The Path of Exile 2 classes you can play right now are the Warrior, Monk, Sorceress, Witch, Ranger, Mercenary, Huntress and Druid. That makes eight playable base classes in patch 0.5.5, the Forbidden Rites update that went live on September 4, 2026.

A ninth class, the Duelist, is confirmed for the full 1.0 release on December 11, 2026. It is not playable yet.

This guide covers what each class does, which weapons and attributes it leans on, and which Ascendancies it can pick. It also covers who each class suits and how to avoid the common mistakes new exiles make. Everything here reflects the game as of October 8, 2026.

Quick Answer: What Are the Path of Exile 2 Classes?

• Currently playable (8): Warrior, Monk, Sorceress, Witch, Ranger, Mercenary, Huntress, Druid.
• Confirmed, not playable: Duelist (arrives December 11, 2026 with the 1.0 launch).
• Planned but unconfirmed for release: Marauder, Shadow and Templar, the remaining classes in the announced twelve-class lineup.
• Ascendancies: 22 across the eight playable classes. Each class picks one.

What Are the Path of Exile 2 Classes?

Your base class is the character you create on the selection screen. It sets your starting position on the passive skill tree, your leaning toward Strength, Dexterity or Intelligence, and the Ascendancies you can later choose from.

It does not lock you into one weapon or skill. Skill gems and support gems are the main way you build your attacks, so a class is a starting point and a flavor, not a cage.

That said, the starting position matters. Each class begins in a different part of the passive tree, so some paths are cheap for one class and expensive for another. That is why the class decision still shapes your whole leveling experience.

How Many Classes Are in Path of Exile 2?

There are eight playable Path of Exile 2 classes today. Early Access launched on December 6, 2024 with six: Warrior, Monk, Sorceress, Witch, Ranger and Mercenary. The Huntress arrived in April 2025, and the Druid followed in December 2025.

The Duelist will be the ninth when 1.0 launches on December 11, 2026. Grinding Gear Games has described a twelve-class target for the game, so more classes are expected over time. Anything beyond the Duelist has no confirmed date.

Read More: https://gamespuma.com/poe2-patch-notes/

Path of Exile 2 Classes List

Class	Main Attribute	Typical Playstyle	Signature Weapon / Archetype	Ascendancies
Warrior	Strength	Slow, heavy melee tank	Maces, slams, armour	Warbringer, Titan, Smith of Kitava
Monk	Dexterity / Intelligence	Fast staff combat plus elemental spells	Quarterstaves, evasion + energy shield	Invoker, Acolyte of Chayula, Martial Artist
Sorceress	Intelligence	Elemental spellcaster	Staves, wands, lightning/fire/cold	Stormweaver, Chronomancer, Disciple of Varashta
Witch	Intelligence	Minions, chaos and curses	Wands, sceptres, minion and DoT builds	Infernalist, Blood Mage, Lich
Ranger	Dexterity	Ranged bow attacker	Bows, projectiles	Deadeye, Pathfinder
Mercenary	Strength / Dexterity	Ranged crossbow specialist	Crossbows, ammunition skills, grenades	Witchhunter, Gemling Legionnaire, Tactician
Huntress	Dexterity	Mobile spear fighter	Spears, spirit and beast themes	Amazon, Ritualist, Spirit Walker
Druid	Strength / Intelligence	Shapeshifter and nature caster	Talismans, plants, storms	Oracle, Shaman

The Ranger and Druid currently have two Ascendancies each. Every other class has three. Some trackers count 23 because they list the Abyssal Lich variant separately.

Path of Exile 2 Classes: Warrior

The Warrior is the heavy melee bruiser of Path of Exile 2. It hits slowly and hits hard, leaning on maces, slam skills, armour and stuns.

Core identity: a durable front-line fighter. You absorb punishment and win fights with big, deliberate swings.

Attribute and weapons: Strength is the primary attribute. Maces are the natural fit, and the class pairs well with strong body armour.

Combat range: close.

Build archetypes:

• Slam and stun builds
• Totem and warcry support builds
• Armour-stacking tank builds

Strengths: high survivability and a forgiving defensive style.

Weaknesses: slow attacks make positioning against fast bosses matter. Reach is short, and the class has a reputation for a slower leveling feel.

Beginner friendliness: high, because the defenses cover mistakes while you learn boss patterns.

Ascendancies:

• Warbringer
• Titan
• Smith of Kitava, which summons and buffs weapons and leans on body armour synergy

Who it suits: players who like durable, straightforward melee and don’t want to dodge every hit. Titan has been described as a strong bossing setup in the current meta.

Path of Exile 2 Classes: Monk

The Monk fights with a quarterstaff and mixes fast strikes with elemental power. It is one of the more mechanically active classes.

Core identity: an agile staff fighter who weaves melee and spells.

Attribute and weapons: Dexterity and Intelligence. Quarterstaves are the signature weapon.

Combat range: close to mid.

Build archetypes:

• Lightning and cold staff builds
• Elemental caster-melee hybrids
• Chaos-flavored builds through the Acolyte of Chayula

Strengths: very high damage potential, mobility and a lot of build expression. Reports from the current patch place it near the top for experienced players chasing endgame damage.

Weaknesses: defenses can feel thin without careful building. Freeze and stun management matter.

Beginner friendliness: moderate to hard. Several sources rate it harder than average.

Ascendancies:

• Invoker
• Acolyte of Chayula
• Martial Artist, added in patch 0.5, which channels to create mirages and can use extra rune sockets

Who it suits: players who enjoy active combat and are happy to learn how defense layers work.

Path of Exile 2 Classes: Sorceress

The Sorceress is the classic elemental spellcaster. She throws fire, lightning and cold from a safe distance.

Core identity: a glass-cannon caster who wins by killing things before they reach her.

Attribute and weapons: Intelligence. Staves and wands suit her, and energy shield is the usual defensive layer.

Combat range: ranged.

Build archetypes:

• Lightning and arc-style chaining builds
• Fire and cold burst builds
• Time-manipulation setups through the Chronomancer

Strengths: burst damage and a smooth leveling experience. Some rankings call her one of the best leveling classes.

Weaknesses: low raw durability. Mistakes get punished, and she often needs a gear plan.

Beginner friendliness: moderate. Easy to start, though positioning habits take practice.

Ascendancies:

• Stormweaver
• Chronomancer
• Disciple of Varashta

Who it suits: players who like ranged spellcasting. Stormweaver is often recommended as a high-output pick with less investment.

Path of Exile 2 Classes: Witch

The Witch is the dark caster. She is the classic home for minions, chaos damage, curses and damage over time.

Core identity: a controller of summons and afflictions who often lets others do the dirty work.

Attribute and weapons: Intelligence. Wands and sceptres fit minion and spell builds.

Combat range: ranged and indirect.

Build archetypes:

• Minion armies
• Chaos and damage-over-time builds
• Demon-form or life-sacrificing builds

Strengths: distance from danger and strong clear potential. Minion builds soak up attention.

Weaknesses: some paths demand careful resource management. Life-cost builds can be risky without defense.

Beginner friendliness: high for minion builds, lower for advanced life-cost builds.

Ascendancies:

• Infernalist
• Blood Mage
• Lich, a chaos and curse master with an Abyssal Lich variant that some trackers list separately

Who it suits: players who like commanding summons or watching enemies decay. Infernalist and Lich show up near the top of several 0.5-era Ascendancy rankings.

Path of Exile 2 Classes: Ranger

The Ranger is the dependable bow user. She fires arrows, spreads projectiles and kites enemies.

Core identity: a flexible ranged attacker with mobility.

Attribute and weapons: Dexterity. Bows are the signature weapon, and evasion is a typical defense.

Combat range: ranged.

Build archetypes:

• Bow and projectile builds
• Poison or freeze-themed variants
• Fast mapping builds

Strengths: flexibility and speed. Several current rankings put her at or near the top for mapping and currency farming.

Weaknesses: you must keep distance. Tight rooms and fast bosses can punish slow reactions. The class has only two Ascendancies for now.

Beginner friendliness: moderate. Basic bow play is easy, though refined builds take work.

Ascendancies:

• Deadeye
• Pathfinder

Who it suits: players who like to kite and clear quickly.

Path of Exile 2 Classes: Mercenary

The Mercenary fights with crossbows and gadgets. He blends ranged damage with utility.

Core identity: a tactical gunslinger-style ranged fighter.

Attribute and weapons: Strength and Dexterity. Crossbows and ammunition skills are the signature, along with grenade-style tools.

Combat range: ranged, with attention to timing and positioning.

Build archetypes:

• Crossbow ammunition builds
• Grenade builds
• Gem-stacking builds through the Gemling Legionnaire

Strengths: utility and solid damage. Some rankings put him at the top for solo self-found play.

Weaknesses: it takes more care with timing and positioning than a simple bow class. Gemling Legionnaire has been named a balance target in the past.

Beginner friendliness: moderate.

Ascendancies:

• Witchhunter
• Gemling Legionnaire
• Tactician

Who it suits: players who want ranged play with more tools and tactical decisions.

Path of Exile 2 Classes: Huntress

The Huntress is a spear-wielding hunter with a mobile style and a nature-flavored identity.

Core identity: a quick, evasive fighter who strikes and repositions.

Attribute and weapons: Dexterity. Spears are the signature weapon, usable in melee or thrown.

Combat range: close to mid.

Build archetypes:

• Spear melee builds
• Elemental-infused spear builds
• Spirit-companion and beast-themed builds

Strengths: mobility and a distinct combat feel. The Spirit Walker, added in 0.5, uses three animal spirits and has several viable builds in the current event.

Weaknesses: rankings place her mid-pack and the class is newer, so build information is still maturing.

Beginner friendliness: moderate.

Ascendancies:

• Amazon
• Ritualist, which can gain an extra ring slot
• Spirit Walker

Who it suits: players who like fast spear combat and want something different from the standard bow or staff.

Path of Exile 2 Classes :Druid

The Druid is the shapeshifter. He turns into beasts and calls on plants, storms and primal power.

Core identity: a nature caster with a transformation toolkit.

Attribute and weapons: Strength and Intelligence. Talismans power his shapeshift identity.

Combat range: flexible, close in beast form and ranged with spells.

Build archetypes:

• Bear and wolf shapeshift builds
• Plant and summon builds
• Storm-based spellcasting

Strengths: variety. Few classes feel as different from the rest.

Weaknesses: the newest class, so its build knowledge is less settled. It has two Ascendancies, with a third planned for later.

Beginner friendliness: moderate.

Ascendancies:

• Shaman, which channels rage into storms
• Oracle, a seer who predicts monster movement and opens extra passive paths

Who it suits: players who want a transformation fantasy and are willing to learn a newer class.

Path of Exile 2 Classes and Ascendancies: What’s the Difference?

A class is your base character. An Ascendancy is a specialization you unlock later, and it belongs to one specific class.

So Oracle is not a class. It is a Druid Ascendancy. Spirit Walker is not a class either, because it belongs to the Huntress.

How you unlock one:

• You complete an Ascendancy trial, most commonly the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2.
• The first completion unlocks your Ascendancy and gives you 2 Ascendancy points.
• You can earn up to 8 points total by completing further trials, including the Trial of Chaos.

Why it matters: your Ascendancy tree adds powerful, specialized bonuses on top of the passive skill tree. It often defines your build’s identity more than the base class does.

Can you change it? You cannot change your base class. You can change Ascendancies within your class. Patch 0.2.0f added Ascendancy respecs. You must refund all Ascendancy points, then redo a trial that matches your points. You can only pick from your own class’s Ascendancies, so a Ranger can swap Pathfinder for Deadeye but cannot become a Ritualist.

Trial requirements were reworked in patch 0.5.5, particularly the Trial of Chaos. Check the in-game details before you plan a respec.

Which Path of Exile 2 Class Is Best for Beginners?

No class is officially “the beginner class.” Sources disagree. One ranking puts Witch and Sorceress at the top for beginners. Another calls the Warrior forgiving and easy. A third rates the Monk hardest.

What the sources do agree on is the pattern:

• Forgiving defense: the Warrior’s armour and the Witch’s minions give you room for mistakes.
• Ranged safety: Ranger, Sorceress and Mercenary keep you away from danger.
• Higher skill ceiling: Monk and some Mercenary builds ask for more positioning and defensive management.

A sensible beginner shortlist is Warrior, Witch or Ranger. Pick based on whether you prefer melee, minions or bows.

Which PoE2 Class Is Best for Different Playstyles?

• Close combat: Warrior for durability, Monk or Huntress for speed.
• Ranged weapons: Ranger for bows, Mercenary for crossbows.
• Spellcasting: Sorceress for elemental burst, Druid for nature magic.
• Minions: Witch.
• Defensive play: Warrior, with Titan and Smith of Kitava as the sturdy options.
• Fast clearing: Ranger is repeatedly cited, along with strong Witch and Sorceress setups.
• Bossing: Warrior (Titan) and Monk (Invoker) are frequently mentioned.
• Hybrid play: Monk and Druid mix melee and magic.

These are tendencies, not guarantees. They depend on build, gear and patch.

Best PoE2 Class: Is There Really One?

No. Current tier lists show why.

• A patch 0.5 ranking puts Monk and Ranger in S-tier.
• Another current ranking puts Ranger and Witch in S-tier and Sorceress in C-tier.
• A 0.4.0 list had Mercenary, Sorceress and Monk on top.

Those lists weigh different things: leveling speed, ladder results, bossing, solo self-found or softcore. Each also uses its own data and its own idea of a “typical” build.

So “best” depends on:

• Your build and skill choices
• Your Ascendancy
• Your gear and budget
• Your skill with the class
• Whether you mean leveling, mapping or bossing
• The current patch and league

The honest answer is to choose the class whose gameplay you will enjoy for hundreds of hours.

Current Patch Impact on Path of Exile 2 Classes

Current (October 2026): patch 0.5.5, Forbidden Rites, has been live since September 4. It runs alongside the Runes of Aldur league until 1.0. Reporting on GGG’s announcement says the broad class, Ascendancy and balance changes people expected were held back for the 1.0 launch.

Recent history: patch 0.5 (Return of the Ancients) added the Spirit Walker and Martial Artist Ascendancies but no new base class. It also reworked the endgame and Atlas passive tree.

Because balance changes are expected at 1.0, any 0.5-era ranking may shift in December.

Path of Exile 2 Classes vs Path of Exile 1 Classes

PoE1 has seven classes: Marauder, Duelist, Ranger, Shadow, Witch, Templar and Scion. PoE2 has a different roster, and it is still growing.

Carried over: attributes, a passive skill tree, and Ascendancies as class specializations.

Changed:

• PoE2 uses a different skill system built around skill gems and support gems.
• Spirit replaces mana reservation for things like auras.
• The roster is different. The Huntress, Monk, Mercenary and Druid have no PoE1 counterpart.
• PoE1 has three Ascendancies per class, while PoE2 currently has two or three.

Do not assume a PoE1 class works the same way in PoE2.

Upcoming or Unreleased Path of Exile 2 Classes

Duelist (confirmed, not playable): revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, 2026. It is the first sword-wielding class and is shown with sword and shield. Footage showed a reworked Cyclone with projectiles, plus Lacerate and Dual Strike. It launches with the 1.0 release on December 11, 2026, and it is not part of the Forbidden Rites event.

I could not verify the Duelist’s Ascendancies or its exact attribute split. Treat these as unannounced until GGG confirms them.

Marauder, Shadow and Templar (planned, unconfirmed): these are the other three classes in the twelve-class lineup. There is no confirmed release date.

How to Choose Your PoE2 Class

1. Pick your combat feel. Close, ranged, spells, summons or shapeshifting.
2. Decide how much risk you want. Tanky classes forgive mistakes, and glass cannons reward careful play.
3. Check the Ascendancy. Read what each one does before you commit, because it shapes the build.
4. Plan your content. Bossing, mapping and solo play can favor different picks.
5. Remember your options. You can re-spec Ascendancies, but not base classes.
6. Wait if you want the Duelist. It lands December 11.

Final Verdict

The path of exile 2 classes today are eight: Warrior, Monk, Sorceress, Witch, Ranger, Mercenary, Huntress and Druid, with the Duelist on the way. No single class is “the best,” because tier lists change with patches and priorities.

If you are new, start with a class whose fantasy excites you. Warrior, Witch and Ranger are sensible, forgiving starting points. Revisit your choice at the 1.0 launch, when balance changes are expected.

FAQ Section

How many classes are in Path of Exile 2?
Eight are playable as of patch 0.5.5. The Duelist is confirmed for the 1.0 launch on December 11, 2026.

What are the classes in PoE2?
Warrior, Monk, Sorceress, Witch, Ranger, Mercenary, Huntress and Druid.

What is the best PoE2 class?
There is no single answer. Tier lists disagree depending on patch, content type and build.

Which PoE2 class is best for beginners?
Warrior, Witch and Ranger are common forgiving choices. Monk is generally harder.

What is the difference between a class and an Ascendancy?
A class is your base character. An Ascendancy is a specialization that belongs to one class.

Which PoE2 class is best for melee?
Warrior for durability and Monk or Huntress for speed.

Which PoE2 class is best for ranged builds?
Ranger for bows and Mercenary for crossbows.

Which PoE2 class is best for spellcasters?
Sorceress and Witch are the main Intelligence casters. Druid also casts nature magic.

Can you change your class in PoE2?
No. You can only start a new character.

Can you change your Ascendancy in PoE2?
Yes, within your class. Refund your points and redo a matching trial. Verify the current trial rules in game.

Are more PoE2 classes coming?
Yes. The Duelist is confirmed for December 11, 2026, and a twelve-class lineup is planned.

Are PoE2 classes different from PoE1 classes?
Partly. Some names overlap, but the roster, skill system and mechanics differ.

Sources Used

• Grinding Gear Games / pathofexile2.com: not opened directly in this research. Please verify the roster and dates there before publishing.
• Gamescom 2026 reporting, Duelist and 1.0 date: GosuGamers, LT3, GamesReviews.com, and Wikipedia’s Path of Exile 2 entry.
• Patch 0.5 and 0.5.5: Maxroll, PCGamesN, and the Fextralife Forbidden Rites page.
• Ascendancy roster: Game8, Timesaver, and poe2page.
• Ascendancy trials and respec: Mobalytics, Maxroll, Sportskeeda, Poe-Vault, and Vulkk’s 0.2.0f overview.
• Tier-list comparison: Eneba, PlayHub, and SkyCoach.

Lower-confidence items: exact Druid and Huntress release months, individual Ascendancy descriptions, and the twelve-class plan come mainly from secondary sources. The Duelist’s attributes and Ascendancies are unverified.