Since its Early Access launch in December 2024, Path of Exile 2 has already established itself as one of the most ambitious ARPGs on the market. Even in its current form, with only part of the campaign available, the game offers a deep and constantly evolving item system that shapes every build and playstyle. With the arrival of the massive 0.3.0 update, The Third Edict, the way players acquire gear is about to become more exciting and more streamlined than ever before.
The Item Hunt in Early Access
Right now, Path of Exile 2 players can progress through the first three Acts of the campaign before stepping into endgame systems. Item acquisition feels familiar to veterans of the first game: monsters drop randomized loot, chests occasionally surprise you with upgrades, and bosses can often reward powerful gear that can smooth the leveling curve. Vendor recipes also remain an important part of early gearing, allowing you to trade in specific combinations of items for valuable crafting currency.
Crafting is already central to shaping your items. Orbs like Chaos or Exalted function the same way they did in the original, rerolling or enhancing gear in unpredictable ways. In this early phase of the game, crafting is still a gamble, but one that can pay off with huge upgrades if luck is on your side. Trading also plays a role, though until now it has been limited to players being online at the same time, which sometimes made it clunky compared to the first game’s systems.
How The Third Edict Changes Itemization
The Third Edict, releasing August 29, 2025, is set to transform the way loot works in Path of Exile 2. First and foremost, it adds Act 4, a non-linear adventure across several islands that introduces over a dozen new bosses, more than a hundred fresh monster types, and plenty of unique rewards. To streamline the leveling process, the traditional second difficulty tier has been removed, replaced by shorter “mini-acts” that lead naturally into the endgame without forcing players to replay the same story again.
Where the update really shines, however, is in its approach to crafting and item variety. For the first time, players will be able to preview the results of orb rolls with a new tool called Hinekora’s Lock, which reduces the frustration of wasting valuable currency on poor outcomes. Orbs like Chaos and Exalted have been reworked to guarantee certain minimum tiers of modifiers, making the entire process more predictable and rewarding. New “Omens” add another layer of reliability, allowing players to upgrade rare items into uniques under specific conditions.
Support gems are also being liberated from their old restrictions, letting players attach them to multiple skills instead of being forced to choose just one. Combined with the addition of over 10 new uniques, 50 base item types, and more than 20 endgame maps, this creates an item ecosystem that is richer and more flexible than anything seen in the game so far.
Another game-changing addition is asynchronous trading. Until now, if you wanted to sell or buy gear, both players had to be online at the same time. With The Third Edict, trading can finally happen while one party is offline, bringing a level of convenience and accessibility that Path of Exile players have been asking for since the original game’s early days.
Finally, the new league mechanic, Rise of the Abyssal, introduces fissure-style events that open high-risk, high-reward encounters. For item hunters, this league is going to be an essential farming ground, filled with opportunities to grab rare loot while pushing their builds to the limit.
Finding the Balance Between Farming, Crafting, and Trading
With all these systems in place, item acquisition in Path of Exile 2 offers multiple paths depending on your playstyle. Some players prefer to grind through dense zones, chasing random drops and currency. Others focus on crafting, using their orbs carefully to mold items around specific builds. Trading appeals to those who enjoy playing the economy, flipping items and monitoring the market for bargains. With asynchronous trading arriving, this approach is only going to become more powerful.
The truth is that no single method stands above the others. The best gear often comes from a combination of all three: farming to gather raw resources, crafting to fine-tune those resources into something useful, and trading to fill in the gaps with items you might not have time to chase yourself. The Third Edict’s changes are designed to make all of these paths feel more rewarding and less frustrating, especially for players who don’t have endless hours to invest.
Why Buying Items Can Make Sense
For many players, time is the biggest obstacle. Farming and crafting can be immensely satisfying, but they also demand a level of dedication that not everyone can afford. That’s where buying Path of Exile 2 items becomes an attractive option. By using a trusted service provider like InstantCarry, players can secure rare gear or build-defining uniques without having to grind endlessly for them.
Buying items offers several benefits. It saves time by letting you skip repetitive farming and jump directly into maps, boss fights, or new league mechanics. It also makes it easier to complete your build quickly, ensuring you can enjoy the game’s most challenging content without being held back by bad luck. And as the meta continues to shift with major patches like The Third Edict, having the ability to adjust your gear quickly is a huge advantage.
Conclusion
Path of Exile 2 may still be in early access, but it already delivers one of the deepest item systems in the ARPG genre. With the release of The Third Edict, the game is moving closer to its full potential by making item acquisition smoother, crafting more rewarding, and trading more accessible.
Whether you’re farming drops, experimenting with orbs, playing the market, or buying items to save time, there’s a method that fits your lifestyle. In a game where loot defines every character, learning how to balance these different approaches is the key to thriving in Wraeclast.
