Path of Exile 2 Getting Started: 3.28 Mirage League, Class Pick, and the First 10 Acts
New to Path of Exile 2 in 2026? This guide covers the 3.28 Mirage League mechanic, the best starter class for new players, the difference between PoE 1 and PoE 2, and a 10-hour leveling path that gets you to maps without dying in Act 4.
TL;DR: Path of Exile 2 in 2026 is standalone from PoE 1 — no shared economy, separate ladders, different campaign. Witch (with the Infernalist ascendancy) is the easiest class for first-timers. The first 10 hours are Acts 1–3 → Cruel difficulty (Acts 1–3 again) → Maps. Don’t try to learn crafting during the campaign.
Who this guide is for
- You just bought Path of Exile 2 (or are about to) on Steam / Epic / Standalone
- You are unsure whether to play PoE 1 or PoE 2
- You are overwhelmed by the skill tree and gem system
- You do not need to read this if you have already cleared the campaign on PoE 2
This is the first guide in our zero-to-maps PoE 2 series. Read the others in any order:
- Core Mechanics: Skill Gems, Support Gems, and the Passive Tree — coming soon
- Mirage League Mechanic: How to Farm Mirage Orbs — coming soon
- Currency & Crafting: The Endgame Economy — coming soon
1. PoE 1 vs PoE 2: which game should you play?
Both Path of Exile games are live in 2026 and have separate player bases. They are not the same game.
| Game | State in 2026 | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Path of Exile 1 | Mature, all leagues done, super-deep crafting | Veterans, players who want the “finished” game |
| Path of Exile 2 | Active league development (3.28 Mirage) | New players, players who want the modern systems |
Recommendations:
- If you have never played PoE: pick PoE 2. The campaign is newer, the systems are more modern, the animations are smoother.
- If you have PoE 1 hours in the thousands: PoE 2 still has fresh systems (Spirit, Combo, new ascendancies) that will be novel.
- You can play both. They have separate leagues and separate economies.
Common pitfall: starting PoE 1 because your friend plays it, and getting frustrated by the 2013-era UI. PoE 2 has the same depth with a modernized tutorial.
2. Pick a starter class: 7 classes ranked for first-timers
PoE 2 has 7 classes, each with 2 ascendancies (sub-classes) unlocked later.
The classes
| Class | Difficulty for new players | Playstyle | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witch | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Spellcaster (fire / cold / lightning / chaos / minions) | Infernalist is the easiest ascendancy |
| Marauder | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Melee / totems / warcry | Slow but durable |
| Ranger | ⭐⭐⭐ | Ranged, fast, squishy | Good for players who like kiting |
| Monk | ⭐⭐⭐ | Combo-based melee | Highest skill ceiling, lowest floor |
| Mercenary | ⭐⭐⭐ | Crossbow / wand + shield | Hybrid, versatile |
| Druid | ⭐⭐⭐ | Shapeshift + companion | Newer class, mid-tier for beginners |
| Sorceress | ⭐⭐ | Highest damage, lowest survivability | Not for first-timers |
The recommendation
Witch → Infernalist is the easiest first character:
- Minions tank for you (you can summon demons from Infernalist)
- Fire spells are forgiving — Ignite / Burn playstyles don’t require precise aiming
- The skill tree path is well-documented — every major PoE 2 build guide starts with Witch
Common pitfall: starting Monk because “combo-based sounds cool.” Monk’s combos require precise timing and you will die 30+ times in Act 4. Pick a forgiving class first.
3. The campaign: what to expect
PoE 2 has 3 difficulties × 3 acts each = 9 acts total to reach the endgame “Mapping” content. This is the biggest change from PoE 1.
| Difficulty | Acts | Time | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 1, 2, 3 | ~5 hours | Story content, you learn the game |
| Cruel | 1, 2, 3 (again) | ~6 hours | Higher monster levels, new acts have new tilesets |
| Merciless | 1, 2, 3 (third time) | ~8 hours | Pre-endgame difficulty, builds start getting tested |
After Merciless Act 3, you unlock Maps — the endless procedurally-generated endgame.
The campaign flow
- Acts 1–3 (Normal): tutorial plus story. Don’t try to “optimize” yet
- Cruel: enemies hit harder, you need real gear from drops
- Merciless: this is where the build starts to feel its identity
Common pitfall: re-speccing your passive tree every act because you “found a better path.” Commit to a build guide for the entire campaign. You can respec later (with Orbs of Regret), but the cost is real.
4. The 3.28 Mirage League: the new mechanic
The current league (3.28, launched mid-2026) is Mirage. The mechanic is Mirage Orbs — items that you place on the ground to create illusory copies of nearby monsters.
How Mirage works
- Find a Mirage Orb (drops from any monster in the campaign and maps)
- Throw it on the ground in a safe spot
- Mirage monsters spawn — they have 2× the loot of normal monsters
- Kill them fast — they despawn after 30 seconds
- Pick up the loot — high-density, high-value drops
The catch
- Mirage monsters hit harder than normal monsters
- Some monsters cannot be miraged (bosses, unique enemies)
- The orb has a limited duration — if you don’t act fast, the spawn disappears
How to use Mirage in the campaign
- During leveling, save Mirage Orbs for tough zone transitions (e.g., entering the Act 2 town for the first time)
- During maps, always pop a Mirage Orb at the start of a map for the 2× loot bonus
Common pitfall: hoarding Mirage Orbs until endgame. They are designed for all content — using them during the campaign is normal and efficient.
5. The 10-hour leveling path
Hours 0–2: Normal Acts 1–2
- Pick Witch → Infernalist
- Skill gems to grab from vendors: Firebolt, Fireball, Flame Wall, Summon Raging Spirit
- Don’t skip the campaign — the zones teach you the layout
- Use Quicksilver Flasks as soon as you find them (movement speed is everything)
Hours 2–4: Normal Act 3
- The first big difficulty spike. Enemies start doing 2× your HP in one hit
- Cap your elemental resists at 75% for each element (fire, cold, lightning) — this is the most important stat in the game
- Don’t craft gear yet — replace items by finding drops
Hours 4–7: Cruel Acts 1–3
- The first real gear check. If you are dying in 1 hit, your resists are low
- Pick a build guide from poe-vault.com and follow it exactly until you reach maps
- Save Orbs of Regret for the campaign, not the tree you wished you’d planned
Hours 7–10: Merciless Acts 1–3
- The pre-endgame. This is where your build should feel like it works
- Loot filter becomes essential — install one from poe-vault.com or filterblade.xyz
- Pick up only:
- Chromatic Orbs (for socket colors)
- Jeweller’s Orbs (for socket count)
- Any unique item (read it, don’t auto-sell)
- Currency above Alteration, Augmentation, Transmutation — sell the rest
The milestone: unlocking Maps
When you finish Merciless Act 3, the Map Device unlocks. This is when the “real game” starts.
Common pitfall: spending 15 hours in the campaign trying to “perfect” a build. The build won’t feel right until level 70+ in maps. Speed through the campaign.
6. The 8 settings to change in your first hour
Display
| Setting | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Show item levels | On | A level 25 wand at level 60 is not useful |
| Show DPS | On | Compare two weapons at a glance |
| Show crit chance | On | Helps you understand your damage scaling |
| Health bar always visible | On | Boss telegraphs are easier to read |
Gameplay
| Setting | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Loot filter | Strict filter from filterblade.xyz | Otherwise the screen is unreadable |
| Auto-pickup | Currency only, then alt-click for rares | Otherwise you pick up 100 whites per zone |
| Confirm gem socketing | Off | You will socket a lot of gems |
| Always run with teleport | If your class has movement skill | Skip walking |
Common pitfall: playing without a loot filter. You will miss important drops in the clutter and quit at hour 5.
7. Frequently asked questions
Q: Is PoE 2 free-to-play? A: The base game is free. You can pay for Supporter Packs (cosmetic) and early access to new leagues if you want.
Q: How long is a league? A: ~3 months. At the end of the league, your character moves to Standard (the equivalent of Eternal). New leagues come with new mechanics.
Q: Can I play with friends? A: Yes, full co-op. Loot is individual but progress is shared in zones. The party cap is 6.
Q: What’s the difference between PoE 2 and Diablo 4? A: PoE 2 is much deeper in systems (skill tree, crafting, league mechanics). Diablo 4 is more accessible and action-oriented. Pick PoE 2 if you want hundreds of hours per character.
Q: Do I need a guide to play? A: For the campaign, no. For the endgame, yes — the systems are too deep to figure out solo.
8. Next steps
You are ready for your first session. The natural next read is Core Mechanics: Skill Gems, Support Gems, and the Passive Tree — once you understand skill gem linking, the game opens up.
If you want to start farming the new league mechanic, jump to Mirage League Mechanic: How to Farm Mirage Orbs.
Version note (2026-07-18): Based on Path of Exile 2 Patch 3.28 (“Mirage League”). Class balance shifts happen in mid-league patches; check the official forum for the latest. The campaign structure (Normal → Cruel → Merciless → Maps) has been stable since PoE 2’s launch.
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