Road to Asylum 3.26Secrets of the Atlas will be launched this week along with the new mercenary from the Trarthus Challenge League. This is a much-anticipated moment for the ARPGS hardcore champion. The free-to-play game has not had a new season since the settlers of Kalguur in July 2024. The early access launch of Poe2 has attracted the attention of all the developers’ crushing gear games. As it turned out to be an epic return, I sat down with game manager Mark Neon Roberts, talking about the new Poe League, going back to the four-month cycle, changing whether the success of Asylum 2 changed the way GGG approached its predecessors.
With the launch of Atlas’ new Path of Exile Update Secrets, the studio has promised four months of league cycling for both games (effectively meaning alternative launches every two months). Roberts is extremely excited about his return to relative normalcy. “Our comfort zone works at these 3-4 month intervals because we know exactly what we can do in three months.” He describes the launch of POE 2 as “an experience hell,” and admits that he and fellow game director Jonathan Rogers misunderstood how long it will take to create a whole new element, as it was a different process than the league update.
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GGG runs two games side by side. Just how dramatically different the sequels are, there’s a sense that Atlas’ secrets focus on the veteran players. Those who already see the original as the pinnacle of games like Diablo. “I’m 100% trying to make sure that the philosophy of one game doesn’t bleed in another,” says Roberts. “The core pillars are still the same, but the amount of items, the balance, it all differs very fundamentally between Poe 1 and 2, and it’s very important to keep it.”
Roberts argues that the first path of exile is “critical” that it remains designed for players who have supported it for the past decade, and Poe 2 attracts new audiences (a certain amount of crossover, of course). “At this point, they can claim that they are completely different titles. They just happen to have the same name.” He thinks the game can look more similar in 10 years. “There may be inevitable power creep in a way that comes to the same place. We don’t even try to really think about it.”
However, the path of exile has not been completely silent since the Settlers League. Phrecia’s legacy has given a fantastical experimental twist to progression across an entirely new endgame and an alternative roster of dominance in all classes. Roberts explains that this can be created quickly, as there was no requirement to create bespoke art assets or animations considering the temporary nature of the mode.
While some of these concepts have influenced the design of the new 3.26 league, Roberts makes it clear that he wants to keep the production value high and not feel like Poe is a “modified game, as opposed to something professionally delivered.” He also says he is a huge fan of idol-based endgames, but he wants to find a way to integrate it as a secondary option along with the existing Atlas map, or as another system supporting the new league, to become permanent in the future. He wants to do more experimental events, but he knows the constraints of space in the new schedule.
If a new schedule wants to play everything, it gives each league just two months and considers all the big ARPGs these days (from the great powers that are Diablo 4 to the winners of small studios like Last Epoch and The Slormancer), is there a risk of overloading the audience? Roberts agrees that there is a possibility of burnout, but says that players can skip the league at any time and return to the next league if they feel it’s too crowded. “We’re still around, we’re back in your leisure time.” He also addresses the fact that Poe and its sequels pitch to groups that aren’t always the same.
“We have two audiences. Honestly, those audiences are in civil wars everywhere. We need to make sure we respect those audiences.” As for the other games in the space, Roberts seems convinced that the path of exile doesn’t have to worry about. When he mentions a busy ARPG calendar, he just laughs and says, “Well, we’re trying to make it very busy.”
Roberts says that the shattering of the gear game is no longer properly split between the two entries, but rather moves developers when needed. “We found it to be a change that is actually a solution. I know it has its drawbacks, but that’s what makes it possible for us to have a team that understands both games.” He has proven over the past few months that the studio can support them at the same time, but believes that there will be a few more expansions to fully confirm that.
The Exile 3.26 road will update Atlas’ secrets and will be released alongside the new mercenary from the Trarthus Challenge League on Friday, June 13th. It’s free to play on Steam or GGG Standalone Launcher.
Looking for more free steam games worth your time? If you’re playing the latest GGG game, it’s covered along with an overview of the best paths for Asylum 2 builds.
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