants 'Rune Protection' to all armor, enhancing existing armor or adding new legendary prefixes.
· Rune Protection prevents death even if your life reaches 0, as long as a shield remains.
· 'Kalga Skill Gems' can be crafted during the rune inscription process, which consume your shield to use.
· There are also Kalga Support Skill Gems.
· In the second underground structure found in Act 3, you can enhance legendary weapons with Berylium Ore.
· Over 100 new runes have been added, some offering functions similar to PoE1's Metacrafting.

· The 'Runestone' from the existing Expedition has been changed to 'Ruins' where runes can be inscribed.
· The method of obtaining rewards based on rune combinations in ruins remains the same.
· Some runes have effects that persist even after chain explosions.
· The Expedition log has been remade, and 'Logbooks' and 'Gwennen' are now separated.
· Players can use Expedition logs on the map to find 'Gwennen' and uncover additional endgame content.

· Maps now offer a clear guide system leading from the starting point to various mechanic areas.
· Each area is connected to specific map mechanics, and following the quests will lead you to the final boss of that mechanic.
· This guide system leads up to the first Interloper.
· Activating a 'Tower' creates a 'Fortification' where the map is divided into several zones.
· Maps within Fortifications contain special events (e.g., converting rare monsters to essence monsters, treasure chest monster packs).
· Defeating map bosses within Fortifications grants Atlas points.
· The Atlas tree has been revamped, allowing all players to allocate all Atlas points.
· Defeating the boss in the center of a Fortification allows you to instantly complete that part of the Fortification and gain Atlas points.
· Boss difficulty increases with repeated attempts.
· Three new NPC Captains (Dorian, Yellow, Blue) have been added.
· Each Captain provides effects related to map prefixes, mechanics, drop items, or monsters and bosses.
· Players can freely change Captains before entering a map.

· Each endgame mechanic now begins with a clear story guide.
· You can check the progress of each mechanic in real-time on the map interface.
· Delirium: You can now see the depth of Delirium and the level of enemies that appear, and obtain items that can apply fog to maps through specific mirrors.
· Breach: Filling the Breach gauge summons stronger Breach enemies and drops items that generate Breachstones. These can be used to find Breach Fortifications.
· Ritual: Primarily drops only unique items and prophecies. You can obtain 'Mist Lord Maps' by donating Ritual points.
· 'Nameless Ritual' is an advanced Ritual system that progresses through multiple maps consecutively, featuring monsters from previous Ritual stages. The final stage requires facing 5 map bosses simultaneously.
· Item Crafting: Delirium's Scour is now applicable to jewels, and the Breach system has added PoE1's 'Tree of Creation' for specific item crafting.

· Soul Wanderer (Huntress): Utilizes three animal spirits – Deer, Owl, and Bear – for combat advantages. Using all three spirits unlocks additional hidden stats. Grants additional abilities to equipped amulets, and can tame beast bosses to become companions.

· Archipelago Artisan (Weapon Master): An Ascendancy that summons various phantoms to attack. Phantoms can be made to use specific melee attacks, or enemies can be snared to increase damage. Periodically summons Phantom Bells that deal shockwave damage, or causes Phantom Bells to ring on critical strikes, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Additionally, runes can be inscribed on Phantom Bells, or the armor's defense can be greatly increased, strengthening the front and rear prefixes.

· Noise: Allows the use of up to 4 additional jewel slots.
· Raven's Pole: Creates a persistent damage aura similar to 'Ignite', with its area increasing upon enemy kills or the presence of nearby unique monsters. This aura is treated as a minion and is affected by minion damage. It also has an ability to summon ravens that damage enemies in a rectangular area.

· Challenge Rewards: Completing 8 challenges rewards parts of a cosmetic item set and limited hideout decorations.
· Build Sharing Feature: Download and view builds shared by other players in-game. Offers detailed guide functions such as displaying the Atlas tree and adding item descriptions.
· Item Price Check Feature: Instantly check the market price of an item by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Left Click.
· Fragment Stash Tab: A dedicated stash tab has been added for organizing and storing boss maps, runestones, trial maps, etc. It provides 6 sub-tabs for each category.