Path of Exile: The Fall of Oriath is a significant, free expansion requiring the base Path of Exile game. Released in 2017, this update fundamentally overhauls the core progression by replacing the previous four-act, multi-difficulty structure with a unified, continuous ten-act story campaign. Players engage in fast-paced, dark fantasy hack and slash RPG combat across new environments and face new bosses, substantially increasing the game's narrative length and content depth for PC and Xbox One users.
This content represents a major expansion released in August 2017 for the core action role-playing game. It is designed to significantly overhaul and extend the central narrative and progression structure of the base experience, integrating seamlessly into the existing world and mechanics. This update is substantial, fundamentally altering how players experience the game's overarching story arc.
Core Content Expansion and Narrative Shift
This expansion is not a standalone title; it requires the base game to access its content. Its primary focus was a massive restructuring of the main campaign. Previously, the game featured a four-act structure that was repeated across three escalating difficulty levels. This expansion replaced that system entirely with a unified, continuous narrative spanning
ten acts.
This shift means players now progress through a much longer, uninterrupted story journey, introducing new environments, enemies, and significant boss encounters across these additional acts. The scope of this addition is comparable to adding several new full-game chapters to the existing experience, dramatically increasing the content available for level progression.
What is the scope of this content update?
The update is characterized by its depth of integration rather than the addition of separate DLC packs, as this specific content release is classified as a free expansion. It adds significant narrative weight and playtime directly into the core game loop. It does not introduce new, separate expansions or remasters; rather, it serves as a foundational enhancement to the main game's structure.
Gameplay and Progression Changes
The expansion fundamentally alters the level progression path. By moving from a repeating difficulty structure to a linear ten-act campaign, the pacing and introduction of new challenges are managed differently. Players encounter entirely new areas and adversaries as they move through the expanded storyline.
The atmosphere remains consistent with the established dark fantasy setting of the parent game, focusing on intense, fast-paced hack and slash combat. The core mechanics of character building, skill gem customization, and loot acquisition remain central, but they are now applied across a much broader and deeper narrative framework.
What new story elements does this expansion introduce?
While the specific storyline details are deeply interwoven with the preceding content, the expansion focuses on continuing the journey through the world, introducing new conflicts and resolutions across the newly established ten acts. It represents the next major chapter in the ongoing saga of the game's world.
Platform Availability
This content update was made available for players on PC (Microsoft Windows) and the Xbox One console upon its release in 2017.