On December 7, Path of Exile's devoted fans will be treated to some thing that's totally game-changing. Betrayal, or the 3.5.0 update towards the game, is partly an expansion and partly a huge rework of quite a few key options.

Path of Exile: Betrayal will see the introduction with the Immortal Syndicate, a shadowy organization that trails your moves, and Jun Ortoi, whom you will assist in her investigation. It can also do away using the old masters and crafting method attached to them. Instead, they'll be replaced by a handful of well-known NPCs in addition to a new indicates of obtaining crafting recipes.

 

 

For this guide, we'll break down every thing you might want to know about Path of Exile: Betrayal into three sections:

I. Masters, Crafting, Hideouts, And Returning Content

II. Extra Features - Endgame, Special Things, Abilities

III. The Immortal Syndicate and Jun Ortoi

 

 

 

I. Masters, Crafting, Hideouts, And Returning Content

As Chris Wilson mentioned through our interviews, the people over at Grinding Gear Games felt that Masters have been a single of your weakest components in Path of Exile. While it's accurate that there had been loads of them, he admitted that the missions they supplied had been of a reduce high-quality in comparison to what the rest of the game could present. And so, in lieu of a Master program exactly where you just grind and repeat the identical mini-quests until they're maxed out, Betrayal will absolutely do away with the old guard. Literally… these Masters are gone (well, you might get a hint of what occurred to them while playing).

Rather, the old bunch is going to be replaced by returning characters. And yes, you will get to practical experience the content material from previous expansions - like Bestiary - when much more as they come to be part of the core game!

 

 

Einhar Frey (Bestiary)

Einhar, who was originally introduced during the Bestiary expansion/league (March 2018), will probably be generating his return to Wraeclast in Betrayal. That implies players will probably be in a position to catch monsters and add them to their tally and Menagerie as soon as more.

The difference this time about? Einhar gets to adhere to you around, and he'll be the one throwing the nets as an alternative. That tends to make sense. You are the heroic Exile, an actual god-killer. You seriously can not be the guy throwing Poké Balls.

 

Watch the Exile and Einhar in action:

 

 

Alva Valai (Incursion)

Players met Alva through the Incursion expansion/league (June 2018). She was able to transport players millennia in to the previous towards the Temple of Atzoatl. Therein, players possess a restricted time to kill as many monsters as possible, receive Stones of Passage (keys), and take out Vaal Architects. After 11 temporal incursions in to the previous, players could access the present-day Temple of Atzoatl, which will have its layout, accessible areas, and loot change based on your actions in the past.

 

 

With Alva's return in Betrayal, that also suggests Incursion is now element in the core experience. This time about, Alva may have a opportunity to take you by means of many temporal incursions at a time, not only a single.

 

Niko (Delve) And Zana (Atlas Of Worlds)

Niko the Mad could be the most recent Master to join a long list in Path of Exile. As aspect from the most current expansion, Delve (August 2018), Niko allowed players to dig via the depths of your Azurite Mine - an infinite dungeon which requires toughness, endurance, a lot of luck, and possibly an immune Pathfinder or two. He'll also be back in Betrayal.

As for Zana, apparently several Path of Exile players take into consideration her a favourite. She's an absolute necessity to the endgame content material, though, as a consequence of her expertise together with the Atlas of Worlds.

 

 

Players need to have not be concerned considering the fact that Zana's nevertheless going to be about in Betrayal handling all of your mapping desires. With Einhar, Alva, Niko, Zana, as well as the debuting Jun Ortoi in tow, that tends to make five committed Masters in the game. But wait, what about crafting?

 

 

Master Crafting Modifications

Previously, to be able to obtain crafting recipes from Masters, you had to help keep leveling them up by repeating these everyday quests. Considering that these are gone and replaced using the five described above, there's an totally revamped Master Crafting experience. Rather than leveling them up, the method is now extra streamlined. You'll be able to discover these recipes primarily based on the content material you're undertaking that's attached to these new Masters.

 

 

For instance, we've currently mentioned the unveiling of mods for Jun Ortoi. That is a single example of gaining a recipe. Another will be clearing specific rooms in the Temple of Atzoatl for Incursion. Within the case of Delve, you'll find particular encounters within the Azurite Mine that would grant these recipes.

The new Masters nonetheless supply each day missions but do so through the Atlas of Worlds. If that quest is active, you are able to enter that map and encounter that certain Master there. All in all, you're not forced into doing repetitive mini-quests just to level up an NPC. Crafting recipes are obtained as you progress via the game primarily based around the content you are clearing.

 

 

Permanent Hideouts

Yet another cause why players leveled up Masters in the past was to gain decorations for their Player Hideouts. These hubs sort of defined your personality or quirk depending in your Master of choice. Having said that, it is worth noting that this may very well be a tedious course of action previously. Aside from needing to level up Masters, you also necessary to refurnish your Hideout immediately after each and every Challenge League.

Say goodbye to performing that, mainly because Hideouts are now unified involving leagues - such as future ones. You can maintain the exact same decorations or layouts for months, even years. Here's 1 instance of what your Player Hideout can look like:

 

 

It is possible to come across new tilesets for Hideouts as you progress, and even save and load specific templates that you'd like. Players can unlock new Hideouts as they clear them in a typical playthrough.

 

 

II. Extra Features - Endgame, Special Things, Abilities

Those talked about earlier are the most significant changes coming to Path of Exile in Betrayal, but there's nevertheless much more to appear forward to. For all those aiming to reach the endgame rapidly, you will find four new randomized maps. These are all based on tilesets introduced in Delve, such as cavernous places.

As for exceptional things, one particular that we already know about will be the Bitterbind Point. This is a one of a kind rarity shield that has a Veiled Mod. Veiled Mods are often not doable on exceptional things, but you could be able to find some Betrayal uniques which have them.

 

The Bitterbind Point

The Bitterbind Point boosts your summoning capabilities and minion damage output any time you land important strikes with spells. It is meant to get a summoner/spellcaster style of playstyle (believe Necromancer). It is just one of 15 new Unique Items coming to Betrayal. Some of these new Uniques could be found on current content material though a lot of are exclusive solely towards the upcoming Betrayal League.

 

Winter Orb and Storm Brand

Two new expertise we know of are the Winter Orb and Storm Brand. This is how these capabilities are defined:

Winter Orb is a channeling skill that creates and powers up an orb that floats above you. It consistently fires projectiles at nearby enemies, firing quicker the more the orb is powered up. The projectiles explode on effect.

1. Supporting the talent with the More Projectiles support gem causes the added projectiles to become fired inside a line, giving the skill a special damage pattern.

2. Supporting it with the Elevated Duration support gem lets you preserve the orb active longer immediately after you quit channeling, letting you run though the orb destroys enemies.

3. Meanwhile, supporting it together with the Elevated Location assistance gem increases the harm region and overlap with the projectiles'bursts.

 

 

They are just some doable combinations, with far more which can be left open for discovery. This is essentially fairly interesting offered that this is a Cold element spell. We do realize that Grinding Gear Games has made some tweaks to existing spells for instance Ice Spear, as well as Ice Nova and Vortex. Looks like this may make Cold damage-focused builds more viable according to the synergy.

Storm Brand zaps 3 nearby enemies, damaging about enemies struck.

1. Supporting it together with the Chain help gem causes it to affect added nearby enemies.

2. Supporting it with the Increased Location support gem causes the bursts to harm extra enemies.

3. Also, supporting it using the Concentrated Effect help gem drastically increases the damage even though reducing its spread.

4. Supporting the brand with Life Leech will restore life to you, as opposed to Trap, Totem and Minion skills, because the brand counts as your damage.

 

 

To be more detailed, the Storm Brand is just among several yet-to-be-revealed elemental Brand spells within the Betrayal. Your character locations a rune around the ground that activates when an enemy is inside attain. It will keep damaging the enemy until the finish of its duration or when that target dies. In the event the target dies, the brand returns towards the ground and waits for an additional enemy, or it can jump to a totally new target. It is created for a additional mobile style of play where you are laying down brands and crossing via packs, letting your rune do each of the perform.

All in all, players can look forward to 10 expertise that will be adjusted or introduced. That signifies more tweaks and adjustments to builds, and needless to say, an ever-evolving meta.

 

 

What Does Chris Wilson Consider?

Well, that's each of the time we've for these days. We hope we've provided you with every little thing you will need to know for Path of Exile: Betrayal. If this isn't enough, do not worry. We basically carried out a few interviews with POE's co-creator and Grinding Gear Games CEO Chris Wilson.

We'll give you an in-depth look about the design philosophy behind these new capabilities together with something beneath the sun about Path of Exile - for instance why there's no "True Solo Delve Record"program announcement, a lot more new spells that the team's crafting, cross-play viability, or achievable controller support for Computer. We'll also be adding a lot more exclusive gameplay videos for Syndicate gameplay along with the newly announced skills.

Oh, and just in case you might be new to Path of Exile - perhaps a newcomer who came from Diablo - you could be enthusiastic about being aware of far more about 1st impressions when beginning out in Wraeclast, as well as the philosophy behind the Private Leagues which went live recently.

Path of Exile is completely free-to-play, and also you can check it out on Steam. If it's not obtainable for the area, you are able to download it by means of the official web site. As mentioned up best, Path of Exile: Betrayal will go live on December 7 for Computer players. Console releases will comply with for the Xbox 1 on December ten and the PlayStation 4 in mid-December.

 

 

III. The Immortal Syndicate and Jun Ortoi

The key addition to Betrayal would be the Immortal Syndicate meta-game that you simply undertake as you adventure in Wraeclast. Probably among the biggest criticisms in Path of Exile is the fact that players are commonly following precisely the same progression until they attain the endgame. You produce your character, you do the campaign, Act 10 Kitava wipes you repeatedly until you ultimately succeed, then you get started carrying out the Atlas maps or dig deeper in Delve. Immediately after that, you make a new character and repeat the approach till the next Challenge League.

Betrayal makes your progression far more dynamic for the reason that of this meta-game that functions as an ever-branching sandbox quest almost in the get-go as soon as you meet Jun Ortoi.

Early on inside the game, you are introduced to Jun, who tells you what the Immortal Syndicate is and what they're planning. They're a criminal cartel which has members in many parts of Wraeclast. Then, via a panel, you get to find out the individuals that belong to the infamous group. You'll see the branches they belong to in addition to relationships that they've formed within their inner circle.

 

The Hydra

Most of their members and areas are hidden initially, which includes their most important headquarters. Absolutely everyone has their own rank and position inside the organization. What you'll know, even so, is that this hydra has various members belonging to precise branches:

1. Fortification - Members are hiding within a defensible position which include a smaller fort, generally surrounded by turrets and barricades.

2. Transportation - Syndicate cronies are traversing a map when guarding a convoy. You will really need to catch up and eliminate the mobs surrounding it.

3. Research - These Syndicate baddies are in an underground investigation lab. Once you arrive, they'll start off destroying proof, so your goal will be to cease them.

4. Intervention - Final but not least, the Intervention arm sends precise Syndicate members to track you down if you have earned their ire. They can appear at any time whilst you're out and about in Wraeclast, including during boss fights.

 

Just like a hydra, taking out the cartel is no uncomplicated job. The 18 members of this organization will retain coming back till you defeat their mastermind, and also then, it will not be more than just but.

 

Options

Now which you know their precise branches and your objectives should you seek them out, what exactly would you do after you have beaten them into submission? Effectively, you have got four options out there (two are obtainable at any provided time based on the prerequisites):

1.Interrogate - After you have taken out a Syndicate member, interrogation could be the safest selection of what to perform subsequent. Whenever you interrogate a member, they'll divulge info about others in their brotherhood or additional data about a safehouse.

2.Bargain - When you're up against a sole Syndicate fighter and you've subdued them, bargaining would be a viable choice. It might bring about a random outcome which include altering character relationships in the Immortal Syndicate panel. Or they will even offer you some things.

3.Execute - If a Syndicate member includes a backup or you are feeling a little bit bloodthirsty, you can kill them in cold blood. They aren't referred to as the “Immortal Syndicate” for giggles, even though, due to the fact they will basically revive dead members! Executing 1 will see them revived later on, albeit much more potent as a result of their leaders advertising them (they died to get a cause, just after all). They're going to bear in mind the atrocity that you've committed, though.

4.Betray - Yet another selection, should really you've got many Syndicate members submitting to you, should be to have one of them betray the other. That is only probable if they've a direct relation or one is usually a subordinate. Betrayal will tend to switch or alter the positions of those members (ie. a subordinate would find yourself becoming larger ranked).

 

Here's an example of encountering an individual from the Fortification branch, subduing them, and then working with the Interrogation alternative (note the several defenses in spot for this section with the map):

 

 

Nemesis

Believe of these actions as somewhat comparable to the Nemesis Program in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War. The Immortal Syndicate is actually a significant and interconnected net. You may find their members in just about every location all through the game, typically altering components of that location in that regard. Your actions will influence how members of this criminal cartel view you, and regardless of whether they turn out to be more strong in the end.

Execution, technically, can be a means of leveling up a selected Syndicate member. Your chosen target are going to be tougher, and they'll come back having a vengeance. The upside? They'll have better loot as well. Here's one exactly where you subdue someone in the Analysis branch and opt for to execute them:

 

 

Bargaining has the prospective to net you a variety of items although not necessarily causing as well big of a ruckus among your opponents. The Betray alternative, meanwhile, lets you turn an individual else into a leader of a branch to attain the desired outcome - either you get much better products that they are able to drop (considering the fact that they're larger ranked), or the safehouse will be much easier if it is a weakling that you simply promoted. And, as pointed out above, Interrogation can be a protected alternative that allows you to get extra intel.

Targets also have a possibility to drop rare and distinctive products with Veiled Mods. These are powerful new perks. Take them to Jun Ortoi to have them unveiled and pick one particular. When you are carried out, you unlock that specific mod for future things. You can even choose to empower it and level it up for future use.

 

 

Risks And Rewards

The main target of the Immortal Syndicate meta-game is to uncover the different safehouses of every single branch and ultimately take on the group's mastermind. The cause why you may desire to reposition certain people is due to the rewards they might confer.

For instance, should really you ransack the safehouse with the Research branch, you will obtain items with experimental qualities (the other branches have their very own quirks). But because each and every Syndicate member is unique, you may mix-and-match certain combinations to locate a thing that's best - some thing that would benefit your develop inside the long run.

When you've taken out the Syndicate mastermind - which drops a lot of loot according to how you have arranged the whole organization - it does not stop there. The board resets and also you can uncover, manipulate, reposition, and take out your foes once more.

 

 

Spicing Up Your Playthrough

In our interviews with Chris Wilson, he told us that there are a lot of distinctive possibilities and combinations that you can come up with. There isn't any "ideal" path but, but he expects that veteran players could have the ability to uncover a fantastic pattern to stick to whilst playing the game.

All in all, this can be a feature that quite a few long-time Path of Exile fans might be hunting forward to. The standard progression within the game might feel very rote to those who've been playing for years. Together with the addition of this meta-game with expansive quests and many choices, it really should spice factors up for each and every playthrough.

In addition, it broadens the options a lot more within the game. For instance, a frequent choice every player tends to make is regardless of whether to kill all the bandit leaders or save among them in an early quest. That's one particular choice. Think about getting an limitless number of possibilities throughout your playthrough with all the Immortal Syndicate function.

It's something that modifications the dynamics of the playthrough, given the plethora of choices you are able to make. With some highly effective rewards, this meta-game may also be valuable just before you attain the endgame (it can even function as your very own concentrate as your endgame).