PoE 2 The Third Edict: Boosts & Nerfs in Patch 0.3

Path of Exile 2's Third Edict update (Patch 0.3) is set to shake up Wraeclast with fresh content and balance shifts that could redefine your builds. Dropping on August 29, 2025, this patch brings everything from a new act to innovative mechanics like sprinting and asynchronous trading. If you're gearing up for the changes, this breakdown highlights the most impactful buffs and nerfs, plus other highlights to help you adapt.

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What's New in Patch 0.3: The Third Edict

Patch 0.3 unveils Act 4 in the lush Karui Archipelago, where you'll chase an ancient weapon to battle corruption. The old Cruel difficulty is scrapped, swapped for three Interlude Acts that fast-track you to endgame at level 65. Jump into the Rise of the Abyssals League, sealing fissures to unleash Abyssal fights for epic rewards. Sprinting adds mobility—hold dodge to dash, but hits can stun you mid-stride. Asynchronous trading simplifies deals via your hideout's Ange NPC, even when offline. New Lineage Support Gems provide deep customization, and a free weekend from August 29 to September 1, 2025, invites all to try it out!

The Biggest Buffs in Patch 0.3

1. Blood Mage Ascendancy

The Witch's Blood Mage Ascendancy gets a massive power surge in Patch 0.3. In earlier versions, its initial notable, Sanglamancy, felt like a drag, mandating life-cost skills without delivering a real upside. GGG flips the script by granting Sanglamancy for free on selection, freeing up your first two Ascendancy points for stronger nodes. This lets you snag 15% base spell crit early on, thanks to a swap with the slightly toned-down Gore Spike. Crit scaling kicks in sooner, making progression smoother. Weak notables also see revamps: Between the Cracks evolves into Sanguin Tides for flask-based damage amps, ideal with smart crafting and sustain. Open Source becomes Whispers of the Flesh, reserving 15% enemy life on cursed foes— a game-changer for boss melts. Overall, it's like gaining two bonus points, turning Blood Mage into a spell-slinging beast.

2. Right-Side Builds (Evasion & Energy Shield)

Right-side tree builds, especially evasion-energy shield hybrids, were solid in 0.2, but Patch 0.3 cranks them up to overdrive—honestly, it's puzzling why GGG thought evasion needed this much love. The new Deflection mechanic mirrors PoE 1's spell suppression but covers all hits, slashing damage by 40% at 100% chance with heavy investment. Bow skills and Ascendancies like Deadeye get enhancements too. Deadeye's Avidity takes a minor hit, but Called Shots auto-marks enemies now that triggers can't socket marks anymore. Eagle Eyes adds hefty base crit from mark consumption. This cements Deadeye as a meta pick, and evasion hybrids look unbeatable for defense.

3. Weapon Swapping

Weapon swapping mechanic receives an instant-upgrade buff that's bound to spark creative chaos. Before, a pesky delay limited its use, even with passive investments, keeping it niche—like in Corrupting Cry totem swaps. Now, the delay vanishes, making swaps seamless. Toggle sets for shields to block on demand or skill-specific setups without hesitation. With up to 24 passive points varying per set, this opens doors to wild strategies. GGG might regret this one—expect some broken builds emerging soon.

The Biggest Nerfs in Patch 0.3

1. Giant's Blood

Giant's Blood notable faces a harsh cut, halving life gains from strength and weakening mace-focused left-side builds. These setups already lagged in life pools compared to hybrids or CI, and this nerf exacerbates the divide. Most mace builds can't skip it, so they'll just tank hits worse overall. It's a tough blow for strength stackers.

2. Smith of Kitava

Smith of Kitava Ascendancy suffers extreme defensive downgrades. The 5% max fire resistance notable is axed, replaced by 35% armor-to-elemental damage conversion—not great for builds stuck with normal body armor, hindering armor scaling. The Inferno Clasp belt, adding up to 6% max fire res, is drop-disabled, totaling an 11% loss. Tree and item tweaks further limit max res access. A new 5% increased strength node hints at stacking potential with existing 20% boosts, but it doesn't compensate—the class feels significantly gutted.

3. Exposure

Exposure debuffs take a heavy hit against tougher foes, with up to 50% reduced effect on bosses. Standard sources like tree nodes or supports stay the same, so a 20% exposure now only drops 10% res on uniques. Curses got compensatory buffs, but exposure didn't. Frostbomb stands out, shifting to elemental exposure scalable to 50%—likely the new staple for elemental builds, sidelining other options.

Other Notable Changes

• Support Gems: Ditch the one-gem limit per skill; 40 new Lineage Supports from endgame bosses enable unique synergies.

• Crafting: Orbs tier up (Regular, Greater, Perfect) for better mods, with Exceptional Bases adding innate quality or sockets.

• Endgame: 25 fresh maps, new bosses, and uber Act 4 encounters keep things challenging.

• Balance Tweaks: Accuracy ramps up (+6 per level/Dex), and monster evasion drops for more consistent hits.

FAQs About Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.3

When does the Third Edict update release?

Patch 0.3 launches on August 29, 2025, at 1 PM PDT across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. A free weekend runs until September 1.

What is the Rise of the Abyssals League?

It's PoE 2's inaugural league, involving sealing fissures to combat Abyssal enemies in escalating pit challenges.

How does asynchronous trading work?

Use Ange in your hideout to list items for gold. Buyers can visit and buy instantly, regardless of your online status.

What happened to Cruel difficulty?

It's eliminated, with Act 4 and three Interlude Acts smoothing the path to endgame at level 65.

How does sprinting affect gameplay?

Hold dodge to sprint for speed, but incoming hits trigger stuns. Cancel with skills to stay agile in fights.

Thanks for Reading

Patch 0.3 transforms Path of Exile 2, empowering Blood Mage and evasion setups while challenging mace users and Smith of Kitava. Keep an eye on MMOJUGG for more builds, strategies, and Wraeclast wisdom!