Path of Exile 3.29 — New League Release Date and What to Expect
Path of Exile 3.29 Release Date
Path of Exile 3.29 launches officially on July 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM PDT (8:00 PM UTC). For Polish players, that is July 24 at 22:00 CEST.
Current 3.28 Mirage league ends on July 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT — giving a four-day gap before 3.29. GGG will host a special event during this gap (details to be revealed at GGG Live on July 16).
Timeline
- July 16, 1 PM PDT — GGG Live full 3.29 reveal
- July 20, 3 PM PDT — Mirage (3.28) league ends
- July 20—24 — Special transition event
- July 24, 1 PM PDT — 3.29 league launch
- ~November 2026 — 3.29 expected end date (standard four-month cycle)
What We Know About 3.29 So Far
GGG has not revealed the 3.29 league mechanic yet — the full reveal happens on July 16 at GGG Live. However, based on the release pattern and community speculation, here is what to expect:
- New challenge league mechanic (revealed July 16)
- Balance pass affecting meta builds across all classes
- New unique items and skills
- Atlas of Worlds updates
- Standard four-month league cycle (July—November)
The release date has been locked internally for some time, indicating GGG is confident in the schedule with no delays expected. Mark July 16 on your calendar — your league starter decision should wait until after the full reveal and patch notes drop.
What to Do Before 3.29 Launches
If you are still playing Mirage (3.28):
- Finish any remaining Mirage challenges before July 20 — rewards are lost after league ends
- Your Mirage characters and gear transfer to Standard League on July 20
- Stock up on PoE currency in Standard for long-term builds
Preparing for 3.29:
- Watch the GGG Live reveal on July 16 to plan your league starter
- Most meta builds get rebalanced each league — wait for patch notes before committing
- Budget league starters typically outperform expensive builds in the first week
Need currency ready for day one? Stocking up on PoE currency before launch lets you buy key upgrades on the trade site while prices are still settling — rank1gear.com lists common league-start currencies if you prefer not to wait for your first maps.
Best League Starter Archetypes (Historical)
While the exact 3.29 meta is unknown until reveal, these archetypes have consistently performed well at league start across multiple PoE1 seasons:
- Righteous Fire Juggernaut: tanky, forgiving, great for progression through maps and early bosses
- Lightning Arrow Deadeye: fast mapper, excellent for generating currency in the first week
- Detonate Dead Occultist: explosive damage, excellent boss killer once corpses are available
- Minion builds: typically stable after patches — skeletons and SRS rarely get gutted
Do not commit to a specific build until patch notes land. These are archetypes, not guarantees — GGG has reshuffled the meta hard in recent leagues.
The 3.28 Mirage League — A Quick Recap
The outgoing Mirage league (3.28) launched March 6, 2026, and is widely considered one of the strongest Path of Exile leagues in recent memory. It introduced:
- Mirage mechanic: free a Djinni from Afarud captors, pick a Wish from 60+ options, enter the Astral Realm
- New Scion Ascendancy: Reliquarian
- 40+ new Exceptional Support Gems
- Complete Atlas rework with Djinn Coin system
Players transferring to Standard on July 20 keep all Mirage characters, gear, and currency — Standard becomes a testing ground for 3.29 builds before league launch.