ExileCon is Grinding Gear Games’ flagship fan gathering, held every few years in Auckland, New Zealand, the home studio of Path of Exile. The 2026 event lands on November 7–8 at the Aotea Centre, and it carries extra meaning this year, as it marks the 20th anniversary of Grinding Gear Games. Players from all over the world will gather to test unreleased builds, meet developers and content creators, and watch the biggest official announcements for both Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2. Whether you plan to attend in person or follow the livestream online, this guide breaks down the ExileCon 2026 schedule, confirmed reveals for PoE 1 & PoE 2, community expectations and practical details you need to know.
ExileCon 2026 Schedule & On-Site Activities (NZDT)
The event opens with pre-convention arrangements on Friday before the main two-day show.
Friday, November 6: Badge pickup for attendees and the private VIP dinner. This is the earliest chance for ticket holders to collect their passes.
Saturday, November 7: Full day of convention programming, the main keynote, gameplay showcases, developer talks, streamer panels and the Path of Exile 1 race final.
Sunday, November 8: Another full day of panels, replays of popular Saturday sessions, the Path of Exile 2 race final, and an evening party for attendees.
Core Activities Across ExileCon 2026
Live Keynote and Developer Talks: The 2-hour keynote serves as the event highlight. Game directors Jonathan Rogers and Mark Roberts will reveal unannounced updates for both Path of Exile titles. Additional GGG team members host smaller sessions covering game design, engine upgrades, boss design and character art production, catering to long-time PoE fans and players waiting for the full Path of Exile 2 launch.
Exclusive Playable Demos: On-site attendees can test unreleased game content at demo stations, try new mechanics and share direct feedback with GGG developers.
ExileCon Exclusive Card Game: This physical card game is venue-only for attendees. Every participant receives a starting base set of equipment cards. Players battle GGG staff, refine their builds and defeat pinnacle bosses to earn limited event rewards.
Streamer Meet-and-Greets and Streamer Stage Content: Top Path of Exile creators host dedicated in-person meetups. On the streamer stage, they react live to new announcements and demo unreleased builds. Selected streamer stage segments are streamed live for online audiences.
Race Finals: Elite speedrunners compete in separate finals for PoE 1 and PoE 2. GGG will publish qualifier rules before the event. The PoE 1 final runs on Saturday, and the PoE 2 grand final closes Sunday’s main programming.
Local Travel Recommendations: GGG shares nearby New Zealand sightseeing spots for visitors, including Hobbiton Movie Set, Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Weta Workshop, Te Puia and local hiking trails.
ExileCon 2026 Ticket and Viewing Information
All original tickets are sold out. GGG will issue an official announcement if extra stock is released later.
Every ticket must be tied to a name matching the photo ID shown when collecting your badge.
Ticket upgrades are available: you may purchase a standard ticket first and upgrade to VIP if VIP tickets become available.
The entire event is run in English.
Remote fans can watch the official livestream on November 7–8 (NZDT). Some panels and showcases air live, while other recorded content will be uploaded to GGG’s YouTube channel at a later time.
Note for overseas in-person attendees: New Zealand requires online visa applications. Submit your application as early as possible to avoid travel delays.
Saturday Schedule (SAT)
Tracks: MAIN STAGE | STREAMER STAGE | SIGNING DESKS
09:00–09:45: STREAMER STAGE: PRE-SHOW DISCUSSION (ZIGGYD, MATHIL, RAIZQT, DARTHMICROTRANSACTION)
10:00–12:00: MAIN STAGE: KEYNOTE PRESENTATION | STREAMER STAGE: POST-SHOW DISCUSSION (ZIGGYD, MATHIL, RAIZQT, DARTHMICROTRANSACTION)
12:30–13:15: MAIN STAGE: DEVELOPER PANEL: PATH OF EXILE 2 Q&A (MARK "NEON" ROBERTS, JONATHAN ROGERS & ZIGGYD) | SIGNING: MATHIL
13:00: SIGNING: QUIN69
13:15–13:45: MAIN STAGE: PATH OF EXILE 2 GAMEPLAY SHOWCASE (ZIGGYD & JONATHAN ROGERS) | SIGNING: STEELMAGE
13:30: SIGNING: ZIZARAN
13:45–14:30: MAIN STAGE: PATH OF EXILE 2: DEVELOPING NEW CLASSES (KEVIN READEN & JAMES WOODMANSEY) | STREAMER STAGE: PATH OF EXILE 2 GAMEPLAY SHOWCASE (DARTHMICROTRANSACTION & MARK "NEON" ROBERTS) | SIGNING: ZIGGYD
14:00: SIGNING: KRIPPARRIAN
14:45–15:30: MAIN STAGE: CHARMING THE SNAKE: THE RIBBON RIG BEHIND QUEEN ATZIRI (KALIND HUTCHINSON) | STREAMER STAGE: PATH OF EXILE 1 GAMEPLAY SHOWCASE (DATMODZ & OCTAVIAN)
15:15–16:00: STREAMER STAGE: STREAMER ROUNDTABLE: SATURDAY WRAP-UP (GHAZZYTV, DARTHMICROTRANSACTION, DS_LILY, CAPTAINLANCE91)
16:00–17:30: MAIN STAGE: PATH OF EXILE 1 RACE FINALS (Commentators: ZIGGYD, RAIZQT)
17:30–17:35: MAIN STAGE: SATURDAY WRAP-UP — JONATHAN ROGERS
Sunday Schedule (SUN)
Tracks: MAIN STAGE | STREAMER STAGE | SIGNING DESKS
06:45–07:15: MAIN STAGE: REPLAY: PATH OF EXILE 2: DEVELOPING NEW CLASSES (KEVIN READEN & JAMES WOODMANSEY)
07:30–07:45: MAIN STAGE: REPLAY: THE RIBBON RIG BEHIND QUEEN ATZIRI (KALIND HUTCHINSON)
07:45–08:30: STREAMER STAGE: STREAMER ROUNDTABLE: SUNDAY KICK-OFF (GHAZZYTV & DARTHMICROTRANSACTION)
08:30–09:15: MAIN STAGE: DEVELOPER PANEL: PATH OF EXILE 1 Q&A (MARK "NEON" ROBERTS, ANDREW ETTLES, OCTAVIAN & ZIGGYD) | SIGNING: DS_LILY
09:00: SIGNING: NEVERSINK
09:30–10:15: MAIN STAGE: THE ENGINE OF PATH OF EXILE (ALEX SANNIKOV)
10:15–11:00: MAIN STAGE: TWO DECADES OF PATH OF EXILE BOSS DESIGN (MARK "NEON" ROBERTS)
11:30–12:15: MAIN STAGE: GGG FOUNDERS ROUNDTABLE (Moderator: KRIPPARRIAN) | STREAMER STAGE: PATH 2 EXILE PODCAST (TALKATIVETRI, MISOXSHIRU, KALLTORAK, DEADR4BB1T) | SIGNING: DARTHMICROTRANSACTION
12:00: SIGNING: GHAZZYTV
12:30–13:15: MAIN STAGE: MAKING WRAECLAST EPIC (KANE BENNETT) | SIGNING: GGG FOUNDERS
13:30–14:15: STREAMER STAGE: STREAMER ROUNDTABLE: SUNDAY WRAP-UP (ZIZARAN, STEELMAGE, CARN_, NUGYEN)
14:30–16:55: MAIN STAGE: PATH OF EXILE 2 RACE FINALS (Commentators: ZIGGYD, RAIZQT)
16:55–17:05: MAIN STAGE: SUNDAY WRAP-UP — JONATHAN ROGERS
Path of Exile 1 ExileCon 2026 Drops & Announcements
ExileCon 2026 will serve as the main reveal platform for PoE 1’s next major patch, 3.30. This patch is scheduled to launch on November 13, just one week after the convention ends.
Most teasers and full details for 3.30 are expected to premiere during the two-hour keynote. Before ExileCon, GGG has not shared major previews for this update.
A dedicated PoE 1 developer Q&A panel will run on Sunday, separate from the main keynote. This panel lets the community ask direct questions about ongoing support and design direction for the older game.
A PoE 1 gameplay showcase will be streamed online. It runs concurrently with the technical deep dive session *Charming the Snake: The Ribbon Rig Behind Queen Atziri. The published schedule does not state which segment receives broadcast priority.
Community players are watching for clues about PoE 1’s longer-term roadmap. The long-rumoured Patch 4.0 is a hot topic among fans, though no official confirmation exists. The unusually long keynote runtime has made many players suspect GGG may share larger future plans for PoE 1 at the event.
The Saturday PoE 1 race final is the official speedrun championship for qualified runners. While many community members speculate it is an Act 5 speedrun format, this detail is not confirmed on the official schedule.
Path of Exile 2 ExileCon 2 Drops, Announcements & Content
ExileCon 2026 arrives right before PoE 2 moves out of Early Access into its full 1.0 release. This launch will turn the game fully free-to-play, and GGG is expected to run a large advertising push to bring in new players. The full release is set four weeks after ExileCon. Confirmed and widely discussed points for PoE 2 ahead of the show:
New Campaign Acts
Act 5 and Act 6 will arrive with the 1.0 launch. Most community observers expect Act 5 to get clear coverage, while Act 6 may not receive heavy pre-launch teasers.
Confirmed Class: Duelist
The Duelist is officially announced ahead of ExileCon. This class is built around sword combat, with combo-focused attack mechanics that may split player opinion.
Community Speculation: Shadow and Daggers
A recent teaser video has sparked strong community discussion about the Shadow class and daggers. Visuals, voice acting and dark, poison-focused themes have led many players to believe Shadow may join the roster in 1.0, paired with dagger weapons. Daggers are thought to deliver a simpler, core melee playstyle, leaning into poison damage scaling. The quarterstaff is also part of this broader melee conversation, though no final design has been confirmed. This remains community interpretation and not an official announcement.
PoE 2 Focused Panels and Q&A
A PoE 2 developer panel with Jonathan Rogers, Mark "Neon" Roberts and ZiggyD runs after the keynote. There is also a dedicated talk covering the process of designing new classes for PoE 2. Multiple live gameplay showcases will run alongside these talks.
Other PoE 2 Technical and Design Sessions
Sunday’s schedule includes panels on the PoE 2 engine, a session about making Wraeclast feel more epic, and a Path 2 Exile Podcast segment. Replays of the new-class design talk and the Queen Atziri character rigging deep dive are also scheduled for Sunday for viewers who missed the Saturday slots.
PoE 2 Race Final
The PoE 2 speedrun final closes the main competitive programming on Sunday.
ExileCon 2026 sits at a critical crossroads for the franchise. PoE 1 is ready to roll out patch 3.30, while PoE 2 prepares for its big free-to-play launch. The two-hour keynote is the biggest single source of new information, but the full schedule spreads details across developer panels, gameplay demos, races and streamer content. Keep in mind that some points circulating in community discussion, such as Shadow’s addition, are only fan guesswork until GGG confirms them on stage. Whether you follow the livestream or attend the show, the weekend will shape what players can expect from both games in the months ahead.
