PoE 2 0.3.0 New Ascendancy (Class) Release Date and Skill Leaks

The new discovery has sparked speculation about new characters in Path of Exile 2, especially as the season approaches. Today, we’ll talk about everything we know about the new PoE 2 Ascendancy, character class, and more leaks for the 0.3.0 content update.

Updated on August 20, 2025

About the Path of Exile 2 Version 0.3, which is known as The Third Edict, more and more leaks are updated here about the new class, acts, support gems, mechanics, and more. 

New Acts and Campaign Expansion

One of the most exciting PoE 2 0.3 leaks suggests that the patch will introduce Act 4, continuing the story after Act 3 but with a fresh twist — instead of a linear path, players will explore a non-linear island chain. This expansion includes 8 unique islands, each with distinctive themes such as cursed, volcanic, and tribal settings. Altogether, Act 4 adds 16 new zones, over 100 new monsters, and 12 new bosses, dramatically expanding the campaign's depth and variety. In addition to Act 4, the patch replaces the traditional replay of the campaign's Cruel difficulty with a new system called Interludes. These are 3 mini-acts designed to bridge the gap between the campaign and the endgame. Each mini-act contains 6 to 7 zones and 4 bosses, resulting in a combined total of about 35 zones and 24 bosses when factoring in Act 4. While the Interludes feature temporary storylines, their zones and bosses stay permanently in the endgame content. 

Sprint Mechanic

One of the most anticipated quality-of-life improvements is the addition of a Sprint mechanic. After performing a dodge roll, players can hold the dodge roll button to enter a continuous sprint, which grants a significant and unlimited boost to movement speed. This will make exploring the world much faster and allow for tactical retreats when battles get too dangerous. However, sprinting comes with risk — if a player is hit while sprinting, their character will be knocked down, creating a meaningful trade-off between speed and safety. 

Support Gems Overhaul

The support gem system is undergoing a significant rework to encourage more diverse and flexible builds. Players will be able to use multiple copies of the same support gem across different skills, though not stacking the same gem on a single skill multiple times.  Alongside this, new high-rank support gem effects are coming, adding unique features such as Double Barrel’s auto-reload and Rapid Casting’s multi-spell buff. These additions expand build possibilities and introduce fresh strategic layers to skill customization.

Lineage Support Gems

A groundbreaking addition to the endgame skill system is the introduction of around 40 unique “Lineage” support gems. These gems are designed to drop exclusively from endgame bosses and loot pools, making them highly sought-after. Lineage support gems offer radical and novel mechanics that can dramatically change how skills work. For example, one such gem named Ratha’s Assault allows automatic reloading on dodge, fires more projectiles, and introduces a unique reload method. 

New Class and Ascendancy

Contrary to some community hopes, the PoE2 0.3 patch will not include any new classes; specifically, the often-anticipated Druid class is not ready yet and has seen no recent developer teasing. Instead, the patch focuses on enhancing existing classes with new skills, balance tweaks, and mechanics. However, there are ascendancy updates for certain classes: the Blood Mage ascendancy now starts with Sangomancy free from the beginning, and the Infernalist ascendancy’s Demon Form retains weapon stats, improving their power and playstyle. 

Abyss and Endgame Content

While not fully confirmed, leaks strongly suggest the Abyss mechanic will be part of the 0.3 patch or closely tied to league content. This includes the introduction of a new pinnacle boss called Kulamach, rumored to be a powerful underworld entity likely appearing after the Arbiter fight. The Abyss system might blend with existing content like Delve, possibly incorporating crafting elements inspired by Delve’s fossils and resonators, which would add new depth and determinism to crafting. 

Crafting and Quality of Life Improvements

Crafting remains a key area of concern for players, and the patch hints at improvements to make crafting more accessible and less RNG-dependent, especially at early and mid-level tiers. These changes may integrate aspects from Delve’s fossil crafting system, offering players more control and meaningful choices in item customization. Additionally, the patch addresses movement speed penalties related to armor and shields, aiming to make builds feel smoother and less sluggish in combat.

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New Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2 0.3.0 - PoE 2 Monk Third Ascendancy Release Date

Based on the recent information, three short voice lines were found from the data folder of Path of Exile 2, which can be triggered when a Monk dies. The last line is new to most players, and it strongly hints that Martial Artist is the official name of the Monk’s third Ascendancy. The Monk class already has two Ascendancies: Invoker and Acolyte of Chayula. The new PoE 2 Monk Ascendancy is expected to release with the next patch and season (0.3.0) on August 29, 2025. Gamescom 2025 will host a live boss-rush demo one week before 0.3.0 releases, and GGG often lets players try new Ascendancies there first.

Expect Martial Artists to focus on unarmed or fist-based melee combat. Leaked skill names like “Palm Strike” and “Flame Fist” hint at big burst damage after you chain quick hits. Players speculate that it may introduce a unique resource system allowing for high-damage finishing moves after successfully executing combos. Unlike the existing Quarterstaff route, the Martial Artist will prioritize close-quarters combat, potentially featuring fire-themed attacks such as Flame Surge. GGG has said claw gems will mostly work while unarmed, so Martial Artist may simply borrow claw tags and swap the animation to a punch or kick. Players remember the old Hollow Palm Technique from PoE1. A similar keystone could appear here, letting Martial Artists scale with Dexterity or flat physical damage.

PoE 2 0.3.0 New Class: Druid

While the Shadow class also appeared in Path of Exile 2 teaser images, most content creators and data miners are betting on the Druid class to make its debut first. Two years ago, GGG showcased a detailed ten-minute presentation of the Druid's abilities, including bear transformation, wolf summons, and tornado skills. GGG rarely displays incomplete classes, suggesting the Druid is ready for release. In the current passive skill tree, there are already placeholders next to the Primal weapon nodes (Staff, Claw, Flail), leading directly to where the Druid’s starting position is likely to be. The internal codename for the 0.3.0 update, Verdant Wilds, aligns perfectly with the Druid's nature-based theme, further solidifying expectations.

The Druid is expected to utilize the Staff weapon model already in the game, with transformations into a bear (for melee tanking), a wolf (for summoning), and a storm form (for spellcasting). Players will likely get a chance to play the Druid at Gamescom, with its official launch following alongside the new season and 0.3 patch.

Other PoE 2 Ascendancy Leaks & Expectations

• Sorceress – Pyromancer

Currently, the Sorceress has two Ascendancies: Chronomancer and Stormweaver. However, there is a noticeable absence of a fire-based option. Recent leaks suggest the inclusion of a Pyromancer Ascendancy, with data showing keywords like "Flame Surge" and "Immolate." This addition is highly anticipated to fill the gap in fire skills, potentially arriving in either the 0.3.0 or 0.3.5 updates.

• Warrior – Marauder

The community is also calling for a new Warrior Ascendancy, the Marauder, as the current options (Titan, Warbringer, and Smith of Kitava) do not include a dual-wielding berserker type. Data files hint at the Berserker class with references to dual-wielding axes/swords. It is likely that the Marauder will debut in the 0.4.0 update or possibly in a major expansion by the end of the year.

• Mercenary – Commander

Following the implementation of the Tactician as the third Ascendancy for Mercenaries in version 0.2.0, players have discovered hints about a potential Commander Ascendancy. With skill descriptions involving "battle banners" and "rallying cries," this support-oriented class could be on the horizon for the 0.3.5 update.