As the countdown to Path of Exile 2’s 0.4 update draws closer, excitement within the community has reached a new peak. With the full reveal slated for December 4th and the launch arriving just eight days later on December 12th, players are eagerly dissecting every hint, leak, and developer comment in hopes of understanding what this milestone update will deliver. While Grinding Gear Games remains characteristically tight-lipped, a number of strong and well-supported predictions have formed—especially surrounding the arrival of the long-awaited Druid class and the sweeping endgame changes expected to accompany it.

This article takes a deep dive into every major prediction for Patch 0.4, exploring their logic, their impact on the game's evolving meta, and what they imply about the road to Path of Exile 2’s eventual full release.

No Second Class—And Why That’s Likely the Right Call

The headline addition of Patch 0.4 is undeniably the Druid, a hybrid shapeshifting Spell/Attack class that has already generated enormous hype. Many fans have speculated that GGG might surprise players with a second class reveal—perhaps the Templar, given its proximity on the passive tree and POE2 Currency. But the smart money is on the Druid being the only class added in this patch.

And the reasoning is sound.

The Druid introduces:

A brand-new weapon type (the Talisman)

A fresh section of the passive tree

Multiple new skills and supports

Two complete Ascendancy subclasses

That’s enough content to reshape the meta all by itself. Adding yet another class would not only massively increase development workload but also complicate balancing to an unreasonable degree. Patch 0.4 is expected to be a major expansion on its own, and GGG likely wants to ensure the Druid lands in a polished, impactful state without dividing their attention.

The Druid’s Weapon: Talisman—And Possibly More?

The confirmed weapon tied to the Druid is the Talisman, a shapeshifting-centric item type that already exists within PoE2’s internal data. However, this weapon reveal raises an interesting question: Why are there five unassigned martial weapons listed when only four unreleased classes remain?

These weapons include:

Talisman (Druid)

Daggers (Shadow)

Swords (Duelist)

Flails (Templar)

Axes (Marauder)

That leaves the Claw without an assigned class.

This opens two possibilities:

The Claw is tied to a future unrevealed class.

The Claw becomes an independent, non-class weapon—possibly introduced alongside the Druid.

Introducing the Claw early could give melee shapeshift builds more diversity and help flesh out PoE2’s underdeveloped natural attack identity. While not confirmed, it remains one of the most logical and exciting “bonus” additions GGG could make in 0.4.

No New Campaign Act—Endgame Takes Priority

Although many players hoped that Patch 0.4 would bring Act 5, the evidence strongly suggests it won’t happen yet. Adding Act 5 would require:

Replacing the current interludes

Creating new interludes for Act 6

Adding new voice lines, assets, and bosses

Rebalancing the campaign progression curve

With 0.4 already focusing on Druid, endgame, itemization, and performance, the odds are slim that a full campaign act is included. GGG appears to be treating 0.4 as an endgame-forward update, pushing progression systems rather than narrative expansion.

A Major Endgame Revamp Is Coming

Many of the strongest predictions point to Patch 0.4 being the beginning of the "true" endgame overhaul. Several systems introduced in 0.1 through 0.3 were functional—yet clearly incomplete. Now, GGG seems poised to push the endgame toward a more structured, rewarding, and intentionally layered state.

Here are the expected pillars of the endgame rework:

1. Towers Become Much More Important

The tower system added in 0.3 was a band-aid solution—a placeholder until the team had time to fully reintegrate them into the endgame structure. In 0.4, towers will likely be:

More impactful

Better integrated

More rewarding

Possibly tied to progression or new crafting paths

The goal: make towers fun and strategic, not just optional tedium.

2. Biome Control Finally Arrives

Since 0.1, players have asked for the ability to target specific biomes. The prediction is that 0.4 will finally add:

Biome selection

Biome weighting modifiers

Biome-themed map enhancements

This drastically expands build-specific farming routes.

3. New Map Enhancement Items

The map device currently shows three unused item slots, hinting at:

Scarab-like items

League-specific stones

New map-quality multipliers

These could revolutionize map juicing, allowing deeper customizations and faster gameplay loops.

4. Abyss Returns as a Core Endgame Mechanic

One of the most fascinating predictions is that Abyss will be removed from the campaign and reintroduced as an endgame-only system.

This change would:

Reduce campaign clutter

Make room for the new league mechanic

Allow Abyss rewards to be targeted more efficiently

This could also introduce:

Abyss Tablets (similar to Breach and Ritual tablets)

A new Abyss Atlas cluster

Higher Abyss rarity and value

New crafting loot tied exclusively to Abyss pits

Given the complexity of Abyss crafting, streamlining its currencies from 18 down to 3 would be a major quality-of-life win.

New Ascendancies for Older Classes

Four classes currently have only two Ascendancies:

Monk

Ranger

Sorceress

Huntress

Given that 0.3 did not add any new Ascendancies (the Abyss Lich was not a real class addition), Patch 0.4 is a prime opportunity for GGG to add at least two more.

This is extremely likely, especially because the new Trial of the Ancestors is predicted to accompany the patch. These trials traditionally unlock new Ascendancy paths, making this a perfect thematic moment.

Possible Addition: Tattoos Return from PoE1

One of the most exciting predictions is the return of Tattoos—a system introduced late in PoE1’s lifecycle.

Tattoos replace passive attribute nodes with unique modifiers such as:

HP

Resistances

Quality-of-life stats

Build-enabling bonuses

Given that the Act 4 pre-boss sequences in PoE2 already include tattoo-like rewards, adding them as full items in 0.4 seems extremely plausible.

Crafting Improvements—and No Crafting Bench

Each expansion so far has introduced new crafting layers. Patch 0.4 is expected to do the same, especially if Abyss reworks are included.

Predictions include:

More deterministic crafting

Better visibility into item outcomes

New high-tier crafting orbs (Abyssal orbs especially)

Rebalancing of crafting loot tables

However, the long-awaited crafting bench is not expected to arrive. PoE2’s identity is clearly built around drop-driven itemization, and GGG seems committed to keeping crafting hands-on and in-world.

Massive Unique Item Overhaul

Expectations for uniqueness in 0.4 are high.

Nerfs expected:

Raft Pit Focus

HP-stacking uniques

Headhunter-style effects

Buffs expected:

Underused or outdated uniques

League-starter tier uniques

Non-viable leveling uniques

With the Druid’s release, at least one new Druid-specific chase unique is predicted—much like Tangle Tongue spear reshaped the meta in 0.2.

Balancing: Shock, Life Regen, Lightning Skills Get Hit

A handful of skills—Lightning Arrow, Lightning Rod, Spark—have become disproportionately dominant. Rather than nerfing the skills directly, GGG will likely hit the core mechanics enabling them:

Shock magnitude

Shock stacking rules

Life regeneration (especially if more life nodes are added)

Indirect nerfs are a GGG balancing trademark, so these predictions feel extremely likely.

Performance Fixes—Possibly the Biggest Part of 0.4

More than any new content, the community is begging for performance improvements. Crashes, stutters, memory leaks, and shader hitching remain major issues. The hope—and prediction—is that 0.4 will include:

A full page of performance changes

Core engine optimizations

Fixes for endgame particle overload

Better CPU and GPU load distribution

Performance must improve before 1.0, and 0.4 may be the turning point.

Predicted Timeline for PoE2’s Road to Full Release

The release cadence forms a logical timeline:

0.4 (December 12, 2025)

Druid class

Endgame overhaul

New league mechanic

Performance upgrades

0.5 (April 2026)

Templar or Duelist class

Possibly swords added to the game

Act 5

Further Ascendancy expansion

New league

1.0 Full Release (August 2026)

Final unreleased class

Act 6

Fully completed campaign

Endgame finished and balanced

This roadmap has gained traction within the community because it matches GGG’s traditional development pace.

Final Thoughts

Patch 0.4 represents a pivotal moment in Path of Exile 2’s evolution. The addition of the Druid, major endgame restructuring, rebalanced item systems, new Ascendancies buy Path of Exile 2 Currency, and possible performance breakthroughs all point to this update being one of the defining chapters of PoE2’s early access era.

If even half of these predictions come true, players are in for the largest and most transformative update the game has seen so far.

All eyes now turn to December 4th—because whatever GGG reveals on that day is going to shape the next year of ARPG gaming.