Path of Exile 2 1.0 launches December 11 with two new classes

Path of Exile 2 leaves Early Access and fully releases on December 11 (PST). The 1.0 release adds the complete six-Act campaign, two new classes, a new Challenge League and broad balance changes.

Campaign and new classes

Acts 5 and 6 complete the campaign, with 24 new areas, 18 new unique bosses and over 20 new Champion Rare encounters.

• The Shadow uses daggers, traps and shades. Its Stealth mechanic hides you from monsters until you get close, and boosts your dagger skills. Traps are prepared in stealth and trigger as you strike, exploding in the order thrown. Ascendancies at launch: Assassin and Infiltrator.
• The Duelist is a swordsman built around Stances. Ready Stance empowers sword skills and can be upgraded to Sand or Blood Stances. Ascendancies: Knight and Master-at-Arms.

Conquerors of Wraeclast league

In the new Challenge League you join Varek and his mercenaries to stop the awakening of the ancient Blood Lord.

• Recruit troops and send them into battle, with over 70 new points of interest for recruiting and missions.
• Conquer castles to find a new crafting material for reforging gear.
• Build a stronghold and pick one of three factions, each with its own fortress and troops.
• Delegate Atlas progression to commanders through a new real-time endgame system.
• Team up with players in your faction to capture castles from other factions.

Balance and reworks

• Over 40 new Unique Items, and more than 70 existing ones revamped.
• New skills for classes that lacked them, such as the Warrior and the Witch, and a major Support Gem rebalance.
• A reworked Passive Skill Tree with hundreds of new stats; all Jewel Sockets now sit inside clusters.
• Reworks for Mercenary reloading, Infernalist, Blood Mage and Acolyte of Chayula.

The announcement says you can play Path of Exile 2 for free on December 11 PST. It does not give an exact start time.

Source: official Steam announcement