Grinding Gear Games has finally dropped the curtain on the next big Path of Exile 2 showcase: Fate of the Vaal, launching December 12, 2025. With Atziri practically confirmed to make a grand comeback, the community’s buzzing with excitement already. The Druid reveal was cool, sure, but this is where the deep speculation kicks in. The Vaal history is bloody, strange, and full of dark magic, and the idea of an entire league wrapped around them has got endless possibilities. It’s the kind of content that makes you start thinking about builds, boss fights, and even PoE 2 Items before we’ve seen the first trailer.

Atziri’s bound to be one of the central fights, but it’s hard to imagine her being the ultimate endgame in this storyline. The Vaal were notorious for summoning and bargaining with powers they couldn’t fully control, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to expect something bigger, nastier—and ancient—lurking behind her throne. GGG loves pulling a bait-and-switch, so don’t be shocked if she turns out to be more of a gatekeeper than a true final boss.

If you played PoE 1, you know the Vaal Orb pretty much defines their legacy. In PoE 2, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if corruption became a deeper, more strategic system. Imagine being able to twist skill gems into new “apex” versions, add bizarre modifiers, or take the risk of destroying them for a shot at insane power. It’d fit perfectly with their theme of sacrifice for strength, making corruption an early and ongoing part of build choices rather than a quick endgame gamble.

The Vaal empire’s been dust for centuries, so if we’re going to truly explore their downfall, we’ll need some kind of time-jump or reality shift. Something in the vein of Alva’s temple runs but on a larger scale—maybe relics or artifacts that open portals straight into their glorious and doomed age. These zones could give us huge chunks of lore while letting us fight their armies and monsters exactly as they were at their peak.

The Vaal were masters at twisting living beings into horrors, so a crafting system for monsters almost feels inevitable. Think Metamorph but more gruesome—collect rare “parts” from elite Vaal foes, then use an altar of blood to assemble custom bosses. The difficulty and rewards would match the monstrosity you make. It’s hands-on, dangerous, and exactly the kind of thing that would make players experiment and take risks, especially if they could buy PoE 2 Items to push those creations even further.