In-Depth Look at Path of Exile’s Trial of the Ancestors Expansion

Grinding Gear Games recently released their Trial of the Ancestors expansion for the popular ARPG Path of Exile. This guide will provide further details on what players can expect from the new content beyond what was outlined in the original announcement. It will also contextualize the expansion within PoE’s overall development and look at some of the community’s early reactions.

Table of Contents

1. The Trial of the Ancestors Tournament Mode
2. Unique Rewards and Progression Systems
3. Additional Forbidden Sanctum Improvements
4. Early Access Reception and Feedback
5. Location within cheap POE currency‘s Overall Arc

The Trial of the Ancestors Tournament Mode

Players participate in a series of single-elimination matches representing battles between the fallen Karui tribal chiefs as announced on the official PoE forums.

They assemble a team of warriors drawn from across Wraeclast and strategically position them on the battlefield to counter the opponent’s formation. Matches are won by destroying the other team’s totems while defending your own through tactical warrior placement and ability usage. Defeating tribes rewards exclusive trophy tattoos and other cosmetics that further customize character builds and visuals. Omens introduce new skill-granting items to experiment with and build around for each combat area. Tribute items hold the essence of fallen tribes to empower characters with their strengths. The endgame area received balance passes to make monsters and mechanics more varied from league to league. This was welcomed by the TrackExile community. Providing a refresh to the content keeps it engaging for veterans across updates. Players who participated in the expansion’s beta period provided largely positive feedback on the new tournament mode and rewards. Many enjoyed the distinctive squad-based combat and customization options it added beyond the main ARPG gameplay. Some requested additional banter or immersive elements to flesh out the lore of each tribe being challenged. Grinding Gear took notes on bugs and balance issues to address before the official launch.

Location within PoE’s Overall Arc

The Trial of the Ancestors takes place shortly after the events of PoE2’s campaign, connecting the two games’ stories. It acts as a bridge for characters to progress into PoE2’s endgame once that full sequel launches in phases. The community theorizes the mode could return or expand in the future expansions to maintain relevance. Grinding Gear aims to provide continuous new systems that evolve the ARPG experience over many years. In closing, the expansion received praise for enhancing character options without diverging from PoE’s core appeal. While some aspects could see refinements, it captured player attention through meaningful rewards in a self-contained challenge. For Grinding Gear, the expansion showed their continued support for the existing title as PoE2 approaches and helped maintain momentum leading into the sequel.