Path of Exile 2 developers released a video showing changes to "Delirium" and "Ritual"

Grinding Gear Games has pulled back the curtain on the "Return of the Ancients" update for Path of Exile 2. The package refocuses two endgame systems — "Ritual" and "Delirium" — with new narrative beats, tougher encounters, and Atlas changes aimed at players who chase brutal late-game content (esp. hardcore fans).

"Ritual" now carries its own storyline centered on Ifa, a restless spirit trying to reclaim her body from a mysterious Master trapped in the Mists. A fresh Atlas region named Caer Tart will host the ritual activities. The passive skill tree tied to this system has been redone, and defeating the new boss opens a special challenge called “Nameless Ritual.” In that mode you run five maps back-to-back (i.e., no breaks between stages), where foes and bosses stack up over time until fights become truly nightmarish.

"Delirium" sees big mechanical depth added to the mist: a visible delirium meter tracks your progression through the fog, unlocking new events and stronger, empowered enemies as you push on. The update also introduces a storyline about an ancient trickster god seeding madness across Reklast. Map bosses inside Delirium will now always enter a state of full-blown madness, changing how encounters play out and how you prepare for them.

If this sounds intimidating, it probably is — the changes lean into escalation rather than simplification, so expect nastier surprises and more extreme endgame runs.