Character wipe

Path of Exile 2 will not wipe Early Access characters at its 1.0 release on Dec 11, 2026. Grinding Gear Games has promised they stay playable in a separate Early Access league, apart from the new 1.0 Standard, while microtransactions and stash tabs stay on the account.

No, Path of Exile 2 will not wipe characters at its 1.0 release on Dec 11, 2026: Grinding Gear Games (GGG) answered "No, there will not be a wipe" in its Early Access FAQ of Nov 21, 2024, and said Early Access characters "will just go to a league called Early Access (so they will never be in Standard)". In other words, characters made during Early Access are kept and stay playable, but they do not carry into the fresh 1.0 economy: everyone who wants to play 1.0 itself starts a new character, as at the start of any league. As of Nov 1, 2026, GGG has not announced anything more detailed, such as transfers or rewards for old characters; the full reveal of 1.0 is at ExileCon 2026 on Nov 6 (PST).

Quick facts

Wipe at 1.0	No; "there will not be a wipe" (GGG FAQ, Nov 21, 2024)
Where Early Access characters go	A league called Early Access, never the new Standard
After launch	"the 'Early Access' characters will still exist" (same FAQ)
Current leagues	Forbidden Rites and Runes of Aldur, both ending at 1.0 (GGG, Aug 30, 2026)
Microtransactions and stash tabs	Kept on the account, shared with Path of Exile 1
1.0 economy	A fresh start: new characters at level 1
Details still to come	Transfers, rewards for old characters: not announced as of Nov 1, 2026

Will my Early Access characters be deleted?

No. GGG's FAQ of Nov 21, 2024 says that after launch "the 'Early Access' characters will still exist", in a league of their own called Early Access. Talkative Tri's summary of what is confirmed for 1.0 (video, Oct 8, 2026) explains how it should work: existing characters move to a Standard Early Access realm where they remain playable, but separate from the characters made at or after the 1.0 launch. GGG has not said whether that league keeps its own trade market.

Can I bring my character into 1.0?

Not into the new economy, as far as GGG has said. Its promise was that Early Access characters "will never be in Standard", meaning the permanent Standard league of the full game. A 1.0 character starts at level 1 in the launch league, or in the new Standard, with the Duelist, the final acts of the Campaign and the balance pass of 1.0. That matches how leagues already work: when a challenge league ends, its characters move to a permanent league and the next one starts fresh.

What happens to Forbidden Rites and Runes of Aldur?

Both leagues end with 1.0. GGG's Forbidden Rites FAQ of Aug 30, 2026 says that Forbidden Rites "will run until the 1.0 full release and will end alongside Runes of Aldur", and that Runes of Aldur is also running until 1.0. Characters in them follow the Early Access promise above. Hardcore characters that die move to their league's softcore parent, as in every league.

What do I keep from Early Access?

What belongs to the account stays. Path of Exile 1 and 2 share one account, and GGG's 2024 FAQ said most of the first game's microtransactions carry over; its 1.0 announcement of Aug 25, 2026 repeats that purchases are shared between the two games. Stash tabs, cosmetics and unspent points from Supporter packs stay on the account. GGG has announced no extra reward for Early Access buyers at 1.0 as of Nov 1, 2026, and buying Early Access does not register an account for the 1.0 rewards (Registration rewards).

Should I keep playing before 1.0?

That depends on what a player wants from the last weeks. Progress made now stays in the Early Access league, not in 1.0. The large balance pass GGG held back from 0.5.5 lands with 1.0, so builds may change (Best starter builds). Players who want to learn the game can still play the campaign and the Atlas now (Beginner's guide); those who want a fresh economy wait for Dec 11 (Release time).

Frequently asked questions

Is there a character wipe in Path of Exile 2 1.0? No. Grinding Gear Games said in its Early Access FAQ that "there will not be a wipe": Early Access characters move to an Early Access league and stay playable after Dec 11, 2026.

Do Path of Exile 2 Early Access characters go to Standard? No. GGG said they "will never be in Standard"; they go to a separate Early Access league, and the 1.0 Standard starts empty.

Will I lose my Path of Exile 2 microtransactions at 1.0? No. Microtransactions and stash tabs belong to the account, which Path of Exile 2 shares with Path of Exile 1, and GGG says purchases stay shared between the two games.

Can I transfer a Path of Exile 2 Early Access character to 1.0? GGG has not announced any transfer as of Nov 1, 2026. Its promise is that old characters stay in an Early Access league, apart from the 1.0 economy.

When do Forbidden Rites and Runes of Aldur end? Both end with the 1.0 release of Path of Exile 2 on Dec 11, 2026 (PST), GGG's Forbidden Rites FAQ says.

Do Early Access players get a reward in Path of Exile 2 1.0? GGG has announced none beyond what their supporter packs held. Existing players must register at pathofexile2.com/register like everyone else to get the 1.0 registration cosmetics.