After years of teases and multiple delays, the Druid is finally ready. Grinding Gear Games announced The Last of the Druids update for Path of Exile 2 on November 20, 2025, confirming that patch 0.4.0 will introduce the game’s eighth playable class when it launches December 12 at 11 AM PST. The shapeshifting nature warrior missed the Early Access launch in October and several previous updates while the development team redesigned its mechanics multiple times since first showcasing the class in 2019. A full reveal livestream scheduled for December 4 at 11 AM PST will detail the Druid’s final implementation, new skills available to all classes, endgame improvements, and other content additions. To celebrate the update and attract new players, Grinding Gear Games is hosting a free-to-play weekend from December 12-15 PST on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, allowing anyone to experience Path of Exile 2’s challenging action RPG gameplay without purchasing Early Access.
The Druid’s Long Development Journey
Path of Exile 2 first revealed the Druid class during ExileCon 2019, showcasing a character that could transform into bears and wolves using aura-like permanent shapeshifting forms. In this early iteration, players would activate a transformation and remain in animal form indefinitely until manually switching back or activating a different form, similar to how Diablo II’s Druid worked.
By 2023, the design philosophy had completely changed. Game director Jonathan Rogers demonstrated a revised Druid where specific attack skills triggered temporary shapeshifting transformations. Instead of staying in bear form permanently, you’d use a bear-specific attack that would automatically shift you into the appropriate animal, execute the skill, then potentially shift back depending on what ability you used next. This created more dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay but fundamentally altered the class identity.
The Druid was originally slated for Path of Exile 2’s Early Access launch in October 2025 but missed the deadline while the team continued refining the shapeshifting mechanics. It also skipped the subsequent updates, leading to community speculation about whether the class faced fundamental design problems or simply needed more development time to reach Grinding Gear Games’ quality standards.
Now scheduled for December 12, the Druid has likely undergone additional revisions since the 2023 showcase. Community speculation suggests the final version may differ significantly from both the 2019 permanent transformation model and the 2023 skill-based shifting system, potentially incorporating elements from both approaches or introducing entirely new mechanics.
Confirmed Shapeshifting Forms
Based on previous showcases, the Druid will definitely transform into at least two animal forms: bear and wolf. The bear form emphasizes powerful melee attacks with skills like Maul (a basic claw swipe auto-attack that generates rage), Sunder (a ground slam that cracks the earth), and various other abilities leveraging the bear’s size and strength for area damage and crowd control.
Wolf form hasn’t received as much detailed coverage but likely focuses on speed and mobility compared to the bear’s slower, heavier attacks. Diablo IV’s Druid offers wolf forms that emphasize hit-and-run tactics with bleed damage over time effects, and Path of Exile 2 might implement similar distinctions between its animal transformations.
Whether additional shapeshifting forms exist beyond bear and wolf remains unclear. Previous Path of Exile lore references other animals, and the Druid could potentially transform into cats, birds, or other creatures depending on how extensive Grinding Gear Games wanted the shapeshifting system to become. The December 4 livestream should clarify the full roster of available transformations.
The current understanding is that shapeshifting occurs automatically when using form-specific skills rather than as a toggle you manually activate. If you use a bear attack while in human form, you’ll transform into a bear to execute the skill. If you then use a wolf ability, you’ll shift from bear to wolf. This creates skill rotation complexity where the order you use abilities affects transformation delays and combat flow.
Skills Available to All Classes
Path of Exile 2’s skill gem system allows any class to use any skill gem, meaning non-Druids can equip and utilize nature-themed spells introduced with The Last of the Druids update. However, only the Druid class will have access to shapeshifting transformations—these remain class-exclusive abilities tied to the Druid’s identity.
Previous updates introduced dozens of new skill gems that benefited all eight classes even when marketed around a specific new character. The Last of the Druids will likely follow this pattern, adding nature magic, elemental spells, minion abilities, or weapon attacks themed around the Druid but mechanically viable for Rangers, Sorceresses, Warriors, and other classes to incorporate into their builds.
This universal skill system creates build diversity that other action RPGs can’t match. A Warrior might use Druid nature spells for healing or damage-over-time effects. A Sorceress could combine elemental Druid magic with her existing spell repertoire. The possibilities expand exponentially with each new skill gem addition regardless of which class nominally owns that skill.
Expected Content Beyond the Druid
While the Druid dominates marketing and community discussion, The Last of the Druids update will include substantial additional content that affects all players regardless of which class they main. Game director Mark Roberts previously stated Grinding Gear Games wants each major update to introduce new league mechanics so every area feels different with something extra going on.
The Path of Exile 2 campaign currently includes four acts in Early Access, with two more planned for the full release. Update 0.4.0 could potentially add Act 5, pushing the campaign closer to completion while giving players more story content and leveling zones to experience. Whether the full Act 5 arrives or just portions of it won’t be clear until the December 4 reveal.
Endgame improvements are basically guaranteed given that Grinding Gear Games confirmed major endgame overhauls are in development. The Atlas passive tree system that governs endgame mapping might receive adjustments. New pinnacle bosses or uber encounters could appear as ultimate challenges for min-maxed characters. The developers might even implement Trial of the Ancestors, a popular mechanic from Path of Exile 1 that community members have requested for the sequel.
Additional Ascendancy classes represent another possibility. Each of Path of Exile 2’s base classes eventually unlocks three Ascendancy specializations that dramatically alter playstyle through powerful passive trees. The Druid will certainly receive its three Ascendancies, but other classes might gain additional options simultaneously.
Quality-of-life improvements, balance adjustments, bug fixes, and performance optimizations round out typical Path of Exile updates. Grinding Gear Games historically delivers extensive patch notes covering hundreds of changes beyond the headline features, and The Last of the Druids should continue this tradition.
The Free Weekend Strategy
Hosting a free-to-play weekend from December 12-15 PST serves multiple purposes for Grinding Gear Games. First, it allows curious players who haven’t purchased Early Access to experience Path of Exile 2 without financial commitment, potentially converting them into paying customers if they enjoy what they play.
Second, it generates population spikes that create livelier multiplayer experiences, fuller trade economies, and more active global chat channels. Action RPGs benefit from critical mass of concurrent players, and free weekends artificially inflate those numbers during promotional periods.
Third, it provides marketing momentum heading into the holiday season when many people have time off work or school to play games extensively. Launching The Last of the Druids update during prime gaming season with a free trial maximizes visibility and conversion potential.
Path of Exile 2 will eventually transition to fully free-to-play when it exits Early Access, making this weekend a preview of the business model that will support the game long-term. Grinding Gear Games monetizes through cosmetic microtransactions and convenience features like additional storage tabs rather than selling power or content access.
The December 4 Reveal Livestream
Grinding Gear Games will host a full reveal livestream on December 4, 2025, at 11 AM PST showcasing everything included in The Last of the Druids update. These presentations typically run 60-90 minutes featuring game director Jonathan Rogers and other developers walking through new content, demonstrating mechanics, explaining design philosophy, and answering community questions.
Expect extensive Druid gameplay footage showing all shapeshifting forms, demonstrating how transformations flow during combat, and revealing the three Ascendancy specializations that define different Druid build archetypes. The stream will likely showcase multiple endgame-viable Druid builds to illustrate the class’s versatility and power ceiling.
New skill gems for all classes will receive explanations covering mechanics, damage scaling, and potential synergies with existing abilities. Endgame changes merit dedicated segments detailing how mapping, boss encounters, and progression systems evolved since the Early Access launch.
The community will dissect every frame of footage, datamine information from the presentation, and theorize about optimal builds before the update even launches. Path of Exile’s dedicated player base treats these reveals as events, with streamers co-broadcasting the announcement and creating hours of analysis content immediately afterward.
Platform Availability
The Last of the Druids update and the accompanying free weekend will be available on PC via Steam and the standalone Path of Exile client, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Path of Exile 2 doesn’t support previous generation consoles, requiring the performance capabilities of current hardware to deliver its ambitious visual effects and complex calculations.
Cross-play and cross-progression weren’t explicitly mentioned in the announcement, though Grinding Gear Games has discussed implementing these features eventually. Players should assume platform ecosystems remain separate unless specifically stated otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Path of Exile 2 Druid release?
The Druid class arrives with The Last of the Druids update on December 12, 2025, at 11 AM PST on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Is Path of Exile 2 free to play?
Currently, Path of Exile 2 requires purchasing Early Access. However, a free-to-play weekend runs December 12-15 PST, and the full game will be free-to-play when it exits Early Access in 2026.
What animal forms does the Druid have?
The Druid can shapeshift into at least bear and wolf forms, with potential additional transformations to be revealed during the December 4 livestream.
Can other classes use Druid skills?
Path of Exile 2 allows any class to use any skill gem, so non-Druids can equip Druid-themed spells. However, shapeshifting transformations remain exclusive to the Druid class.
When is the Path of Exile 2 Druid reveal stream?
Grinding Gear Games will fully reveal The Last of the Druids update during a livestream on December 4, 2025, at 11 AM PST.
What else is in The Last of the Druids update?
Beyond the Druid, expect new skills for all classes, endgame improvements, possible new campaign acts, quality-of-life features, and balance changes to be detailed December 4.
Do I need to own Path of Exile 2 to play the free weekend?
No, the December 12-15 PST free weekend allows anyone to play Path of Exile 2 without purchasing Early Access on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Conclusion
The Last of the Druids represents a critical update for Path of Exile 2, finally delivering the shapeshifting class that’s been in development since 2019 while providing substantial content additions for all players regardless of which character they prefer. Whether the Druid’s final implementation satisfies the years of anticipation won’t be clear until December 4’s reveal stream and the December 12 launch, but Grinding Gear Games’ track record suggests extensive iteration resulted in a well-designed class worth the wait. For action RPG fans who haven’t experienced Path of Exile 2 yet, the free weekend provides perfect timing to discover whether this challenging, complex, and deeply rewarding game deserves permanent installation alongside or instead of Diablo IV and Last Epoch.