Billed as one of Grinding Gear Game's most ambitious expansions yet, Path of Exile: Heist promises to deliver a whole swathe of new equipment, mechanics and content to the game, including new Heists and a huge collection of spells, weapons and upgrades. A new zone will also be unlocked, The Rogue Harbour, where players will be able to recruit Rogues to help them carry out their Heists. Once players have completed enough Heists, they will then be able to unlock Grand Heists, where the most valuable and exclusive loot awaits.
Starting a Heist will require some exploring and crafting, with players able to see the various requirements for each Heist Contract, as well as its target so that they can plan ahead. Heist Markers are also required, which are used both to travel to and as currency in the Rogue Harbour. Players will not be locked away from this content if they haven't yet reached the endgame, which is good news for many, especially Mac players who are finally getting the game with this update.
What might make this new league interesting to many players is its unique focus on stealth. Rather than dashing madly through rooms and blasting enemies with AOE attacks, the Heists seem to require careful planning, coordination, and execution to complete successfully. If players do set off the alarms, any loot they have acquired will be lost forever if they can't make their escape. Retrieving the artifact at the end of the level will also trigger the alarm, bringing down hoards of enemies as seen in the trailer, so players should be ready for a fight once the thieving is done. This coupling of tense stealth segments followed by a heart-pounding escape promises to make this new content incredibly exciting.
Players can choose and customize the thirteen different Rogue's that they want to use on their Heists. This is critical because various Heists will require players to swap out their team so that they are bringing along the most optimal Rogues for each Heist. For instance, where one Heist needs a focus on demolition, the other might need a focus on lockpicking. Players can only bring one Rogue with them on the regular Heists, so they should make sure to have the right thief for the job. At the end of each Heist, participating Rogue's will receive experience, and players will be able to find items that they can equip Rogues with to alter and boost their skills.
Then, of course, there is the loot. While there is a main artifact for each Heist, exploring the map will also uncover all sorts of different and unique treasures too. Though be careful, trying to pilfer every last item will raise the alarm meter dangerously high, and all kinds of enemies and traps await. Thieves Trinkets, Alternate Quality Gems, Replica Uniques, and Experimented Base Types are some of the exclusive loot found in the Grand Heists. These are the culmination of the player's effort in uncovering Blueprints, leveling and customizing their Rogue companions and completing the regular Heists. The best treasures wait for the most skilled of thieves.
Path of Exile: Heist will release September 18th on PC and Mac, and September 23rd on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.