League
Leagues in Path of Exile represent the game worlds or domains that characters exist within. A single character can only belong to one league at any time, and can't interact with characters outside that league. Leagues are split in 2 different categories: permanent and temporary leagues. Each is narrowed down further with optional game modes that represent different play styles by introducing key conditions and restrictions to gameplay.
Permanent leagues
Standard league
Standard leagues are permanent, default leagues that only include mechanics that are core to the game, have no additional modifiers, and exclude any content from the current challenge league. Standard leagues include: Standard (Softcore/Trade), Standard Hardcore, Standard Solo-Self Found, and Standard Hardcore Solo-Self Found and their ruthless versions.
Void league
Characters used in hardcore versions of Ruthless mode, certain event leagues (such as Endless Delve or Mayhem), or in a 
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map with the Players who Die in area are sent to the Void mod are automatically transferred to the Void League upon death or at the end of the event's duration. Characters in Void Leagues cannot be accessed from the character selection screen and can only be deleted or kept as a trophy. Their equipment and passive trees are still visible on a player's web profile and can be imported into the Path of Building third-party software.
Temporary leagues
Temporary leagues have a limited duration, which can vary from 12 minutes to 4 months. They are usually defined by specific modifiers or features that permanent leagues don't have. When a league ends, characters from temporary leagues are transferred to the corresponding permanent league, unless voided.
Challenge leagues
Roughly every 13-16 weeks, a new challenge league is released that provides players with a fresh start. Each challenge league includes new:
- League Mechanic: A new optional league mechanic that players can interact with typically once per zone.
- Expansion Content: New content from an accompanying expansion, including but not limited to unique items, skill gems, bosses, lore, game mechanics, and additions or reworks to the endgame Atlas of Worlds mapping system.
- League Challenges: A set of optional challenges that can be completed for cosmetic rewards throughout the duration of the challenge league.
- Balance Changes: A number of balance changes to existing content is introduced with every challenge league and listed in the official patch notes. Older challenge league content may also be periodically removed from the game or re-introduced in cases where a specific mechanic was not originally added to the base game upon the end of that league.
- Cosmetic Content: Including new supporter packs, mystery boxes, Kirac's Vault Pass and standalone microtransactions as purchaseable options that are purely cosmetic, do not affect a character's power or progression in any way, and support the ongoing development of the game.
When a challenge league ends, all characters and their stash will be sent to their respective parent permanent league. Map progress will be transferred, along with maps. However, the map progress will be reset in Standard league once the new temporary league (and the accompanied expansion) starts. Players restore their atlas completion progress by completing any single T16 legacy map (or partial restoration of the progress by complete a legacy as high tier as they can). Voidstones and Atlas passive progress (only the invitation and pinnacle bosses kill part) are not reset at the start of each expansion, however.
Below is a list of all challenge leagues in Path of Exile in order of release, starting by the most current (times are in UTC):
| Challenge League | Release Date | End Date | Total Weeks | Release Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keepers league | 2025-10-31 7:00:00 PM | 3.27.0 | ||
| Mercenaries league | 2025-06-13 8:00:00 PM | 2025-10-27 9:00:00 PM | 19.4286 | 3.26.0 |
| Settlers league | 2024-07-26 8:00:00 PM | 2025-06-09 10:00:00 PM | 45.4286 | 3.25.0 |
| Necropolis league | 2024-03-29 8:00:00 PM | 2024-07-23 10:00:00 PM | 16.5714 | 3.24.0 |
| Affliction league | 2023-12-08 7:00:00 PM | 2024-03-26 9:00:00 PM | 15.5714 | 3.23.0 |
| Ancestor league | 2023-08-18 8:00:00 PM | 2023-12-05 9:00:00 PM | 15.5714 | 3.22.0 |
| Crucible league | 2023-04-07 8:00:00 PM | 2023-08-15 10:00:00 PM | 18.5714 | 3.21.0 |
| Sanctum league | 2022-12-09 7:00:00 PM | 2023-04-04 9:00:00 PM | 16.5714 | 3.20.0 |
| Kalandra league | 2022-08-19 8:00:00 PM | 2022-12-06 8:00:00 PM | 15.5714 | 3.19.0 |
| Sentinel league | 2022-05-13 8:00:00 PM | 2022-08-16 10:00:00 PM | 13.5714 | 3.18.0 |
| Archnemesis league | 2022-02-04 8:00:00 PM | 2022-05-10 10:00:00 PM | 13.5714 | 3.17.0 |
| Scourge league | 2021-10-22 7:00:00 PM | 2022-02-01 9:00:00 PM | 14.5714 | 3.16.0 |
| Expedition league | 2021-07-23 8:00:00 PM | 2021-10-18 9:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 3.15.0 |
| Ultimatum league | 2021-04-16 8:00:00 PM | 2021-07-19 10:00:00 PM | 13.4286 | 3.14.0 |
| Ritual league | 2021-01-15 8:00:00 PM | 2021-04-12 9:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 3.13.0 |
| Heist league | 2020-09-18 8:00:00 PM | 2021-01-11 9:00:00 PM | 16.4286 | 3.12.0 |
| Harvest league | 2020-06-19 8:00:00 PM | 2020-09-14 10:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 3.11.0 |
| Delirium league | 2020-03-13 | 2020-06-15 | 13.4286 | 3.10.0 |
| Metamorph league | 2019-12-13 8:00:00 PM | 2020-03-09 9:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 3.9.0 |
| Blight league | 2019-09-06 | 2019-12-09 9:00:00 PM | 13.4286 | 3.8.0 |
| Legion league | 2019-06-07 | 2019-09-03 | 12.5714 | 3.7.0 |
| Synthesis league | 2019-03-08 | 2019-06-03 10:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 3.6.0 |
| Betrayal league | 2018-12-07 | 2019-03-04 9:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 3.5.0 |
| Delve league | 2018-08-31 | 2018-12-03 9:00:00 PM | 13.4286 | 3.4.0 |
| Incursion league | 2018-06-01 | 2018-08-27 10:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 3.3.0 |
| Bestiary league | 2018-03-02 8:00:00 PM | 2018-05-28 10:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 3.2.0 |
| Abyss league | 2017-12-08 8:00:00 PM | 2018-02-26 9:00:00 PM | 11.4286 | 3.1.0 |
| Harbinger league | 2017-08-04 8:00:00 PM | 2017-12-04 9:00:00 PM | 17.4286 | 3.0.0 |
| Legacy league | 2017-03-03 | 2017-07-31 10:00:00 PM | 21.4286 | 2.6.0 |
| Breach league | 2016-12-02 8:00:00 PM | 2017-02-27 9:00:00 PM | 12.4286 | 2.5.0 |
| Essence league | 2016-09-02 | 2016-11-28 | 12.4286 | 2.4.0 |
| Prophecy league | 2016-06-03 | 2016-08-29 | 12.4286 | 2.3.0 |
| Perandus league | 2016-03-04 | 2016-05-30 | 12.4286 | 2.2.0 |
| Talisman league | 2015-12-11 | 2016-03-04 | 12.0000 | 2.1.0 |
| Warbands league | 2015-07-10 | 2015-10-02 | 12.0000 | 2.0.0 |
| Tempest league | 2015-07-10 | 2015-10-02 | 12.0000 | 2.0.0 |
| Bloodlines league | 2014-12-13 | 2015-03-24 | 14.4286 | 1.3.0 |
| Torment league | 2014-12-13 | 2015-03-24 | 14.4286 | 1.3.0 |
| Rampage league | 2014-08-20 | 2014-11-20 | 13.1429 | 1.2.0 |
| Beyond league | 2014-08-20 | 2014-11-20 | 13.1429 | 1.2.0 |
| Ambush league | 2014-03-05 | 2014-07-05 | 17.4286 | 1.1.0 |
| Invasion league | 2014-03-05 | 2014-07-05 | 17.4286 | 1.1.0 |
| Nemesis league | 2013-10-23 | 2014-02-23 | 17.5714 | 1.0.0 |
| Domination league | 2013-10-23 | 2014-02-23 | 17.5714 | 1.0.0 |
| Anarchy league | 2013-06-07 | 2013-10-07 | 17.4286 | 0.11.0 |
| Onslaught league | 2013-06-07 | 2013-10-07 | 17.4286 | 0.11.0 |
Event leagues
Event leagues are temporary leagues that are typically shorter in duration. They often include additional modifiers to make the event more challenging or rewarding. At the end of the event, characters and their stashed items are migrated to Standard league or Void league.
During race seasons, players could earn points towards unlocking alternate art items depending on their placement, with additional prizes awarded to top racers.
Private leagues
Private leagues are independent, temporary leagues that can be purchased with microtransaction points. Private leagues are customizable, allowing players to select their name, start time, amount of players, duration, and additional modifiers. When creating a private league, you can choose a league type to base it on. This can be a variation of the current challenge league or one of the permanent leagues. By default, every private league has a base cost of 120 Path of Exile store points, a duration of 10 days, and 10 player slots. You may increase the number of players or the duration of the league at an additional cost when creating the league and throughout its duration. The player that creates the league can either pay for the cost directly or crowdfund it, allowing for other players to contribute Path of Exile store points to fund the league.
You may also choose additional modifiers to make the league more challenging at no extra cost. These modifiers will be active for the entirety of the league's duration and cannot be deactivated. Options include:
- Increased Monster Damage: Monsters deal 10% (Tier I) and 20% (Tier II) increased damage.
- Increased Monster Life: Monsters have 20% (Tier I) and 40% (Tier II) more life.
- Increased Monster Speed: Monsters have 10% (Tier I) and 20% (Tier II) increased attack, cast, and movement speed.
- Increased Monster Elemental Damage: Monsters gain 15% (Tier I) and 30% (Tier II) of physical damage as extra fire, cold, and lightning damage.
- Increased Monster Area of Effect: Monsters have 35% (Tier I) and 70% (Tier II) increased area of effect.
- Reduced Player Resistances: Players have -20% (Tier I) and -40% (Tier II) to all resistances.
- Additional Monster Projectiles: Monsters fire 2 additional projectiles.
- Famine: Life, mana, energy shield, and flasks do not refill when you go to town.
- No Stash: Players have no access to the stash or guild stash)
- No Magic or Rare Items Drop: (Items of magic or rare rarity will not drop, they can be crafted.
- No Vending: NPCs will not have the option to sell or buy.
Private leagues are popularly used by players who are interested in progressing through a league in a group and restrict trading amongst themselves, normally referred to as Group SSF (GSSF). Players can also base their private league on an event league type. Event leagues are only available occasionally (and for a fixed period), but can be created for free with a restricted set of modifiers.
Game mode options
There are three additional game mode options available during character creation in permanent and temporary leagues: Hardcore (HC), Solo Self-Found (SSF), and Ruthless (R). These game mode options may be enabled in any combination to add rules and restrictions to the game. The character is placed in an experience ladder comprised only of characters that have the same options enabled.
Hardcore
When a character dies with hardcore mode enabled, they are eliminated from the hardcore league ladder. Usually this means the character is migrated to the corresponding non-hardcore league ladder, where the character can still be played. If Ruthless mode is also enabled, the character experiences true permadeath; they are migrated to Void league and can no longer be played. In either case, dead characters' final placement on the hardcore league ladder is shown with an annotation indicating that the character died.
Solo Self-Found
Solo Self-Found mode (SSF) places restrictions on how players can interact. Players are not allowed to join parties or trade with other players. This tends to make progression more difficult, as players must rely solely on the items that they find themselves.
Because SSF does not allow trading, non-SSF league ladders are often referred to by players as "Trade league". From the character selection screen, players can choose to migrate characters from SSF to Trade. The "Migrate All" button migrates all SSF characters, stash tabs, hideouts and league progress.
Ruthless
Ruthless mode enables alternate game rules that create extreme item scarcity and make many other subtle changes that are meant to increase the game's difficulty.
Players cannot choose to migrate characters out of a Ruthless league ladder. Note that when a character dies with hardcore and Ruthless mode enabled, that character is migrated to Void league and can no longer be played.
Version history
Prior to Keepers league, hardcore characters that died in challenge leagues were migrated to the non-hardcore Standard league ladder, as opposed to the non-hardcore challenge league ladder.
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 3.27.0 |
|
| 3.20.0 |
|
| 3.4.4 |
|
| 0.11.0 |
|
| 0.10.8d |
|
| 0.10.0 |
|
| 0.8.0 |
|