Path of Exile Current League (June 2026): Mirage 3.28, PoE 2 Return of the Ancients, and What’s Next

As of June 2026, the current Path of Exile league is Mirage (patch 3.28), which launched on March 6, 2026 and ends July 20, 2026, with patch 3.29 launching July 24. If you are searching for what league is active right now, that is your answer. Mirage runs on PC, Mac, and consoles simultaneously. Path of Exile 2 is running a separate league called Return of the Ancients (patch 0.5.0), which launched May 29, 2026. The two games have completely independent league schedules. For a deeper look at Djinn Coins and how they interact with the Mirage mechanic, check our Djinn Coins guide.

PoE 1 Current League: Mirage (3.28)

Mirage is the current challenge league for Path of Exile 1. It introduced a new encounter mechanic built around freeing captive Djinni, a complete Atlas rework that changes how you navigate the endgame, over 40 new Exceptional Support Gems, and a new Scion Ascendancy called the Reliquarian. The previous league, Keepers of the Flame (3.27), overhauled the Breach mechanic and launched on October 31, 2025.

How the Mirage Mechanic Works

The Mirage encounter follows a consistent loop across every map. Purple shimmer boundaries mark Mirage-affected areas containing Afarud monsters. Inside, three Afarud ritualists hold a Djinn captive. Defeat the ritualists and NPC Varashta, an ancient Maraketh sorceress, appears and offers a choice of three Wishes from a pool of over 60 options.

Pick a Wish and enter the portal into the Astral Realm, an imperfect replica of the surrounding map area at roughly one-third its size. Inside, break Astral Chains by defeating three more ritualists marked by giant chains extending into the sky. Breaking chains reveals bonus loot. There is no timer, and you can exit anytime.

Wishes and Djinn Types

Each Wish carries a sigil tied to one of three Djinn types. Wish categories include power buffs (Shrine buffs, Adrenaline, Onslaught), guaranteed rewards (Uniques, currency), and zone modifications (extra monster packs, resource caches). Mirages inherit all Scarabs, Atlas passive bonuses, and map modifiers from the parent map, so stacking modifiers before entering a Mirage compounds the rewards.

Djinn Coins

Three types of Djinn Coins drop from Mirage encounters, each imbuing a Level 20 Skill Gem with a random Support Gem effect:

• Coin of Power (Ruzhan Sigil) adds a random STR (red) Support effect
• Coin of Skill (Sigil of Kelari) adds a random DEX (green) Support effect
• Coin of Knowledge (Sigil of Navira) adds a random INT (blue) Support effect

The gem must be uncorrupted and Level 20. Using a Coin corrupts the gem in the process, and you can only have one imbued gem per piece of equipment. This is mutually exclusive with Vaal Orb corruption, so you have to choose one or the other. For a full breakdown of Coin drop rates and farming strategies, see our Djinn Coins guide.

What Changed in 3.28

Mirage brought one of the largest endgame reworks in Path of Exile history. Here is what changed beyond the league mechanic itself.

Atlas Rework

The Atlas layout was rebuilt from the ground up. Players now start in the center with four quadrants branching outward instead of the old bottom-to-top layout. Map items are now generic by tier, meaning you find a Tier 10 Map, choose any unlocked area on the Atlas, and run it. Layout-specific map items are gone. Four Voidstone slots sit at the corners, and the Atlas has 138 passive points total (10 from Unique Maps). If you are farming specific Atlas strategies, our Mirage best maps guide covers the strongest layouts.

Arcane Astrolabes and Shaped Regions

Arcane Astrolabes are a new Atlas enhancement item. Use one on the Atlas to create a Shaped Region in a quadrant. Shaped Regions spread across multiple maps, boosting rewards and difficulty. Completing a map within a Shaped Region shrinks the region but amplifies the remaining maps with additional modifiers, creating an escalating risk-reward loop.

Exceptional Support Gems

Over 40 Exceptional Support Gems replace the old Awakened Support system. These are designed to be transformative, not just stat sticks. Examples include Blessed Call Support (Warcries create Consecrated Ground), Hextoad Support (cursed ground spawns toads), and Voidstorm Support (celestial energy storms). They drop from Atlas bosses, and the new Originator Voidstone (obtained by defeating the Incarnations of Fear, Neglect, and Dread) enables these drops.

Other Major Changes

• Memory Vaults: four unique endgame dungeons tied to Atlas quadrants, accessed after clearing a Shaped Region. Contain targeted loot like Grand Heist displays.
• Reliquarian Ascendancy: new Scion Ascendancy path where notables borrow powers from existing Unique items. Notables rotate every league.
• New Holy skill gems: Divine Blast, Holy Hammers, Holy Strike, Shield of Light, and a reworked Holy Flame Totem.
• T17 maps reworked: Tier 17 maps were converted into Nightmare Maps at Tier 16. The bosses still exist but are now accessible in a less punishing format that can be affected by map modifiers.
• Keepers of the Flame goes core: Breach encounters now appear starting in Act 6 with new currency Flesh of Xesht.
• New pinnacle boss Saresh: a necromancer league boss that drops exclusive high-tier Uniques.

PoE 2 Current League: Return of the Ancients (0.5.0)

Path of Exile 2 runs on a completely separate development track from PoE 1. The current PoE 2 league is Return of the Ancients, introduced with patch 0.5.0 on May 29, 2026. It brings a comprehensive endgame overhaul, two new Ascendancy classes, and the Runes of Aldur league mechanic, and GGG has positioned it as the final major content milestone before the game’s 1.0 launch. PoE 2 is still in Early Access with the full 1.0 release expected late 2026. For an overview of PoE 2’s core systems, see our PoE 2 beginner guide.

Full League Schedule and Timeline

Both games run independent league rotations. Here is the recent history and upcoming schedule. The next Path of Exile 1 league, Curse of the Allflame (3.29), launches July 24, 2026; see our Curse of the Allflame league start guide for the new mechanic and the best starter builds.

Path of Exile 1

Path of Exile 2

What Leagues Are Coming Next

PoE 1 patch 3.29 is confirmed for July 24, 2026 at 1 PM PDT. GGG Live on July 16 will reveal the league mechanic, and Mirage ends on July 20, leaving a four-day gap that GGG plans to fill with special events. The league name has not been announced yet.

PoE 2’s next milestone is the full 1.0 launch, expected late 2026. Return of the Ancients (0.5.0) was described by GGG as the final major content update before release, so the current league is the last stop on the Early Access road.

This page will be updated each time a new league launches for either game. Bookmark it and check back when you want to know what is active.

Recommended Gear for Long ARPG Sessions

Path of Exile leagues run for months, and farming maps for hours at a time is the endgame. Comfortable peripherals make a real difference when you are running your hundredth Mirage in a sitting.

Prices on gaming peripherals and accessories change constantly. Berry Finds tracks real-time Amazon deals across thousands of products so you can grab gear at the lowest price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

The Path of Exile current league for PoE 1 is Mirage (3.28), running from March 6 to July 20, 2026, with patch 3.29 arriving July 24. For PoE 2, it is Return of the Ancients (0.5.0), live since May 29, 2026. Mirage introduced Djinn encounters, Wishes, an Atlas rework with Arcane Astrolabes, 40+ Exceptional Support Gems, and the Reliquarian Scion Ascendancy. For detailed farming strategies, check our Mirage best maps guide, and for Coin mechanics, see the Djinn Coins guide. This page will be updated when new leagues are announced. If you are also looking at Last Epoch, Season 4: Shattered Omens launched the same week. See our Last Epoch Season 4 overview for a full breakdown.