Status update: Forbidden Rites launched September 5, and the release-week Blade of the Champion Twitch Drop ended September 11. Details below are retained for reference.
TL;DR
Path of Exile 2’s Forbidden Rites event starts alongside patch 0.5.5, with servers going live on Sep 05, 2026 at 4:00 AM (GMT+8). A new Twitch Drop is available during release week: the Blade of the Champion Pet, earned after 2 hours of watch time. Console players can now predownload the 0.5.5 update.
What Changed
- The Forbidden Rites event is starting with the release of patch 0.5.5 for Path of Exile 2.
- Server timing is listed as:
- Realms down: Sep 05, 2026 2:00 AM (GMT+8)
- Servers live for PC and Console: Sep 05, 2026 4:00 AM (GMT+8)
- Patch download sizes are listed as:
- Around 17GB on standalone client and Steam
- 12GB on consoles
- Existing PC players can predownload the update using a torrent file.
- Console players are now able to predownload the 0.5.5 update.
- A new Twitch Drop is available during release week:
- Reward: Blade of the Champion Pet
- Requirement: 2 hours of accumulated watch time
- Availability: Sep 4, 2026 1PM PDT to Sep 11, 2026 1PM PDT
- The Blade of the Champion Pet is not exclusive to Twitch Drops and will eventually be sold in the Microtransactions Store.
- The pet will be made available for use in Path of Exile 1 in the future.
Patch Impact
- Patch 0.5.5 launch timing, download/preload details, and a Twitch Drop promotion tied to Forbidden Rites.
- Players can prepare by predownloading, and eligible viewers can earn the Blade of the Champion Pet through Twitch watch time.
- Predownload is available for existing PC players and console players; Twitch linking is required to claim the drop.
- No gameplay balance impact, skill changes, or combat-system effects are confirmed in the supplied evidence.
Who Is Affected
- Path of Exile 2 players on PC and console
- Existing Path of Exile 2 players who want to predownload on PC
- Players who want the Blade of the Champion Pet Twitch Drop
- Streamers planning to enable Twitch Drops for Path of Exile 2 viewers
What Players Should Do
- If you want the Twitch Drop, link your Path of Exile account to Twitch.
- Watch any channel in the Path of Exile 2 Directory for 2 hours during the promotion period.
- Redeem earned Drops from your Twitch Inventory before the promotional period ends.
- If you are predownloading on PC, use the provided torrent method and copy the GGPK file into the install folder only once the patching server is up, no earlier than three hours before the realm goes up.
- Console players can predownload the 0.5.5 update now.
- No immediate action is confirmed for players who are simply waiting for the event start.
Compared With Previous Patch
A verified comparison is unavailable for gameplay or balance changes because the supplied evidence does not include a prior patch revision with change details. Compared with the previous revision of this same post, the current evidence removes the temporary maintenance notice at the top and otherwise keeps the Forbidden Rites launch and Twitch Drop information the same.
Player Impact
- Supported fact: players will be able to join Forbidden Rites when the servers go live at the listed time.
- Supported fact: players can earn the Blade of the Champion Pet through Twitch Drops during the release week.
- Supported fact: console players now have predownload access for the 0.5.5 update.
- Cautious implication: predownloading may reduce waiting time when the patch goes live, but the post does not explicitly state this as a benefit.
Official Media
Sources
- https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/4001078