Path of Exile 2’s Shadow Teaser Points to a Possible New Class for Version 1.0
A dagger, Perandus coin and shadowy voiceover have fans eyeing a possible new class ahead of Path of Exile 2’s December launch.
Path of Exile 2’s latest teaser has given fans a pointed reason to expect the Shadow in version 1.0. The short video pairs a dagger with a Perandus coin and a warning about what lurks in a character’s shadow. Grinding Gear Games hasn’t confirmed a class reveal, but those details line up closely with one of the sequel’s three remaining classes.
The timing adds to the intrigue. The video arrives ahead of Exilecon 2026, where GGG is expected to share more about the action RPG and its December version 1.0 release. Its voiceover says, “A Perandus knows fate can twist at a price,” before warning players to “beware what lurks… in your shadow.” A dagger then strikes a gold coin as dark smoke pours from it. That’s a compact sequence, but each image points toward familiar Path of Exile lore.
The Shadow is one of three classes from the original plan that hasn’t yet appeared in Path of Exile 2. The other two are the Marauder and the Templar. The Scion is also absent, though the source says GGG hasn’t discussed that class as part of the sequel. A Shadow reveal would therefore make a clear addition to the roster without requiring the studio to introduce every missing class at once.
Why the class fits the clues
The Shadow’s thief-like identity and association with daggers give the weapon in the teaser particular weight. The Perandus reference is less direct: coins from that family have appeared in earlier game systems, so the teaser could be pointing toward a returning mechanic as well as a character class. The imagery supports the Shadow theory, but it doesn’t settle what role Perandus will play in the sequel.
Path of Exile 2 has steadily gained content during early access, and the Duelist and swords are set to arrive with version 1.0. Those additions bring the class count to nine, according to the source. That leaves room for further additions, though the schedule has previously been framed around finishing the campaign, building out the endgame and reaching a satisfying balance. At the end of 2025, game director Jonathan Rogers told the source there was a good chance not all 12 planned classes would be ready for version 1.0. More recent additions make the final roster harder to predict.
There’s a reason fans may read the new teaser carefully. A previous video for Return of the Ancients featured a sword, but that weapon type didn’t appear in the update. That mismatch made visual hints harder to take at face value. Here, the combination of dagger, Shadow-themed wording and a named piece of Path of Exile lore makes the class theory feel unusually specific. Still, until GGG spells out the reveal, players are working from suggestive imagery rather than a confirmed roster update.
Perandus may point to more than a class
The coin also opens a separate line of speculation. Perandus coins first appeared in Path of Exile’s 2016 Perandus League. The family later featured in the Immortal Syndicate at the center of 2018’s Betrayal League. Either connection could explain the teaser, although the older Perandus mechanic may need more substantial changes to fit the sequel. The Syndicate material, by contrast, offers room for a refreshed take on an established system.
Other theories have ranged beyond the class roster. Some players have suggested that a new league could revisit Heist, which sends players through a facility to collect valuable loot while managing an alert and planning an escape. Others have speculated that all four absent classes might arrive together. The teaser doesn’t establish either possibility, and the available clues don’t reveal how large the 1.0 content package will be.
For now, the Shadow is the clearest reading of the video, while Perandus hints at a possible return or redesign for older game systems. Path of Exile 2 version 1.0 is scheduled for Friday, December 11, when the game moves from paid early access to free-to-play. Exilecon 2026 takes place in Auckland, New Zealand, on November 7 and 8; that’s the next stated opportunity to hear what GGG has planned.
