Path of Exile 2 teaser hints at unannounced Shadow class

Grinding Gear Games’ latest Path of Exile 2 teaser has fueled speculation that the Shadow class will join the action RPG when version 1.0 launches Dec. 11. The release will end the game’s paid early access and begin its free-to-play launch.

The short video shows a dagger striking a golden Perandus coin as black smoke emerges. Its voiceover says, “Beware what lurks… in your shadow.” Players have linked the dagger and the reference to a shadow to the thief-style Shadow class planned for the original game.

Grinding Gear Games has not confirmed the class. The 1.0 release is already expected to add the Duelist class and swords, bringing Path of Exile 2’s announced class total to nine. The Marauder, Templar and Shadow are the three classes from the original plan that have not been announced for the sequel. The Scion has not been discussed as a Path of Exile 2 class.

At the end of 2025, Game Director Jonathan Rogers said the 1.0 release might not include all 12 planned classes. He described a completed campaign, a strong endgame and balanced gameplay as higher priorities than reaching a specific class count.

Grinding Gear Games is expected to share more information at Exilecon 2026, scheduled for Nov. 7-8 in Auckland, New Zealand. The event could provide details about the Shadow class and other content planned for the full release.

The Perandus references have also led to speculation about returning or redesigned content. Perandus coins first appeared in Path of Exile’s 2016 Perandus League. They later became part of the Immortal Syndicate in the 2018 Betrayal League.

Players have also suggested that the new league could be a reworked version of Heist. In that league, players steal loot from a guarded facility, avoid raising an alert and escape. Other theories suggest that all three unannounced classes could arrive with version 1.0, although Grinding Gear Games has not announced such a plan.

The teaser follows an earlier instance in which a sword appeared in promotional material for the Return of the Ancients update, but swords did not arrive with that update. Path of Exile 2 version 1.0 is scheduled to launch Friday, Dec. 11.