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Path of Exile Update 3.20: Echoes of the Atlas

On December 9th, Grinding Gear Games released the eagerly anticipated update 3.20 for Path of Exile, titled "Echoes of the Atlas." This major update introduces a host of new features, improvements, and content to the game, including:

Atlas Passive Skill Tree: Players can now customize their Atlas strategies by allocating passive skills that grant various bonuses.
Sentinel League: This new league introduces Sentinels, ancient machines that can be modified to alter gameplay and empower loot.
Uber Eater of Worlds: A formidable new end-game boss awaits players who have mastered the Eater of Worlds encounter.
Harvest Changes: The Harvest mechanic has been reworked to provide more consistent rewards and better integration with the Atlas passive tree.
Performance Improvements: Significant optimizations have been made to improve the game’s performance, especially on lower-end hardware.

Path of Exile 2 Development Update

Grinding Gear Games has also provided an update on the development of Path of Exile 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the original game. According to the developers, Path of Exile 2 is nearing its closed beta testing phase, with the goal of releasing the game in 2023.

The closed beta will provide players with an opportunity to experience new features such as the revamped skill system, redesigned classes, and improved itemization. Players can sign up for the closed beta on the official Path of Exile website.

Other News and Announcements

Grinding Gear Games has announced that they will be attending Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany. The team will be available to meet with fans, showcase Path of Exile 2, and provide live gameplay demonstrations.
The Path of Exile community voted on the next Mystery Boxes for the game. The winning themes are "Forbidden Sanctum" and "Uncharted Realms." These Mystery Boxes are expected to be released in the coming months.
Grinding Gear Games has partnered with the charity organization Humble Bundle to raise funds for climate change relief. Players can purchase a special Humble Bundle containing Path of Exile-themed items, with proceeds going towards climate-related causes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: When will Path of Exile 2 be released?
A: Path of Exile 2 is expected to be released in 2023.

Q: How can I sign up for the closed beta of Path of Exile 2?
A: Players can sign up for the closed beta on the official Path of Exile website.

Q: What are the new features in Path of Exile update 3.20?
A: Update 3.20 introduces the Atlas Passive Skill Tree, Sentinel League, Uber Eater of Worlds, Harvest changes, and performance improvements.

Q: Will Grinding Gear Games attend Gamescom 2023?
A: Yes, Grinding Gear Games will be attending Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany.

Q: How can I support charity through Path of Exile?
A: Players can purchase a special Humble Bundle containing Path of Exile-themed items, with proceeds going towards climate change relief.

Conclusion

Grinding Gear Games continues to support and improve Path of Exile with regular updates and content releases. The latest update, Echoes of the Atlas, has brought significant changes and improvements to the game. Additionally, the ongoing development of Path of Exile 2 promises an exciting future for the franchise.

Path of Exile Updates Today

New league announced: The Sentinel League, a time manipulation-themed league, will launch on May 13th.
Major balance changes: Numerous skills, items, and mechanics have been rebalanced, including a rework of the passive skill tree.
New Atlas passive tree: The Atlas of Worlds now has a passive skill tree that allows players to customize their endgame experience.
New Atlas endgame: The Uber Eater of Worlds boss fight has been added as a new endgame challenge.
New unique items: Over 100 new unique items have been added to the game, including several chase items.
Other improvements: Performance optimizations, bug fixes, and quality-of-life improvements have been implemented.

Path of Exile 3.20 Skills Review

Path of Exile’s 3.20 update brings major changes and reworks to several skills. Here’s a summary of the key changes:

Lightning Conduit: Now benefits from sources of lightning damage instead of physical damage.
Ethereal Knives: No longer requires corpses to cast, making it more versatile.
Divine Ire: Now gains charges when enemies are hit with lightning damage, allowing for more frequent casting.
Bladefall: Now deals damage in an area around the target, making it more effective against groups.
Seismic Trap: Now has a larger area of effect and deals increased area damage.
Poisonous Concoction: Now has a stronger initial hit and deals increased chaos damage over time.
Boneshatter: Now has a minimum base damage, making it more reliable early on.

These changes aim to improve the performance and provide more options for players. Experimenting with these reworked skills can enhance the gameplay experience in Path of Exile 3.20.

Path of Exile 3.20 Builds Guide

Path of Exile 3.20 introduces new skills, items, and balance changes that shake up the meta. This guide provides insights on the most effective builds to dominate end-game content.

Top Builds:

Seismic Trap Saboteur: Grants critical strikes and massive explosions with every Seismic Trap.
Spectral Helix Raider: Offers incredible movement speed and hit-and-run tactics.
Lightning Strike Berserker: Relies on massive single target attacks with high endurance charges.
Ice Trap Saboteur: Stuns and freezes enemies, dealing substantial cold damage.
Spectral Helix Champion: Focuses on block and life regeneration, making it a tanky option.

New Skills:

Flamewall: Creates a wall of fire that damages enemies.
Onslaught Support: Grants an attack and movement speed buff.
Scourge Arrow: Fires multiple projectiles that deal physical damage and leave spikes on the ground.

Item Changes:

Replica Maloney’s Mechanism: Provides berserk charges and increases physical damage.
Replica Abyssus: Grants increased physical damage but reduces maximum life.
Moonbender’s Wing: Improves Seismic Trap damage and creates lightning vortexes.

Balance Changes:

Increased Life%: Most classes have received increased maximum life.
Trap Mechanics Rework: Traps are now more reliable and easier to use.
Increased Attack Speed: Various attack skills have seen a boost in attack speed.

Path of Exile 3.20 Meta

Dominance of Ranged Builds: Ranged builds, such as Bow and Wand builds, have emerged as the strongest options for league start and endgame content.
Rise of Elemental Damage Types: Lightning and Fire damage types have become highly effective, while Physical and Cold damage types have been less popular.
Increased Focus on Defensive Layers: With the addition of new enemy modifiers, defensive layers like armor, energy shield, and spell suppression have become essential for surviving endgame content.
Buff to Unique Items: Many unique items have been buffed, making them more viable options for builds. The new Forbidden Shako helmet and Ashes of the Stars amulet have become particularly popular.
Popularity of Energy Shield builds: Energy Shield builds, especially those using the new Ghost Dance skill, have gained popularity due to their ability to mitigate physical damage and recover health from energy shield.
Emergence of Uber Bosses: Two new optional bosses have been introduced: Uber Shaper and Uber Eater of Worlds. Defeating these bosses grants exclusive rewards, making them a popular challenge for end-game players.

Path of Exile: Best Ascendancies for 3.20

1. Scion

Versatile with access to multiple Ascendancy trees
Strong defensive and utility options
Good for mid- to late-game scaling

2. Elementalist

Powerful elemental damage bonuses
Good crowd control with Ignite and Golem effects
Suitable for various spellcasting and attack builds

3. Necromancer

Summons a high number of minions
Provides buffs and survivability for minion builds
Excellent for mapping and boss encounters

4. Inquisitor

High elemental damage potential
Grants accuracy and critical strike chance
Suitable for both spell and attack builds

5. Assassin

High critical strike multiplier
Provides poison and chaos damage bonuses
Good for bossing and PvP

6. Berserker

High physical damage bonuses
Grants frenzy charges and attack speed
Suitable for melee and attack builds

7. Chieftain

Focuses on fire damage and increased totem damage
Provides survivability for totem builds
Good for mapping and tanking

8. Trickster

Evasion-based defense and high dodge chance
Grants energy shield and movement speed
Suitable for spellcasting and evasion-based builds

Path of Exile 3.20 New Items

Harvest Unique Items: Over 20 unique items craftable using the Harvest mechanic.
Cluster Jewel Rework: Reworked notables and added new base jewel types.
New Oils: Added new oils that can be used in Anointments.
Transcend Unique Items: A set of new unique items with powerful base modifiers.
Relic Unique Items: Unique items that can be equipped in the new Relic slot for additional benefits.
Synthetic Unique Items: Unique items that can be created by combining multiple other unique items.
Modified Currency Items: Adjustments to the stats and drop rates of existing currency items.
New Rune Artifacts: A set of new artifacts that provide special abilities when socketed into the amulet.
Improved Divine Font: The Divine Font system has been revamped with additional rewards and ways to earn more Font Favour.

Path of Exile 3.20 Crafting Guide

In Path of Exile 3.20, crafting has undergone significant changes. This guide provides an overview of these updates and offers tips on how to craft efficiently:

New Currency Items: Divine Orbs, which randomize item affixes, have been replaced by Orb of Scouring and Divine Orb. Scouring orbs remove all modifiers from an item, while Divine orbs now function similarly to the original Divine Orbs.
Reworked Crafting Bench: The crafting bench now includes new options, such as the ability to add prefixes or suffixes, remove modifiers, and manipulate item quality.
Influenced Items: Influences, which previously granted special modifiers to items, have been reworked. Each influence now grants a unique pool of modifiers that can be crafted onto items.
Catalyst Crafting: Catalysts can now be used to enhance the quality of item modifiers. Higher-quality modifiers provide greater bonuses.

Tips for Efficient Crafting:

Optimize Gear for Your Build: Craft items that complement your character’s skills and playstyle.
Use Multiple Crafting Methods: Combine different crafting techniques to create powerful items.
Experiment with Different Bases: The type of item base can significantly impact the available modifiers.
Craft in Bulk: Purchase multiple copies of items to experiment with crafting without wasting currency.
Seek Advice from the Community: Engage with players on forums and Discord servers to share crafting knowledge and learn from others.

Path of Exile 3.20 Leveling Guide

The Path of Exile 3.20 leveling guide provides strategies and tips for efficiently progressing through the game’s early levels. Here’s a summary:

Act 1: Focus on quests and following the main storyline, as it provides significant experience.
Act 2: Prioritize killing monsters in the Forest Encampment and Docks areas for fast leveling.
Act 3: Complete the Chamber of Sinner’s Truth dungeon and the Fellshrine Ruins to level quickly.
Act 4: Run the Crypt and City of Sarn areas to gain more experience and prepare for Act 5.
Act 5: Unlock the Blood Aqueduct dungeon and farm it repeatedly for efficient leveling.
Ascendancy: Choose your character’s Ascendancy class at level 35 for specialized bonuses and skills.
Gemming: Prioritize leveling gems that complement your character’s skills and playstyle.
Trading: Utilize the Trade Board to sell unwanted items and acquire necessary gear and gems.
Partying: Team up with other players for faster leveling and increased efficiency.