Short answer: Path of Exile 3.30: Covens of Umbra goes live on Friday, November 13, 2026 at 7 PM UTC (11 AM PST / 2 PM EST / 8 PM CET), free on PC and consoles. The realms go down two hours earlier for patching. The big changes: a new Fates league mechanic with your own Wickerman, Scarabs replaced by Threads, a full item rarity and loot rework, and Mirage becoming a core league.
Covens of Umbra release date
GGG confirmed the date in its official announcements: "Play Path of Exile 1: Covens of Umbra for free on PC and consoles on November 13th PST!" The full 3.30.0 patch notes went up on November 11.
Covens of Umbra launch time in your country
Grinding Gear Games confirmed the times: the realms go down at 5 PM UTC and patching starts shortly after, then the servers go live at 7 PM UTC.
| Time zone | Servers live | Realms down (patching) |
|---|---|---|
| PST (Los Angeles) | 11:00 AM, Nov 13 | 9:00 AM |
| MST (Denver) | 12:00 PM, Nov 13 | 10:00 AM |
| CST (Chicago) | 1:00 PM, Nov 13 | 11:00 AM |
| EST (New York) | 2:00 PM, Nov 13 | 12:00 PM |
| BRT (São Paulo) | 4:00 PM, Nov 13 | 2:00 PM |
| UTC / GMT (London) | 7:00 PM, Nov 13 | 5:00 PM |
| CET (Berlin, Paris) | 8:00 PM, Nov 13 | 6:00 PM |
| EET (Athens, Helsinki) | 9:00 PM, Nov 13 | 7:00 PM |
| MSK (Moscow) | 10:00 PM, Nov 13 | 8:00 PM |
| IST (India) | 12:30 AM, Nov 14 | 10:30 PM |
| CST (China) | 3:00 AM, Nov 14 | 1:00 AM |
| JST (Japan, Korea) | 4:00 AM, Nov 14 | 2:00 AM |
| AEDT (Sydney) | 6:00 AM, Nov 14 | 4:00 AM |
| NZDT (New Zealand) | 8:00 AM, Nov 14 | 6:00 AM |
A countdown runs on pathofexile.com if you want to check it against your own clock.
Download early: GGG released a torrent of the GGPK file for PC so you can get most of the patch before the servers come up. Copy it into your install folder no earlier than three hours before launch, and note that it does not work with the Steam or Epic clients. Steam and Epic players patch through their own launchers.
The previous league, Curse of the Allflame, ended on November 9 at 1 PM PST.
The Covens of Umbra league: Fates and the Wickerman
In the new challenge league, you meet covenites performing rituals to summon their Queen. When you disrupt their magic:
- You choose a Fate for the boss of the area. Each Fate adds several effects that make the fight harder but more rewarding.
- Bosses empowered by Fates can drop Viscera. You place Viscera on your own Wickerman to take a piece of the boss's power.
- Grim-Fate empowered pinnacle bosses always drop their Viscera. Regular bosses have a higher chance the more Fates you invoke.
- Each character has its own Wickerman, and Viscera can be traded.
The league comes in Standard, Hardcore and Solo Self-Found versions, with 40 new challenges (8 in Ruthless).
Scarabs are gone: Threads replace them
The biggest endgame change in 3.30:
- Scarabs have been removed. A new item type, Threads, takes their place.
- There are 10 Threads: Abyss, Bestiary, Betrayal, Blight, Breach, Expedition, Incursion, Legion, Ritual and Ultimatum.
- You use Threads at the Map Device to add that league mechanic to a map, up to 8 per map. Each extra Thread raises the chance of powerful random effects.
- Your old Scarabs are converted into matching Threads or Frayed Threads (a new currency that gives a random Thread).
- Shaped Regions were reworked: each one gives maps in it free Threads of its type.
- League mechanics with Threads only appear if you opt in (spend a Thread or run a map in a Shaped Region), so you no longer need to block them.
The item rarity and loot rework
GGG "fundamentally changed how Items are generated":
- Item Rarity on monsters now changes which items can drop. The more rarity a monster has, the better the currency it drops: common items like Scrolls of Wisdom and Portal Scrolls only come from "Normal" rolls.
- Currency is split into Magic currency (Transmutation, Alteration, Jeweller's) and Rare currency (Alchemy, Chaos, Divine, Mirror).
- Item Rarity on your own gear does not affect currency drops. Only rarity from map modifiers and monster modifiers does (confirmed in GGG's FAQ).
Other changes in 3.30
- Mirage becomes a core league: Mirages can appear in maps, and The Black Barya can appear on the Atlas in all leagues.
- New skills: Arcane Link (links you to an ally and adds lightning damage based on your mana) and Fireball of Radiation (a transfigured Fireball).
- 11 new unique items and a new jewel base, Mycelium Core.
- Scrolls of Wisdom can be bought from vendors for 15 Gold, and a new crafting bench option makes all sockets white.
Path of Exile PC system requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Quad core 2.6 GHz | Quad core 3.2 GHz |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics card | GTX 650 Ti / Radeon HD 7850 | GTX 1050 Ti / Radeon RX 560 |
| DirectX | 11 | 11 |
| Storage | 40 GB | 40 GB (SSD recommended) |
Path of Exile 1 runs on almost any gaming PC. For smooth endgame maps with lots of effects, an SSD and 16 GB of RAM help the most. Check your PC on our Can I Run Path of Exile? page.
Pick your hardware and we compare it with the official Path of Exile requirements.
Official Path of Exile PC requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| CPU | Quad core 2.6GHz x86-compatible | Quad core 3.2GHz x64-compatible |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 650 Ti or ATI Radeon™ HD 7850 | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti or ATI Radeon™ RX560 |
| Storage | 40 GB | 40 GB |
Source: official Path of Exile website. Results are estimates based on relative hardware performance.
Path of Exile 2 goes free-to-play on December 11
At ExileCon 2026, GGG also announced that Path of Exile 2 goes free-to-play on December 11 (PST), with Acts 5 and 6, two new classes (Shadow and Duelist) and the Conquerors of Wraeclast league. See our Path of Exile 2 PC requirements.
Related
FAQ
When does Path of Exile Covens of Umbra start?
On November 13, 2026 (PST), on PC and consoles. GGG hasn't announced the exact hour yet.
Is Covens of Umbra free?
Yes. Path of Exile is free to play, and the expansion is free on all platforms.
Are Scarabs removed in 3.30?
Yes. Scarabs are replaced by Threads, and your existing Scarabs are converted into Threads or Frayed Threads.
What is the Wickerman in Path of Exile?
A league item you build with Viscera, which drop from bosses empowered by Fates. Each character has its own Wickerman.
Does item rarity on gear affect currency drops in 3.30?
No. GGG says only rarity from non-gear sources, like map and monster modifiers, affects currency drops.
What are the minimum PC requirements for Path of Exile?
Windows 10, a quad-core 2.6 GHz processor, 8 GB of RAM, a GTX 650 Ti or Radeon HD 7850 and 40 GB of storage.
Sources: Path of Exile official forum: ExileCon 2026 announcements, Content Update 3.30.0 patch notes, Covens of Umbra FAQ, 3.30 timeline; Steam store page (PC requirements). Last checked November 11, 2026.
Gaming writer at FpsGen. Guides and reviews are built on official sources, patch notes and real player data.
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