Grinding Gear Games has finally revealed the next big Path of Exile 2 update – Fate of the Vaal – set to drop on December 12, 2025. With Atziri making a comeback, fans are already buzzing about what’s in store. The earlier Druid reveal was neat, but this feels like the moment where speculation really kicks into high gear. The Vaal are dark, mysterious, and downright terrifying, their history soaked in blood and strange rituals. Imagine all that being the backbone for an entire league. There’s so much potential here, and with a chance to hunt for rare PoE 2 Items woven into the chaos, it’s hard not to get excited.
Sure, Atziri’s return is huge, but if you’ve played GGG’s games long enough, you know she probably won’t be the final hurdle. The Vaal loved meddling with forces they couldn’t control, and it’s easy to guess we’ll face something older, nastier, maybe the very thing that ended their empire. GGG is great at setting us up with a “main” villain only to pull the rug out later. So expect a brand-new pinnacle boss, one that makes Atziri look almost tame.
The Vaal Orb is one of the most iconic tools from the first game, especially for gem corruption. In PoE 2, I wouldn’t be shocked if corruption became more central. Picture a system where you could add specific Vaal mods to skill gems, upgrade them into wild “Apex” versions, or gamble everything for a shot at insane power – with the real chance of completely losing the gem. It would make corruption feel like a deliberate build choice, not just a risky endgame trick.
The Vaal civilization collapsed ages ago, so how do we actually see what happened? I could see a mechanic similar to Alva’s incursions, but cranked up. You’d find strange relics out in the world, opening portals that throw you right into their era – fighting their soldiers, witnessing their rituals, and exploring dangerous terrain untouched by time. This wouldn’t just feed lore junkies; it’s the perfect excuse for wild map designs and crazy encounters.
In PoE 1, the Apex of Sacrifice is little more than Atziri’s throne room. Imagine instead a sprawling fortress drenched in red, packed with her twisted followers, traps, and secrets. Maybe it’s a recurring place you unlock bit by bit, each run taking you deeper into the heart of her cult and closer to uncovering whatever new horror she’s allied herself with. And if GGG makes it a main zone for the league, the atmosphere alone would keep people coming back.
Lastly, if you think about how the Vaal loved twisting flesh into new forms, it’s easy to picture a monster-crafting system. Something like Metamorph, but way creepier – grabbing “parts” from unique enemies and fusing them at a blood altar to fight custom abominations. The more horrific your creation, the tougher the battle and the better the loot. It’s dark, it’s thematic, and it would fit alongside farming PoE 2 Items cheap perfectly.
