Leagues | Basics Path of Exile Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

When you create a character in Path of Exile you have several game modes, or - to be specific - leagues. They are separate game servers. What's important, you can't interact with players in other leagues in any way. There's a similar separation in ranks and challenges. The leagues vary in many aspects - mainly difficulty and frequency with which rare or even legendary items and artifacts appear.

Standard

Basic mode, it doesn't stand out in any way. It's recommended for beginners who have just started playing.

Hardcore

It's just standard mode with permadeath. If you die, you're being moved to standard league. Luckily, you can keep your experience and equipment.

Aside from the two modes listed above that don't have much to offer if you're looking for a challenge, there's also a system in which two new leagues with specific rules appear every four months. The newest ones - Domination and Nemesis started on 23rd of October and will be taken down on the 23rd of February 2014.

Domination

A variety of powerful shrines appears all around the game's world, each is protected by hordes of monsters. After you defeat them and get to a shrine for a moment, you'll get a massive bonus for your character. When the league is over, all players will be moved to Standard league.

Nemesis

The hardest of currently available modes, it lets you confront legendary, incredibly powerful monsters. Not only they are quite rare (so you have to spend some time looking for them) but each of them has a random powerful upgrade. Disaster. When the league is over, you'll be moved to Hardcore and if you die, to Standard. No mercy.