Path of Exile Update 1.3.0 Launches

New Zealand’s star MMO development studio, Grinding Gear Games, makes good on their promise of bi-annual mini-expansions today with the release of Path of Exile update 1.3.0. To celebrate they’ve launched an official Twitch channel to broadcast their own streamed events!

The primary focus of this update is the beginning of Season 1 PvP, meaning a shotgun approach to pvp rebalance across the board along with the following events to keep competitive battles interesting.

• Free-for-all tournaments take place in the Sarn Arena. They’re a massive brawl where players get one point per player kill. Upon death, players are sent to a new arena to continue the massacre.
• Blitz tournaments are a series of rapid-fire duels where players are quickly matched against a new opponent as soon as the last round finishes. The goal is to get as many victories as possible within the time limit.
• Swiss tournaments are highly competitive tournaments that match players with similar records against each other. They’re run in regimented matches with seven fights to a match and provide the most competitive structure of the three tournaments on offer.

Each tournament will be taking place at specified times. True enthusiasts can even look forward to seeking out Leo Redmane, the latest Forsaken Master, to add him to their hideout and receive rewards for their daily PvP activity. Those looking for the more classic competitive Path of Exile scene can also engage in the new Bloodlines and Torment leagues.

For those new to the scene that just want to jump straight into the action, level 28 PvP characters will now be available to allow you to test and tweak builds before duking it out in duels with other characters.

That’s just the tip of the patch notes. For full details read the official post here.