Dawn of the Hunt was Path of Exile 2’s 0.2.0 update, announced as the game’s first major content update. It introduced the Huntress and her Amazon and Ritualist Ascendancies, expanded the skill and item pools, and reworked parts of endgame progression. Grinding Gear Games announced a historical release date of April 4, 2025, for PC and consoles; the details below describe that update, not the game’s current patch or balance.
What was Dawn of the Hunt?
Grinding Gear Games (GGG) named version 0.2.0 Dawn of the Hunt and described it as a major content update for Path of Exile 2. The developer announced it on March 27, 2025, with a planned launch on April 4, 2025, for PC and consoles. Those dates are historical; the announcement does not establish the game’s present version or feature state.
GGG’s 0.2.0 patch notes are the detailed source for what the update added. Its March 27 announcement framed Dawn of the Hunt as the game’s first major content update.
What did update 0.2.0 add?
The patch notes describe additions across playable classes, combat, items, and endgame. The counts below are GGG’s figures for content added in 0.2.0, not independently audited totals or current game-wide totals.
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| Area | What GGG said it added |
|---|---|
| Skills and supports | Over 25 new Skills, primarily Spear Skills, and over 100 new Supports |
| Item classes | Spears and Bucklers |
| Unique and socketable items | Over 100 Unique Items and 15 new Socketable items |
| Endgame | Eight new Endgame Maps, four Unique Strongboxes, 12 Rogue Exiles, and Azmerian Wisps |
These additions expanded the available combat and loot options, while the corruption changes gave endgame players a more structured route through corrupted areas.
What are the Huntress Ascendancies?
The Huntress is the update’s new playable character class. Her two Ascendancies are Amazon and Ritualist. They are both Huntress choices; they are not the names of two additional base classes.
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GGG also introduced one Ascendancy each for three existing classes: Smith of Kitava for Warrior, Tactician for Mercenary, and Lich for Witch. The patch notes establish the names, but the information cited here does not provide enough detail to compare Amazon and Ritualist mechanics or recommend one as the stronger choice.
How did corruption and the endgame change?
In 0.2.0, corruption areas centered on a Corrupted Nexus. The route described in the patch notes connects clearing corrupted areas to a Nexus encounter and a faction boss. Defeating the boss awards Crystalline Shards, which can be used for Atlas passive skill points.
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Clearing the Nexus also turns nearby maps into Cleansed Maps, with distinct monsters and rewards. The update added eight Endgame Maps and four Unique Strongboxes, and included 12 Rogue Exiles and Azmerian Wisps among its endgame content.
Atlas Towers changed as well: GGG said it “reduced drastically” their number while making each one more powerful. The patch notes describe a change in tower quantity and power, rather than a numerical tower count in the material cited here.
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How did map deaths and party boss attempts work?
The 0.2.0 notes describe up to six total attempts on a map when first entering endgame. The number of attempts decreases as more modifiers are placed on the Waystone. Boss encounters use a collective party respawn rule, so the party shares its attempts rather than receiving a separate full set for each player. These are the update’s stated rules; they should not be assumed to describe the current patch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Dawn of the Hunt wipe existing characters?
No character wipe is stated in the patch notes. GGG said players could begin fresh in a new Dawn of the Hunt economy, with Standard, Hardcore, and Solo Self-Found variations, while Early Access launch characters remained present. A free passive tree refund was granted in response to changes, giving players the option to reassign passive points.
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Starting fresh in the new economy was therefore an option, not a requirement to abandon existing characters.
What should players take away from the update?
Dawn of the Hunt combined a new class with a broad set of supporting additions: Huntress and two Ascendancies, spear-focused skills and new item classes, more Unique and Socketable items, and changes to corrupted endgame progression and map attempts. The available official materials establish what GGG announced for version 0.2.0 in 2025; they do not establish today’s balance, availability, or exact mechanics beyond the notes summarized above.
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