Path of Exile 2 adds the Druid in update 0.4.0

Grinding Gear Games released Path of Exile 2 content update 0.4.0, The Last of the Druids, in December 2025. The update added the long-awaited Druid as a playable character and paired the class with the Fate of the Vaal league.

Path of Exile 2 update 0.4.0: what changed

The Druid arrived with Oracle and Shaman Ascendancy classes, more than twenty primarily Primal skills, over thirty-five Supports and a large passive-tree expansion. A new two-handed Talisman weapon class enables shapeshifting attacks and provides a basic attack for the equipped animal form. Abyss also became part of the core game, including endgame encounters and an Atlas passive tree.

How it affects the game

Shapeshifting is not only a visual stance change. The Talisman determines a form and its attack, allowing a build to move between human spell setup and animal pressure. That creates sequencing questions about rage, ailments and positioning. The broader passive-tree additions and new Supports also affect builds that never select the Druid.

What players should know

The update started a fresh Fate of the Vaal economy while retaining older Early Access characters in their existing leagues and granting a passive-tree refund. Because Path of Exile 2 remained in Early Access, later balance patches could change numerical recommendations. The class, skills and core Abyss integration should be distinguished from temporary league progression.

This report describes the confirmed release at the stated date. Live games may change through hotfixes, rotations and later seasons, so a launch feature should not be treated as permanently unchanged.

Sources: official information and published records. Factual claims were checked against the linked source and additional primary records; interpretation is our own.

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