Path of Exile 2 developer teases a surprise addition ahead of full release

Grinding Gear Games has released a new teaser for Path of Exile 2, and it may have revealed one of the biggest surprises planned for the game’s upcoming 1.0 update. The 31-second video, titled Become the Darkness, strongly suggests that the Shadow class from the original Path of Exile could finally make its way into the sequel. If true, it would mean two new classes debuting together when the game leaves Early Access.

The teaser features a particularly interesting sequence involving a dagger being thrown at a coin, accompanied by ominous imagery and references to darkness. Daggers are closely associated with the Shadow, a class that has remained conspicuously absent from Path of Exile 2 throughout its Early Access period.

More importantly, the Shadow’s arrival would represent a significant milestone for the sequel. Grinding Gear Games has already confirmed that the Duelist class, alongside swords, will arrive with version 1.0. Although Path of Exile 2 launched into Early Access with six playable classes, subsequent updates have introduced new classes individually, including the Huntress and Druid. Should the Shadow join the Duelist in December, the full release would become the first major update since the initial Early Access launch to introduce two new base classes simultaneously.

This could also make the game’s first post-Early Access league particularly interesting, giving returning players two previously unavailable character classes to experiment with alongside the additional content planned for version 1.0. Then we have the endless build possibilities arising from the addition of two new weapons: swords and daggers. And by that I mean a dozen different Gemling builds powered by Advanced Thaumaturgy.

While the Shadow’s inclusion is technically speculative, the teaser doesn’t leave much to the imagination. That leaves just the Templar, who should hopefully show up a league or two after 1.0 drops. Or GGG could surprise us all and trebuchet all three classes at us together. Great for a 1.0 release. Less so for balance.

Fortunately, players won’t have to wait long for clarification. Grinding Gear Games will unveil Path of Exile 2 version 1.0 at ExileCon 2026 on November 6, with the broadcast beginning at 12:30 PM PST. The game is scheduled to leave Early Access and become free-to-play on December 11, 2026.