Path of Exile 2 Game Modes and Endgame guide

Curious about the Path of Exile 2 game modes and endgame? Before jumping into the campaign, you'll have to choose a game mode, a.k.a. a Path of Exile League. Different Leagues come with different difficulty levels and social options, so it's important to know what you're getting into. Pick the best option to help you reach endgame, and when you do, you'll be able to dive into various endgame modes such as the Breach and Delirium challenges.

The Path of Exile 2 game modes can be a bit overwhelming to new players. To help you find the best League and navigate the endgame content, this guide explains it all.

In this guide:

• Path of Exile 2 game modes
• How to choose a League
• League Migrations: Can you change your game mode?
• Path Of Exile 2 Endgame content

Path of Exile 2 game modes

Path of Exile 2 has four different game modes, also known as 'Leagues'. This includes two difficulty options, each with their own variation for solo players. Here's an overview:

• Standard League: This is the 'default' game mode. The social system is enabled and you will respawn upon death, at the nearest checkpoint, without any consequences.
• Solo Self-Found League: This is almost the same as the Standard League but some of the social system's features are disabled, including trading with other players and party formations.
• Hardcore League: If you want to play Path of Exile 2 on hard mode, this is the League for you. In Hardcore Mode, you only get one life, which means you can't respawn. If you die, you'll have to continue the game in Standard League.
• Hardcore Solo Self-Found League: This brutal game mode combines the no-respawn mechanic from hardcore mode with the no-trading mechanic from SSF mode. You can't rely on other players, and you can't respawn.

Keep in mind that these are the Path of Exile 2 Leagues at the start of the early access period, whereas the full release may offer additional game modes. During early access, you'll have to replay Act 1 to Act 3 of the campaign in order to unlock endgame content; this is called Cruel Mode. Cruel Mode will turn up the difficulty so you can keep leveling your character, ultimately reaching endgame around level 65. The reason behind this temporary League is that the second half of the campaign (Act 4-6) hasn't been completed yet - replaying the first three acts will ensure a similar endgame starting point.

How to choose a League

So, which of these four Leagues is right for you? Upon creating a new character in Path of Exile 2, you must initially choose between two game modes: Standard and Hardcore. Standard League is the default difficulty and the one we recommend for new players, but Hardcore League can be an interesting alternative if you're looking for a challenge.

Rather than making enemies tougher, Hardcore Mode has a 'permadeath' mechanic that disables respawns. If you choose Hardcore over Standard League, it's important to play very carefully and prioritize your survival rather than making quick progress. Don't enter areas or boss fights that are way above your level, and don't experiment with your character build too much. With that in mind, Hardcore Mode can feel rather restrictive if you're about to pick your first class in Path of Exile 2.

After you pick a difficulty, there's another choice you must make: whether to play in Solo Self-Found (SSF) mode or not. You can select SSF mode after you've selected a class.

Of course, you could play Standard League and avoid interactions with other players to get a similar experience, but you'd always have the option to buy the best gear if you need to. In SSF mode, you truly are self-reliant. If you like the idea of adapting to circumstances and finding the best build based on what you've been given, SSF mode might be for you. If you're strictly following a Path of Exile 2 class build guide, however, SSF mode may hinder you a lot.

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League Migrations: Can you change your game mode?

Can you change your game mode in Path of Exile 2? Unfortunately, League Migrations are unavailable at the start of the early access period, but we expect them to become available soon. When that happens, you'll likely be able to switch between Standard and Solo-Self Found or between Hardcore and Hardcore SSF modes - thus sticking to your chosen difficulty.

To find the League Migrations option (which is already there), open the game and go to the character selection screen. Above the list of characters, on the right side, there's a double-arrow button that says 'League Migrations' if you hover over it.

Although it's impossible to migrate a character from Standard League to Hardcore League, you can switch in the opposite direction... if your Hardcore character dies. You can continue playing in Standard League, but permadeath really is permanent, so there's no going back to Hardcore.

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Path Of Exile 2 Endgame content

It's often said that ARPG games don't truly start before the endgame, and that might also be true for Path of Exile 2. Once you've reached a high character level and cleared the campaign, you can keep yourself busy with one of these endgame activities:

• Atlas of Worlds: This massive realm plagued by corruption is the most important endgame feature in Path of Exile 2. At the heart of this realm, you'll find the Ziggurat temple, which is surrounded by an infinite network of waypoints (maps). Using Waystones, you'll be able to enter new maps and clear them of all enemies, which will then allow you to access more maps. The enemies you'll find are randomized, and since they're drawn from a pool of at least 400 potential opponents, you'll find many unexpected situations. An important side note about the Atlas system: if you die, the map node will turn red and you won't be able to retry - find your way around this map by cleansing surrounding maps instead.
• Breach: This endgame mode opens a rift to a demonic realm. Defeat the incoming waves of demons as fast as possible to extend the timer and obtain more rewards.
• Rituals: Sacrifice enemies to the ritual altar by slaying them within the ritual circle. Slain enemies will be resurrected by the King of the Mists, after which you must slay them again to clear the challenge. Beware; upon starting a new ritual challenge, the enemies defeated in the previous trial will be resurrected as well!
• Delirium: In this endgame challenge, you must stay in the mist while defeating dangerous enemies. The further you walk into the mist, the more dangerous the enemies become, and the better your rewards will be.
• Expeditions: Join the local Kalguuran people as you go on an archaeological expedition. You must use explosives to dig up ancient relics, but be careful: the explosions will also awaken undead ancestors, who are none too friendly.
• Endgame trials: While not exclusive to endgame, trial challenges such as the Trial of Sekhema and the Trial of Chaos come with endgame-level floors. Clear them to obtain Jewels, Relics, Vaal Orbs, and more.
• Pinnacle bosses: These are the toughest enemies in the endgame content. Residing in dark towers on the Atlas map, you must obtain three keys from faction bosses on the surrounding maps, which will then grant access to the Pinnacle boss in the tower.

That's quite a variety of challenges, isn't it? One of the best things about the Path of Exile 2 endgame content is that each type of challenge has its own skill tree, so you'll be able to adjust your build to match each endgame mode. In other words, there's no need to respec if you want to try a different challenge.

And that's how to navigate game modes and endgame content in Path of Exile 2. If you're new to the game, you might want to look at our list of things to do first in Path of Exile 2, and make sure you understand the character attributes. Don't forget to use the Path of Exile 2 crafting system to get better gear, and use the gemcutting system to obtain new skills.