Grab your flask of choice, Exile—it’s time to talk POE2 Currency. We’ve officially entered teaser season for patch 0.3.0, and Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is kicking things off in a slightly different fashion this time around. Whether you’re a long-time ARPG veteran or someone watching POE2’s development from the sidelines, there’s a lot to unpack: story hints, scheduling changes, the return of the iconic developer livestream, and what the ominously titled “Third Edict” might mean for the game’s unfolding narrative.

This latest update feels like a turning point, not only because it’s likely to deliver Act Four of the campaign, but also because it sets the stage for how GGG might handle the transition toward Path of Exile 2’s eventual full release.

A Late Start to Teaser Season

Normally by this point in a Path of Exile teaser season, we’d have already seen several small reveals—concept art, skill showcases, or bite-sized lore tidbits designed to feed speculation in the community. Instead, 0.3.0’s teaser season is starting relatively late. This has left fans speculating about why the drip-feed began so close to the announcement of the main event.

The likely explanation? GGG has shuffled its schedule. And indeed, we now know that this time the livestream reveal is coming earlier than expected. This shift is subtle, but it’s enough to affect how both players and content creators prepare for the announcement.

The Big Date: August 20th (or 21st, Depending on Your Hemisphere)

The most concrete news so far is that the official Path of Exile 2 0.3.0 reveal stream will happen on August 20, 2025 for players in North America and similar time zones. In Australia, it’ll air on the morning of the 21st. In Europe, expect something close to midnight on the 20th.

This is a notable change from the usual cadence. GGG traditionally hosts these events on a Friday (NZT), but this one is happening a day earlier in the week. That means if you usually catch the stream after work on a Thursday, you’ll now be tuning in on Wednesday night instead.

Importantly, the livestream will happen just nine days before the start of the next league, setting up a tight turnaround from reveal to launch. That compressed window can often mean one thing: the hype will carry straight into the new content without much downtime for speculation fatigue.

What’s in the Reveal?

As always, the main livestream will be anchored by GGG’s leadership, including game director Jonathan Rogers, walking players through the headline features of patch 0.3.0. Expect:

A breakdown of the new chapter in the campaign.

Gameplay demonstrations.

New systems or features (if any are ready to show).

A Q&A segment hosted by content creator ZiggyD, who will be interviewing Jonathan Rogers and Mark Roberts.

This Q&A portion has become a valuable staple of Path of Exile reveal events. It’s where we often see clarification on systems, philosophy behind changes, and occasionally even slip-ups that reveal things not yet in the patch notes.

The Teaser Trailer: “The Third Edict”

Alongside the announcement, GGG dropped a 30-second teaser trailer. It’s brief, but it carries heavy narrative weight for anyone following Path of Exile 2’s story.

The voiceover delivers the line:

“This weapon is our only chance to save humanity.”

For those who’ve played through Act Three and paid attention to the lore, this strongly suggests that 0.3.0 will continue the storyline directly into Act Four. This matches earlier hints from GGG that Act Four would arrive “sooner than you think.”

The title “The Third Edict” seems to point to a major plot directive within the game’s universe—something akin to a binding magical law or sacred decree. In the teaser’s context, invoking the Third Edict feels like an act of desperation, perhaps a last-ditch measure to turn the tide against an existential threat.

Act Four Is (Almost Certainly) Coming

While the teaser doesn’t explicitly say “Act Four is here,” the clues line up almost too neatly. The continuation of Act Three’s storyline, the introduction of a major new objective tied to the “Third Edict,” and GGG’s prior statements all converge on this being the next chapter of the campaign.

That said, don’t expect more than that—there’s no indication that Acts Five or Six are part of this release. The logical progression is Acts One through Four, with Act Four serving as the most recent content for testing and iteration.

From a development standpoint, focusing the player base on the newest act makes sense. It allows GGG to identify and fix bugs, fine-tune balance (both in terms of enemy difficulty and player progression), and adjust pacing before committing to the rest of the story rollout.

No New Class—Yet

One thing the teaser notably doesn’t do is hint at a new playable class. There’s no sign of a “Druid expansion” or “Duelist expansion” here. That absence could mean a few things:

This isn’t a class-focused patch — The emphasis is on story and campaign progression.

GGG is saving that announcement — It’s possible a new class will be teased closer to launch or in a separate trailer.

POE2 is pacing itself — New classes are big-ticket features that deserve their own hype cycle.

If we had to bet, the safe money is on option one: 0.3.0 is about the Third Edict and Act Four, with no major new class reveal until a later patch.

The Development Timeline and Full Release

So when will POE2 fully release? While GGG hasn’t pinned down a public date, most realistic estimates put it in 2026. That gives the studio enough time to:

Release Acts Five through Seven.

Finalize endgame systems.

Ensure league mechanics integrate smoothly into POE2’s core loop.

Polish performance and visual stability.

Between now and then, expect more of these incremental patches that push the campaign forward while iterating on mechanics introduced in earlier builds.

Why Act Four Matters

In any ARPG, mid-campaign acts are critical for pacing. In Path of Exile 2’s case, Act Four could serve as a thematic and mechanical pivot. The stakes are higher, the enemies deadlier, and the story more urgent. This is often where developers introduce new enemy factions, narrative twists, and mechanical curveballs that keep long-term players engaged.

Given POE2’s ambitions to tell a more coherent, cinematic story compared to POE1, Act Four could also be a showcase for how far the studio has come in integrating narrative and gameplay.

What We Can Expect in Patch 0.3.0

While the specifics remain under wraps until the livestream, historical patterns suggest a few likely additions:

New Boss Encounters — GGG loves big, cinematic boss fights for major acts.

Skill and Support Gem Additions — Even if not tied to a new class, we may see fresh build options.

Gear and Crafting Updates — Act milestones often coincide with new item bases or crafting opportunities.

Quality-of-Life Improvements — As POE2 moves toward full release, expect tweaks that smooth out progression, UI clarity, and accessibility.

And, of course, plenty of small but impactful balance changes. GGG has always used league patches as opportunities to refine damage numbers, adjust monster health pools, and rework underused skills.

The Hype Cycle Begins

Teaser season is, at its heart, about building momentum. The earlier start to the livestream relative to league launch means the hype will stay concentrated. Players will have just over a week to dissect trailers, discuss balance predictions, and speculate wildly before they’re hands-on with the patch.

For content creators, this is a particularly exciting time. ZiggyD’s post-livestream interview will almost certainly generate follow-up videos and theorycraft discussions that fuel the community’s anticipation.

Final Thoughts

Path of Exile 2’s patch 0.3.0 is shaping up to be more than just another step forward—it’s the first major story expansion since the public test builds began. The “Third Edict” title suggests a turning point in the campaign, and all signs point toward the arrival of Act Four.

While there’s no confirmation of new classes or radical gameplay changes, the combination of a new act, a tightly timed reveal-to-launch window, and the ongoing refinement of core systems means this could be the most important update yet for Path of Exile 2 Currency.

We’re still a year or more away from full release, but 0.3.0 feels like a milestone—one that will set the tone for the home stretch of development. Whether you’re in it for the lore, the loot, or the sheer thrill of discovering new ways to obliterate your enemies, the next chapter is nearly here.

So mark your calendars, stock up your stash tabs, and get ready to invoke the Third Edict. Humanity’s fate might just depend on it.