With Diablo 4 Season 4 just around the corner and bringing a complete overhaul to Blizzard’s loot system, and Path of Exile 2 still on the horizon, ARPG fans like myself have plenty on their plate to look forward to. But perhaps even more exciting is news of Last Epoch Cycle 1.1, the second season for the masterful new action RPG that just launched into 1.0 to widespread acclaim. The next cycle promises some very important, game-changing upgrades, and we now have a date for our calendars.
The new cycle is called Last Epoch Harbingers of Ruin, and it arrives Tuesday July 9. While that’s a little way off, that just gives developer Eleventh Hour Games time to tease us with all the new features coming to one of the best RPGs in 2024, and we’ve already got some big details on the cards. In my Last Epoch review, I called the game a worthy contender to Diablo’s long-contested throne, and noted that EHG could earn its place if future seasons were able to deliver on its promise. So far, it looks like Cycle 1.1 is poised to do just that.
According to the recently revealed Last Epoch roadmap, the eponymous Harbingers of Ruin are set to arrive in Cycle 1.1 alongside a pinnacle boss. Last Epoch’s endgame boss fights are some of its real highlights, with several eliciting out-loud exclamations from me during my first encounters. From the teaser trailer below, we see a world seemingly drenched in void, and a figure that looks a lot like antagonist Orobyss from the endgame Monolith of Fate.
Pinnacle boss fights – extremely tough challenges designed to serve as an ultimate test of your best Last Epoch builds – were one of the most notable absences from the game at launch. EHG marketing specialist Steve Holloway says via the forums that “development for 1.1 is coming along nicely,” and asks players to vote on how long new cycle characters should be given to try and beat new pinnacle content before it’s opened up to the older legacy characters (who will doubtless already be geared to the nines and ready to demolish).
While the arrival of new and pinnacle boss fights is a very exciting prospect, it’s the second change I’m most interested in – the addition of a new evade, or dodge roll. This is a mechanic that’s becoming increasingly standardized for ARPGs, featuring in big names including Lost Ark, Diablo 4, and the upcoming Path of Exile 2.
Its absence from Last Epoch was something I could certainly live with – there are enough mobility skills and the game was balanced to work without it – but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still routinely tap my space bar out of habit to this day, only to remember it doesn’t (yet) exist. I’m very curious to see how it impacts the balance of Last Epoch’s more challenging fights, but I think introducing it now is a smart way to move with the times and ultimately a victory for the game’s long-term future.
Finally, the new cycle will see the introduction of random “Nemesis encounters,” which should help keep those campaign replays feeling fresh by ensuring there’s always a chance for a spanner to be thrown into the works at any moment. Last Epoch Cycle 1.1 starts Tuesday July 9, and I’ll certainly be jumping in as soon as it arrives.
If you’re tempted to jump in for the first time and see the story play out before the second cycle begins, our Last Epoch class tier list should help you pick something to start with. We’ve also got an introduction to how to make Last Epoch loot filters and how they work, along with more of the best games like Diablo to play in 2024.
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