Quick answer: ExileCon 2026 — Grinding Gear Games' third-ever fan convention — runs November 7–8, 2026 (NZT) in Auckland, New Zealand, and it is where the biggest Path of Exile 2 1.0 announcements are expected. Right now the road there is already live: GGG is running a series of four free Path of Exile 2 race qualifiers (August 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2PM PDT each), where the first player to kill Tavakai in Act Four — Solo Self-Found, in a fixed Runes of Aldur layout — wins flights, accommodation, an Ultra VIP ExileCon ticket, a spot in the on-stage finale, and a Demigod's Virtue helmet. You don't have to race to benefit: the qualifier broadcasts on twitch.tv/pathofexile have cosmetic Twitch Drops enabled, so linking your account earns you free rewards for watching. Here's the full breakdown.
- Event: ExileCon 2026, the third ExileCon — Nov 7–8 (NZT), Auckland, NZ.
- Why it matters: the most likely stage for the PoE2 1.0 reveal — and 1.0 makes the game free-to-play.
- Live now: four PoE2 race qualifiers (Aug 6/13/20/27), Twitch Drops on the broadcasts.
- 1.0 timing: expected late 2026, after ExileCon — GGG has not confirmed a launch date. Treat any exact date you see as a guess.
ExileCon only happens roughly once every few years, and each one has been a launchpad for something huge — the first revealed Path of Exile 2 itself. With the game still in Early Access at patch 0.5.x and 1.0 on the horizon, ExileCon 2026 is the single most important date on the PoE calendar. This guide covers exactly what's confirmed, how the race qualifiers work, how to grab the Twitch Drops, and what the event means for the 1.0 economy you'll be diving into.
PoE2 - Divine & Exalted Orbs
Skip the grind — get Divine & Exalted Orbs
When and where is ExileCon 2026?
ExileCon 2026 takes place on November 7 and 8, 2026, in Auckland, New Zealand — GGG's home turf. It's the third ExileCon (after the 2019 and 2023 events) and the first held during Path of Exile 2's lifecycle. Tickets went on sale earlier in the year, and the weekend includes hands-on time with new content, live main-stage announcements, developer panels, and meet-and-greets with the team and community creators.
A few hard facts worth pinning down:
- Dates: November 7–8, 2026 (New Zealand time — plan around your timezone, as NZT is ahead of most of the world).
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand (in person), with the major announcements streamed live for everyone at home.
- Format: two days of panels, reveals, and — new for 2026 — competitive Path of Exile 2 racing on the main stage.
If you can't fly to Auckland, don't worry: like previous ExileCons, the keynote and reveals will be broadcast on GGG's official channels, so the 1.0 news reaches everyone at the same time.
What is the PoE2 ExileCon race qualifier?
The headline lead-up event is a set of four Path of Exile 2 race qualifiers that feed into a live finale on the ExileCon main stage. In GGG's own words from the official announcement:
"In each qualifier event, players will compete to be the first to defeat Tavakai in Act Four in a Solo Self-Found Runes of Aldur fixed layout environment. While this is not a Hardcore Event, players will incur a penalty upon death where they will not be able to move until a two and a half minute period has lapsed." — Grinding Gear Games, pathofexile.com
Unpacking that:
- The goal: be the first player to kill Tavakai, the Act Four boss.
- The ruleset: Solo Self-Found (no trading, no party play) on a fixed Runes of Aldur layout, so every racer runs the same map seed — it's pure skill and routing, not RNG.
- The catch: it's not Hardcore, but dying triggers a brutal 2.5-minute movement lockout — a soft death penalty that punishes greed without ending your run.
- Platform: qualifiers are open to both Console and PC; the ExileCon finale itself is played on PC.
These races are genuinely fast. In the first qualifier, top runners were finishing Act Four at around character level 27 — skipping almost everything, grabbing just enough passive points and their key weapon base, and beelining the boss. As one viewer put it, "once they reach [level 27] they stop wasting time killing mobs." It's a masterclass in efficient leveling if you've ever wondered how far you can trim the campaign.
PoE2 race qualifier dates and times
All four qualifiers run at the same wall-clock time for every player. In US Pacific time:
| Qualifier | Date | Time (PDT) |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifier One | August 6, 2026 | 2:00 PM |
| Qualifier Two | August 13, 2026 | 2:00 PM |
| Qualifier Three | August 20, 2026 | 2:00 PM |
| Qualifier Four | August 27, 2026 | 2:00 PM |
To join, open the Character Select screen at race time, hit Join for the event, and create your race character — you won't be able to move until the race officially starts, so hop in early.
What do qualifier winners get?
The first player to kill Tavakai in each of the four events wins a serious prize package:
- Flights to Auckland, New Zealand for the ExileCon weekend.
- Accommodation in Auckland for the weekend.
- Entrance into the ExileCon Path of Exile 2 Race Finale (the main-stage showdown).
- An Ultra VIP ExileCon ticket.
- A Demigod's Virtue unique helmet — a prestige cosmetic reserved for competitive winners.
Two rules matter most: the races are free and open to anyone, but you must link your Path of Exile account to Twitch and stream your entire run on the linked account — if GGG can't watch your streamed entry, you're not eligible to win. Also, if you win one qualifier, you can't win another, spreading the prizes across four different players.
How do the ExileCon Twitch Drops work?
You don't need to race to walk away with something. GGG runs Twitch Drops during the qualifier broadcasts, so watching the official stream earns free in-game cosmetics. Here's how to make sure you actually get them:
- Link your accounts. Connect your Path of Exile account to Twitch (via your pathofexile.com account settings). Drops only track on the linked account.
- Watch the official broadcast. The qualifiers are cast live on twitch.tv/pathofexile, with shoutcasting by community veterans ZiggyD and RaizQT. Co-streamers are welcome, but watch a Drops-enabled channel to earn.
- Claim and verify. Cosmetic drops (players earned a cosmetic hood during the qualifier broadcasts) usually appear in-game automatically. If one doesn't show up, log into pathofexile.com → account settings → Twitch Rewards and you'll see every reward you've earned — clicking through pushes it into your cosmetics instantly.
If a drop is missing entirely, the community's proven fix is to unlink and re-link Twitch, then re-check the Twitch Rewards page. It's a known quirk, not a lost reward.
Each qualifier is roughly a two-hour broadcast, so the time-to-drop is small — easy free cosmetics while you scout the fastest leveling routes for yourself.
PoE2 - Items
Skip the grind — get Items
What does ExileCon 2026 mean for PoE2 1.0?
This is the real reason ExileCon 2026 matters to most players. Path of Exile 2 is still in Early Access at patch 0.5.x, and ExileCon is the natural stage for GGG to reveal 1.0 — the full 1.0 launch is targeted for late 2026, after the convention. Critically, GGG has not officially confirmed an exact 1.0 release date, so any specific day you see floating around (December this, November that) is community speculation until GGG says otherwise. For what is confirmed on timing, see our PoE2 1.0 release date guide.
Two things about 1.0 are well established and worth planning around:
- 1.0 makes Path of Exile 2 free-to-play. The Early Access purchase requirement goes away, which means a massive influx of new and returning players at launch — and a brand-new economy from scratch.
- A fresh economy resets values. A launch league wipes the current currency landscape. If you're sitting on wealth in the current patch, plan what to do with it before the reset — we cover that in the PoE2 character wipe & 1.0 transfer guide.
The practical takeaway: ExileCon weekend is when the hype (and the player count) spikes. If you want to hit 1.0 running — geared, funded, and ahead of the free-to-play wave — the smart move is to sort your currency stockpile and clear any lingering boss content now, while the current economy is stable. A little prep before the reset goes a long way once millions of fresh exiles flood in.
Getting ready for the 1.0 wave
ExileCon 2026 kicks off the busiest stretch Path of Exile 2 has ever seen. Whether you're grinding for the finale, farming a launch-day war chest, or just want your boss achievements done before the servers get slammed, having currency and carries ready is the difference between riding the wave and drowning in it.
Prep for ExileCon & the 1.0 surge with timesaver.gg — instant delivery, best rates, pro players:
- PoE2 Divine Orbs — the backbone currency for gearing fast · instant delivery · best rate
- PoE2 Exalted Orbs — fuel your crafting before the reset · fast & secure
- PoE2 Currency (all orbs) — divine · chaos · exalted · everything in one place
- PoE2 Leveling & Boss Carries — clear pinnacle content and skip the grind · pro players
FAQ
When is ExileCon 2026 and where is it held? ExileCon 2026 runs on November 7–8, 2026 (New Zealand time) in Auckland, New Zealand. It's the third ExileCon and the first during Path of Exile 2's lifecycle. Major announcements will be streamed live on GGG's official channels for players who can't attend in person.
Will Path of Exile 2 1.0 be revealed at ExileCon 2026? It's expected to be. ExileCon is GGG's traditional stage for its biggest reveals, and the 1.0 launch is targeted for late 2026, after the convention. However, GGG has not officially confirmed an exact 1.0 release date, so treat any specific date as speculation until it's announced.
How do I join the PoE2 ExileCon race qualifiers? During each qualifier window (Aug 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 2PM PDT), open the Character Select screen, click Join for the race, and create your character. You must link your Path of Exile account to Twitch and stream your entire run to be eligible for prizes. The task is to be the first to kill Tavakai in Act Four in a Solo Self-Found, fixed Runes of Aldur layout.
What are the ExileCon qualifier prizes? The first player to defeat Tavakai in each qualifier wins flights and accommodation in Auckland for ExileCon, an Ultra VIP ticket, entry into the on-stage PoE2 Race Finale, and a Demigod's Virtue unique helmet. Only one win per player is allowed across the four events.
How do I get the ExileCon Twitch Drops? Link your Path of Exile account to Twitch in your pathofexile.com settings, then watch the qualifier broadcasts on twitch.tv/pathofexile. Cosmetic drops usually appear in-game automatically; if one is missing, check account settings → Twitch Rewards on the website, or unlink and re-link Twitch to force it through.
Will Path of Exile 2 be free-to-play after 1.0? Yes. The full 1.0 launch removes the Early Access purchase requirement and makes Path of Exile 2 free-to-play, which is expected to bring a large wave of new and returning players and a fresh launch economy.
