2026 is a massive year for Path of Exile 2. With ExileCon 2026 announced and the game’s full 1.0 release rumored for December, Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is set to add the remaining missing classes to the early access roster. The community is buzzing about which class will drop first after the Druid class—and all signs point to a clear frontrunner, with several other fan-favorites close behind. This guide talk about the most possible PoE 2 next new class and its release date, other potential additions, their core mechanics, weapons, ascendancies, and the big game updates that will launch alongside them. 

PoE 2 Next New Class Release Date 2026

One of the biggest questions in the Path of Exile 2 community right now is: When will the next new class launch? There’s no official confirmation from GGG yet, but we can piece together a likely timeline using community leaks, Reddit discussions, GGG’s past update patterns, and even unconfirmed interview claims. If you ask the community what class they want most, the answer is almost always the Duelist. Leaks, player demand, and GGG’s recent mechanical tweaks all indicate that the Duelist is the top candidate for the Path of Exile 2 new class release. This melee-focused class is tied to swords and fixes one of the game’s biggest current flaws: underdeveloped melee defense and passive tree synergy. 

Swords are the most popular weapon missing from PoE 2, and the Duelist is their dedicated class. In addition, GGG has been improving the Parry mechanic in every patch since the Huntress release—and Parry is a core Duelist ability. Parry lets players block enemy attacks and counter with powerful melee strikes, a mechanic that has no true home in PoE 2 right now. The Duelist will finally give Parry a purpose, and GGG’s ongoing tweaks prove they’re prepping the game for this class. Right now, the Mercenary and Warrior passive tree sections are dead. Armor is too weak, hybrid Armor/Evasion (EV) builds don’t work, and pure life builds lack scaling. The Duelist forces GGG to rework the bottom of the passive tree to make life + EV and Armor/EV hybrids viable—something the community has begged for since Early Access launched. 

So when will the next PoE 2 class be released? In past interviews, GGG’s Jonathan Rogers mentioned that ideal PoE 2 seasons last around 4 months, with major updates coming every few months. The Druid—PoE 2’s last new class—took longer to release because of its complex shapeshifting animations and new mechanics. Unlike that, Duelist is a classic PoE 1 class with no ground-up design needed, it will likely have shorter development times and is perfect for fitting into the 2026 roadmap before the full 1.0 release. GGG also noted that they want to add new classes before 1.0, but they won’t rush them if it means sacrificing quality. A recent community post claimed that GGG mentioned in an interview that the 0.5 patch would include two big additions: the Duelist (and swords) and Act 5. However, this claim has not been confirmed—and most community members doubt it’s true. August 2026 is the most widely accepted release date for the Duelist. GGG’s 4-month update cycle suggests the 0.6 patch will launch in August 2026, right after the 0.5 endgame revamp. The Duelist is the simplest new class to develop, and GGG will have 4 months after 0.5 to finish it. 

PoE 2 Duelist Weapon: Swords

Swords are the Duelist’s signature weapon, and they’ll come in three classic PoE variants for PoE 2: one-handed swords, two-handed swords, and sword-and-shield combinations. Each variant ties to a different Duelist playstyle:

• One-handed swords: Fast attacks, high Evasion, and perfect for Parry/counter builds. They’ll pair with Daggers or off-hand items for dual-wielding synergy.

• Two-handed swords: Slow, heavy hits with high Strength scaling, ideal for brute-force melee builds that focus on critical strikes and area damage (AoE).

• Sword-and-shield: The Duelist’s tanky option, combining sword damage with shield block and Parry for unbeatable defense—this build will fix PoE 2’s current lack of viable melee tanks.

Swords will not be exclusive to the Duelist, but they’ll have unique passive tree nodes and skills that only the Duelist can access, making them the best class for sword builds.

PoE 2 Duelist Ascendancy Classes

In Path of Exile, Ascendancy Classes are subclasses that unlock unique abilities and passive trees for each main class—and the Duelist will have three, all tailored to its sword and melee focus. Based on PoE 1 Duelist and PoE 2 current design trends, these are the three Ascendancies we expect for the PoE 2 Duelist:

• Berserker: The glass cannon melee Ascendancy. Berserker Duelists trade defense for raw damage and attack speed—they’ll get bonuses for taking damage (e.g., “Attack Speed +20% when below 50% Life”) and sword critical strike chance. This build will be perfect for two-handed sword AoE and one-shot potential.

• Gladiator: The Parry and Evasion specialist. Gladiators focus on sword-and-shield or one-handed sword builds, with unique Parry upgrades (e.g., “Parry refunds 10 Mana and triggers a counter attack”) and Evasion scaling. This Ascendancy will be the face of PoE 2’s fixed melee defense, making Armor/EV hybrids viable for the first time.

• Champion: The tanky support melee Ascendancy. Champions buff themselves and allies with sword attacks—they’ll get “aura-like” effects for nearby party members (e.g., “Allies gain +10% Physical Damage when you hit an enemy with a sword”) and high life/Armor scaling. This build is perfect for group play and endgame boss fights.

All three Ascendancies will unlock at the end of PoE 2’s Trials of Ascendancy (with the third Trial—rumored to be the Trial of the Ancestors—launching in 0.5 to prep for the Duelist).

PoE 2 Updates Launching With the Duelist

The Duelist won’t drop alone—it’ll be paired with major 0.6 patch updates that tie into its design and PoE 2 2026 roadmap:

• Passive Tree Rework: The bottom of the passive tree (Mercenary/Warrior sections) will get a full revamp to add life + EV and Armor/EV hybrid nodes, making melee defense viable for all classes, not just the Duelist.

• Sword Itemization: GGG will add hundreds of new sword unique items and rare affixes (e.g., “Parry Chance +10% on Sword Hit”) to make sword builds diverse and endgame-worthy.

• Melee Balance Tweaks: All PoE 2 melee skills (e.g., Slash, Bash) will get damage and defense buffs to align with the Duelist’s launch—this will make the Warrior and Mercenary more playable too.

• Act 5 Teasers: The 0.6 patch will likely add small teases for Act 5 (one of PoE 2’s missing final acts), with Duelist-specific quests and lore to build hype for the full 1.0 release.

Other PoE 2 Classes Release Dates Predictions 2026

• Templar (Flails): 0.7 Patch (November 2026) – The Templar is the second-most requested class. Many fans are asking: How long do I have to wait for the Templar? The answer depends on GGG’s development speed, but most community members agree it will be 6-8 months from now (August-November 2026). One Reddit user even claimed the Templar will release on August 24, 2026, but this is likely a guess. A November release makes more sense: GGG could reveal the Templar at ExileCon and launch it shortly after, building hype for the 1.0 release. The Templar will take a bit longer than the Duelist (due to new flail animations), so an 0.7 launch fits perfectly.
  

• Marauder (Axes): 1.0 Full Release (December 2026) – The Marauder is a pure Strength class with simple mechanics (axes and tanky builds), so it could launch alongside PoE 2’s 1.0 release in December 2026. This would coincide with the launch of Acts 5 and 6, making the full release feel more complete. GGG has said they want to add as many classes as possible before 1.0, and the Marauder is a perfect fit for this slot.

• Shadow (Daggers, Traps, Mines): Post-1.0 (Early 2027) – The Shadow is the most complex of the missing classes (it requires new trap/mine mechanics), so it will likely launch after the 1.0 release. Community members agree that the Shadow is always last among hybrid classes, and GGG will need extra time to develop its unique mechanics. Expect the Shadow in early 2027, a few months after PoE 2 goes full release.