Path of Exile 1 New League 'Covens of Umbra' Preview

Releasing November 13… Boss Fights and Character Upgrades via 'Fate' Cards and 'Wicker Man'

Path of Exile 1 New League 'Covens of Umbra' Preview

Jaihoon "Laffa" Jeong [email protected] Nov 6, 2026 Korean (한국어) KO Add us on

Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has revealed Expansion 3.30 'Covens of Umbra' for Path of Exile. At its core are the 'Fate' system, which enhances boss abilities and rewards, and the 'Wicker Man' system, which empowers characters by collecting body parts from defeated bosses.

GGG unveiled the key features of the new league during its ExileCon 2026 keynote in Auckland, New Zealand, on November 7. Set against the backdrop of a centuries-long conflict between witch covens, 'Covens of Umbra' sees players acquire new powers as they face off against an ancient Coven Queen. The expansion is set to launch on November 13 (PST).

At the center of this league stands an ancient Coven Queen of immense power. While defeating the coven's minions, players encounter Moira, a witch trapped by magic. With Moira's assistance, players begin stripping away the coven's power to prepare for the final confrontation with the Coven Queen.

The first system introduced is 'Fate'. Upon completing coven-related combat encounters, players can select Fate cards from a cauldron. Each card carries a specific empowerment effect, and applying it to an area boss enhances the boss's combat capabilities in exchange for greater rewards. Selecting tougher fights naturally yields larger rewards.

As progression increases, the number of coven encounters in a single area rises, allowing players to collect up to 4–5 Fate cards. Up to 3 of these Fates can be applied to an area boss. Combining specific Fates triggers bonus rewards, while applying duplicate Fates triples the reward provided by the first Fate. Depending on the combination, players can obtain rewards such as item rarity bonuses, special support gems, or new unique flasks.

Another key system is the 'Wicker Man'. Slaying a Fate-empowered boss offers a chance to drop a body part from the boss called 'Viscera'. Despite the name Viscera, it actually encompasses various body parts, including flesh, bone, skin, and carapace. Inserting these into the Wicker Man structure allows players to harness a portion of that boss's power as character buffs.

Body parts are categorized into four types: head, arms, torso, and legs, and the Wicker Man can equip up to four parts. Every campaign boss and Atlas map boss has its own unique body part, each available in three tiers. The highest-tier body parts can only be obtained in the endgame, requiring players to repeatedly target specific bosses to secure their desired stat boosts.

In the endgame, 'Grim Fate' targets pinnacle bosses. Defeating Fate-empowered bosses in high-level Atlas areas gives a chance to acquire Grim Fates, which can then be applied to specific pinnacle bosses. This alters existing boss attack patterns—for example, changing Sirus's storms into swirling ravens or firing beams of dark energy from Uber Elder's portals.

Defeating these empowered bosses yields pinnacle boss trophies with far stronger effects than standard body parts. Furthermore, defeating a pinnacle boss empowered by Grim Fate is a prerequisite for reaching the final encounter with the Coven Queen. Ultimately, the loop of collecting Fate cards to empower bosses and defeating them to harvest body parts forms the core progression of the league.

'Covens of Umbra' allows players to adjust combat difficulty by granting bosses extra abilities while collecting boss body parts to power up their own characters. By providing distinct body part loot for every campaign and map boss, it gives players a compelling reason to challenge existing bosses once again.

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Originally written in Korean, this article was translated with AI assistance and edited by a native English-speaking editor. Every translation is reviewed by our editorial team before publication. [Read Original]

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Jaihoon "Laffa" Jeong

[email protected]