Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt Update – Everything You Need to Know

Grinding Gear Games is set to release the first major content update for Path of Exile 2, titled Dawn of the Hunt, on April 4. This update introduces a brand-new class, multiple ascendancies, new skills, support gems, unique items, and major endgame improvements.

Introducing the Huntress – A Hybrid Spear-Wielding Class

The biggest highlight of this update is the Huntress, a dynamic hybrid class that seamlessly transitions between melee and ranged combat. She also has a unique mechanic: beast taming. Any beast she fights in the world can be tamed and used as a companion, retaining its mods in battle.

Her abilities include:

• Whirling Slash – Creates a whirlwind that blinds enemies; leaving the whirlwind causes it to explode.

• Elemental Tornadoes – Throws spears that summon bouncing tornadoes, which can adopt elemental effects from the ground.

• Parry & Counter – Uses a buckler to deflect attacks, stunning enemies and gaining frenzy charges.

By the endgame, the Huntress will be a whirlwind of powerful spears, spirit animals, and celestial attacks.

New Ascendancies – Expanded Specialization

Alongside the Huntress, four additional ascendancies are coming to existing classes:

• Ritualist (Huntress) – Focuses on plagues, animal sacrifices, and corrupting enemies.

• Amazon (Huntress) – Enhances spear skills and critical damage while synergizing with elemental damage.

• Smith of Kitava (Warrior) – Blacksmithing-based abilities allow on-the-fly gear enhancement and unique armor modification.

• Tactician (Mercenary) – Buffs co-op allies and deploys tactical battlefield control.

• Lich (Witch) – Chaos-based specialization with an exclusive phylactery slot for overpowered jewels.

New Skills, Support Gems, and Uniques

The update introduces over 20 Huntress-exclusive skills and two global skills:

• Raise Spectre – Capture and summon souls of slain monsters.

• Summon Rhoa – Calls a combat companion that can also be mounted for enhanced mobility.

More than 100 new support gems are being introduced, including:

• Caltrops – Spear throws leave damaging traps.

• Enormity – Larger minions with higher health and damage.

• Syzygy – Slam skills deal bonus damage to ignited or broken-armor enemies.

New unique items include:

• Chernobog’s Pillar (Shield) – Converts block chance into fire damage.

• The Coming Calamity (Armor) – Grants all three Herald skills for free but removes nearby enemy resistances.

• Waistgate (Belt) – Allows two life or mana flasks instead of one.

Endgame Overhaul – Respawns, Towers, and Wisps

GGG aims to smooth out progression and add new endgame mechanics. Key changes include:

• Respawning in Maps – Players can now re-enter maps after death, with a default of six attempts. Higher-tier waystones lower this count.

• Towers Reworked – The number of towers has been reduced by two-thirds, but each is now far more powerful and provides deeper map customization.

• Azmerian Wisps – A new event type where wisps flee across the map, empowering monsters before possessing a rare enemy. Defeating it grants rewards based on the number of monsters affected.

Conclusion

With Dawn of the Hunt, Path of Exile 2 is set to receive its biggest update yet, bringing a wealth of new build possibilities, quality-of-life improvements, and fresh endgame challenges. Whether you're excited to tame beasts with the Huntress, refine your endgame mapping, or test out over 100 new support gems, this update is shaping up to be a game-changer.

Are you ready for the hunt?