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Gear Grinding Games has revitalized Path of Exile with the latest Secrets of Atlas 3.26 update. Here’s every new change.
Path of Exile is now 12 years old. The action RPG by Gear Grinding Games was considered one of the best back in the day. However, it has been struggling to compete with other competitors in the genre recently, including its successor, Path of Exile 2. Yet, that changed quite quickly when the studio launched the massive Secrets of Atlas 3.26 update and completely revived the game from the ashes. Still, calling it an update or a seasonal change would be an understatement since its stature and scope make it nothing short of an expansion.
Secrets of Atlas brought a lot of new additions and gameplay changes with it. Some include the completely new Mercenary System, revamped bosses, and Runegrafting. All of these new inclusions change the game fundamentally. This can be seen as a fresh start for veterans and a good entry point for newcomers. In this guide, we will discuss the new seasonal change in detail and talk about the various new additions.
Every New Addition in Path of Exile Secrets of Atlas 3.26
Path of Exile first launched on October 23, 2013, and was a massive success on launch. Since then, the game has seen various updates and seasonal changes. However, because of its 2024 successor, Path of Exile 2, the decade-old action RPG entered a state of limbo since Gear Grinding Games had to relocate its workforce to the latest entry.
Since the Settlers of Kalguur patch, fans have been eagerly waiting for something new for the original PoE. Their prayers were finally answered in June 2025 when the developers released the Secrets of Atlas 3.26 update.
With these new seasonal changes came a lot of new additions and overhauled mechanics. The first notable inclusion was the latest Mercenary System. Players can now find and battle mercenaries spanning various levels in Wraeclast and recruit, loot, or exile them if they win. This new feature adds another layer of tactical and strategic depth to the game and also gives players the option to have companions and make their journey from boss fights to endgame encounters less lonesome.
The Secrets of Atlas also brought new map modifiers, side quests connected to the lore, and improved boss fights. The developers did not overlook any detail and handcrafted new environments and refurbished visual effects to make the 12-year-old title easier on the eyes.
Path of Exile Is a Completely New Game Now
Yet, the changes do not stop there. Gear Grinding Games has also focused on necessary quality of life improvements in the latest patch. We have seen a modernized interface, an improved crafting system, better loot filters, and also enhanced stash tabs. According to the PoE player base, all of these changes were quite needed to keep the game afloat, and from the looks of it, the developers did listen to those opinions.
Path of Exile feels almost like a completely new game as of now. Instead of simply improving the game, Gear Grinding Games went an extra mile and gave the fans something fresh and new to experience.
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