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Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has officially revealed the new 'Shadow' class for 'Path of Exile 2'. Utilizing daggers and traps, the Shadow approaches enemies using a new Stealth system, chaining attacks together even faster as it lands kills.

During the ExileCon 2026 keynote held in Auckland, New Zealand on November 7, GGG demonstrated the Shadow's core skills and combat style. Alongside the Shadow, GGG also introduced 'The Knight', a new Ascendancy for the 'Duelist', which was previously revealed at Gamescom last August. Neither the Shadow nor the Duelist is currently playable in Early Access; both will be added upon the game's official launch on December 11.

The most defining system for the Shadow is 'Stealth'. While in Stealth, monsters cannot detect the character until getting within a certain distance, and executing an attack skill allows the character to swiftly close in on the target to deliver an ambush strike. It is not merely a movement tool for avoiding line of sight, but a core system that dictates the initiation of attacks and the overall flow of combat.

Dagger skills in particular trigger unique additional effects when used while in Stealth. Most notably, 'Viper Strike' coats daggers in poison when used in Stealth, triggering a toxic explosion on subsequent follow-up strikes. Even for the same skill, its effect changes depending on whether the character is stealthed.

Although Stealth has a cooldown, securing a kill resets it immediately. As a result, players can approach in Stealth, take down an enemy, and immediately move on to the next target. Having the firepower to defeat enemies in a single burst directly translates to faster-paced combat. Conversely, failing to eliminate a target forces players to wait out the cooldown, making target selection and ambush timing crucial.

The trap system has also been redesigned compared to the previous game. Game Director Jonathan Rogers explained that traps in the original title were functionally not much different from spells thrown at enemies' feet. Therefore, this sequel focuses on ambush combat, where traps are laid in advance and their various effects are linked together. Traps set while stealthed will not detonate until Stealth breaks, and they trigger in the exact order they were placed.

For example, embedding metal shrapnel into an enemy with 'Shrapnel Trap' followed by 'Freezing Trap' causes the shrapnel to burst into ice shards. 'Concussive Trap' normally stuns enemies, but when used on a frozen enemy, it shatters the ice to deal additional damage. Each trap serves as an independent attack method while simultaneously acting as a component to amplify the effects of other traps.

Combos utilizing poison and fire are also possible. Creating a toxic cloud with 'Poison Gas Trap' and igniting it into an explosion with 'Fire Trap' is one such method. Adding the wind effect from Concussive Trap spreads the poison gas over a wider area. Setting Poison Gas Trap, Concussive Trap, and Fire Trap in sequence while in Stealth before detonating them triggers an explosion across a far greater radius.

GGG revealed that it has prepared a total of eight trap types, designed so that each trap meaningfully interacts with at least three other trap types. Ultimately, the placement order and combinations are just as crucial as the raw power of the traps. The outcome of battle depends on which effect is triggered first and how its results are leveraged.

Beyond Stealth and traps, the Shadow also features a combat style centered on embedding blades into enemies and linking them with other skills. The live demonstration showcased skills that leave blades and status effects on enemies through multiple attacks, which can then be retrieved or used as fuel for follow-up attacks. Even after an attack finishes, its lingering effect connects into subsequent skills.

'Ethereal Knives' can be cast without breaking Stealth, embedding blades into enemy souls. Attacking that enemy afterward causes the embedded blades to deal additional Chaos damage. 'Pestilent Volley' leaps backward while launching multiple poisoned blades; hitting an already poisoned enemy spawns a cloud of Chaos gas. 'Electrocution Trap' electrifies metal blades embedded in enemies to deal bonus damage.

The skill that epitomizes this design is 'Blade Vortex'. It pulls blades embedded in enemies to orbit around the character while retaining any properties previously attached to those blades. Blades generated by Ethereal Knives trigger Chaos explosions, electrified blades unleash Lightning explosions, and poisoned blades deliver toxic attacks.

The duration mechanic for Blade Vortex has also changed from the original game. Previously, blades expired after a set duration, but in this installment, they dissipate after hitting enemies a fixed number of times. Consequently, players can retrieve lingering blades from corpses after a battle concludes to carry into the next encounter. This makes it possible to prepare offensive tools in advance before approaching the next target in Stealth.

Another combat style highlighted involves the 'Shade' and 'Darkness' resources. A Shade is a shadow illusion that mirrors the character's appearance. Entering Stealth blinds nearby enemies and leaves behind a Shade, causing monsters to attack the illusion instead of the character. Furthermore, when the character executes a melee attack while stealthed, the Shade mimics the same skill to join in on the attack.

Darkness is a resource managed separately from Mana. Afflicting an enemy with Darkness using 'Blade of the Night' and defeating them generates an explosion while awarding Darkness resource. Accumulated Darkness is consumed upon breaking Stealth to boost attack power. Director Rogers explained Darkness as a concept antithetical to Rage, describing it as a resource representing a calm and composure-filled state.

There are also skills that utilize Darkness to spawn additional Shades. 'Shadow Extraction' strikes an enemy afflicted with Darkness to summon a Shade that executes an ambush attack. Pairing this with 'Eclipse' allows players holding sufficient Darkness to enter a shadow realm. In this state, every attack is counted as a Stealth attack, triggering Stealth attack bonuses on every hit while Shades join the assault. It is a powerful combat style that continuously unleashes effects normally reserved for specific conditions.

The Shadow will offer two Ascendancies: 'Assassin' and 'Infiltrator'. The Assassin returns from the original game, while the Infiltrator is a new option introduced in PoE 2. However, GGG only revealed the names of the two Ascendancies during the showcase, with detailed exclusive abilities and passive node allocations to be shared at a later date.

Another class presented alongside the Shadow is the 'Duelist'. First revealed at Gamescom last August as a sword-focused melee combatant, its basic fighting style and initial skills were shown at the time. However, it is not included in the current Early Access build and, like the Shadow, will be playable starting at official launch.

At this ExileCon, the Duelist's first Ascendancy, 'The Knight', was revealed. While the previously shown Duelist focused on sword-based melee combat and Bleed skills, The Knight expands the playstyle by raising a companion and supporting combat with banners. The core feature is the 'Squire', a companion players can directly equip with gear and configure skills for.

Unlike ordinary minions, the Squire possesses independent equipment and skill setups. Players can hand their preferred weapons to the Squire and socket skills directly into its Skill Gem slots. In the live demo, the Squire was equipped with a spear and configured to use 'Bloodhunt'. This skill consumes blood pools left by enemies to trigger explosions, seamlessly linking with the Duelist's Bleed-based skills.

The demo also showed equipping the Squire with 'Bloodhound's Mark'. This skill applies a mark to enemies that enhances Bleed and stun-related effects, triggering a toxic explosion upon enemy death. Thus, the Squire acts not merely as an attacking companion, but as a support unit that sets up specific combos and assists the player's attacks. Depending on the equipment and skills provided by the player, the Squire's role dynamically shifts.

The Knight also empowers self and ally combat capabilities through 'War Banners'. By default, War Banners increase the attack speed and damage of allies within their area of effect, with the benefits extending to the Squire. Selecting the 'Bannerlord' Ascendancy node unlocks special effects for banners representing various empires of Wraeclast. For example, the banner of the Vaal Empire creates a zone of blood, which can be combined with 'Cyclone' to form a whirlwind of blood.

Placing a War Banner requires the 'Glory' resource. The Knight accumulates 'Valour' by spending Glory, and upon reaching a certain threshold, enters the 'Honor Bound' state to emit waves of righteousness with every attack. 'Mounted Charge' is a skill where the Knight rides a chariot headlong into enemy ranks, knockbacking and stunning foes while planting a banner where the charge ends. The knockback effect can even be applied to large enemies, such as Rare or Unique monsters.

Ultimately, both the Shadow and The Knight emphasize skill synergy through different approaches. While the Shadow maintains combat flow using Stealth, traps, embedded blades, and Darkness, The Knight shapes the battlefield using the Squire and banners to receive combat support. Both classes share the common philosophy that maximizing effectiveness requires combining multiple skills and systems rather than spamming a single ability.

'Path of Exile 2' will officially launch on December 11 (PST). The Shadow, revealed for the first time at ExileCon, and the Duelist, revealed back in August, will both be playable on launch day. At full launch, a total of 10 classes will be available including these two, with the remaining two previously promised classes set to be added through future updates.