Path of Exile 2 Divine Orb Changes in 2026 Return of the Ancients Update

Gaming news regarding the latest developments in Path of Exile 2 confirms that Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is adjusting the economy for the 2026 "Return of the Ancients" update. As one of the most significant video games in the action RPG genre, Path of Exile 2 relies on Divine Orbs as a primary currency for trading and high-end crafting, making any modification to their availability a major talking point for the community.

Path of Exile 2 Return of the Ancients patch notes 2026

The 0.5 update, officially titled Return of the Ancients, introduces several shifts to the core game mechanics. Among the most discussed adjustments is a concise line in the patch notes: "Divine Orbs are now more common." This change arrives following the conclusion of the "Fate of the Vaal" league, which had seen players generate high quantities of currency through a specific "snaking" strategy within the Temple seasonal mechanic. While this mechanic is transitioning into the core game, the specific strategy utilized to farm it has received a targeted nerf, rendering it significantly less effective than it was in previous months.

Our coverage here at In Game News tracks these changes closely, as the economy of Path of Exile 2 is highly sensitive to the supply of its most valuable items. Divine Orbs allow players to reroll the numerical values of modifiers on items, a function that makes them the standard unit of account for evaluating the success of farming methods. When players evaluate whether a new strategy is more efficient than a previous one, they typically use the number of Divine Orbs earned per hour as their baseline.

Why did GGG increase Divine Orb drop rates in PoE 2?

The reasoning behind the increased drop rate was detailed during a recent Path of Exile 2 Tavern Talk summary May 2026. The session, hosted by Sebastian 'Ghazzy' Bodensjö and 'Darth Microtransaction', featured Game Directors Jonathan Rogers and Mark Roberts. During the discussion, Rogers explained that the decision was driven by a desire to disrupt the community's ability to easily compare farming efficiency between the current league and the previous one.

"Basically there was this concern—what we believed was going to happen is immediately, people are going to be like, 'In the previous league I got X Divines per hour, and now I'm getting Y Divines per hour.' Just annoying stuff like that. So if we just change the drop rate of Divines, nobody will be able to make the comparison any more," Rogers stated. By adjusting the frequency of these drops, the developers aim to reset the baseline expectations of the player base regarding loot generation.

The development team's alternative considerations

The path to this decision was not straightforward. Rogers admitted that the team briefly debated more extreme measures to address the issue of players comparing loot-per-hour metrics. He noted that the team jokingly considered removing Divine Orbs from the game entirely, a move that would have fundamentally altered the trading landscape. Ultimately, the development team opted for the more moderate approach of increasing the availability of the currency rather than removing it or leaving the drop rates unchanged.

For those concerned about hyper-inflation or a complete loss of value, the developers provided some context on the scale of the change. While Divine Orbs are now more common, they are not intended to be trivialized. As Rogers noted, "It's not like they're dropping like candy or anything, but they are an amount more common that is such that it doesn't make them quite comparable any more."

Path of Exile 2 Divine Orb drop rate changes explained

The impact of this change is intended to be felt primarily in the way players measure their progression. By shifting the drop rate, Grinding Gear Games is effectively forcing the community to re-evaluate the worth of different farming strategies from scratch. This is a common tactic in long-running action RPGs to keep the economy from becoming stagnant or overly predictable. Players on PC, the primary platform for the title, will likely notice the shift as they engage with the core mechanics introduced in the Return of the Ancients update.

For more updates on the evolving meta, you can check out our Action RPG news archives. The transition of the Temple mechanic into the core game, combined with the nerf to the "snaking" strategy, suggests that the developers are looking to balance the influx of high-tier currency while maintaining the challenge that defines the series.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did GGG increase Divine Orb drop rates in PoE 2?
Grinding Gear Games increased the drop rate of Divine Orbs to prevent players from directly comparing farming efficiency between different leagues, as Divine Orbs serve as the primary community metric for loot value.

What is included in the Path of Exile 2 0.5 update?
The 0.5 update, titled Return of the Ancients, includes a nerf to the 'snaking' strategy used in the previous Fate of the Vaal league and an increase in the base drop rate of Divine Orbs.

Are Divine Orbs dropping more frequently in Path of Exile 2?
Yes, Divine Orbs have been made more common in the 0.5 update, though developers note they are not dropping at an excessive rate.