In just less than a month, we're going to start promotion for Path of Exile's next big release - currently known as Content Update 3.3.0. While it's too early to reveal the full details of this release, we wanted to answer some general questions about its scope so that you have an idea of what to expect (and when).

Is 3.3.0 an Expansion or League?

After a few years of alternating expansions and leagues, we released two expansions back-to-back in late 2017. Our March release blurred the line between an expansion and a league (with a league alongside a significant Ascendancy revamp, introduction of the Uber Elder fight and new skills). We are pitching 3.3.0 in a similar way. It is branded as a league, but is certainly a large release compared to leagues of the past.

In parallel, we are also working on our next big expansion for release later this year.

What's 3.3.0's League like?

When designing 3.3.0's league, we wanted to reinforce the core of what makes Path of Exile fun to play: killing monsters, gaining experience and earning items in every area you enter. We'll talk more about this league when it's being announced next month. If you enjoyed leagues that involved a lot of monster-killing like Ambush and Breach, you'll certainly enjoy this one.

What else is included in 3.3.0?

Alongside many smaller features you can read about on announcement day, a huge push in 3.3.0 is skill revamps and facilitating new builds. Normally we'd keep this balance information quiet until announcement day, but I have been encouraging the team to write news posts that explain the changes so that you can give us feedback and begin to think about new builds. In addition to the revamps, there are also a bunch of new Trap skills that go hand-in-hand with balance changes to make Trappers a lot more powerful this league. You can read some early information about 3.3.0 skill revamps posted by the team here and here.

It's our belief that every Path of Exile release needs a really compelling and rewarding league, alongside enough skill and metagame changes to have many exciting builds for you to look forward to experiencing that content with.

What's the timeline for 3.3.0? When should I book time off work?

We currently expect to release 3.3.0 on Friday June 1. The Xbox One version will be released after that weekend, as close as possible to the PC version. While we're pretty confident in this date (because 3.3.0's league and many of the balance changes are already in the gameplay iteration phase), it could still change if something unexpected occurs. We'll announce the final firm date in approximately a month.

Are you running an Alpha test for 3.3.0?

Yes, we will be, after the contents are announced next month. Please don't apply for Alpha access based on reading this - it doesn't work like that.

What's happening with Supporter Packs? When are the War for the Atlas ones going away?

3.3.0 has its own set of league supporter packs. When these are released, the Bestiary ones will go off sale (we'll give you notice before this occurs, of course). The War for the Atlas packs will remain on sale until the next big expansion, which will also be announced in advance so you can plan your purchases appropriately.

Are you still making improvements to Bestiary?

Yes, alongside developing 3.3.0, we're working on addressing feedback and fixing issues in the Bestiary League. An example is solving the issue where Red/Yellow beasts can be shattered or have their corpses destroyed, preventing Necromancy Nets from working on them.

Is there going to be some type of race event before 3.2.0 ends?

Yes, we're planning a big Flashback event from early to late May, on both PC and Xbox One. We'll post more information as we approach it! This doesn't rule out the possibility of community or invitational races, which we're also trying to make happen.