Two New Unique Items Headline the Return of the Ancients Patch

Grinding Gear Games continues to tease content for Path of Exile 2's upcoming 0.5.0 patch, and the newest reveal puts two unusual unique items in the spotlight. Game director Mark Roberts stepped in personally to showcase both items arriving with Return of the Ancients, according to VPEsports.

The first is a Breach shield called Nightfall, tied to Breachlord Tul. The second is Redemption, a weapon described as a crossbow at its base that instead functions as a grenade launcher. Both items will drop as high-level uniques, so players will need to earn them through play.

GGG has also published an official Return of the Ancients trailer ahead of the update, alongside multiple teaser trailers listed by IGN.

What Does the Nightfall Shield Do?

Nightfall is a Breach shield associated with Breachlord Tul, but VPEsports reports that it plays less like a defensive tool and more like a gap-closing weapon. Its mechanics work in a sequence that players can chain together.

First, the player throws the shield forward, and it flies out to hit enemies in its path. If the player does nothing, the shield returns automatically. Reactivating the skill while the shield is airborne teleports the character to it and delivers a downward strike. Catching the shield or shattering ice crystals resets the cooldown entirely.

According to the developers, players with good timing can chain these actions back to back. The article characterizes this as an aggressive, momentum-driven playstyle aimed at players who prefer charging into enemy packs rather than fighting from a distance.

How Does the Redemption Grenade Launcher Work?

Redemption is described by VPEsports as a Terat weapon of absolute destruction. Although it is built on a crossbow base, it does not behave like other crossbows in Path of Exile 2: standard ammunition skills do not work with it.

Instead, Redemption is built entirely around grenades. Once the player has caused enough chaos on the battlefield, its effects unlock: grenade skill cooldowns are bypassed entirely, fire rate increases dramatically, and mixing different grenade types pushes damage even further.

The report describes Redemption as a grenade launcher, a weapon type rarely seen in ARPGs. GGG also built a completely new base item type specifically for Redemption, one that did not exist in the game before this patch.

When Does Return of the Ancients Release?

VPEsports lists May 29, 2026 as the release date for Return of the Ancients, describing it as the biggest Path of Exile 2 update since The Last of the Druids arrived in December 2025. The two teased uniques are only part of a larger content drop scheduled for that date.

Ahead of launch, GGG released an official trailer for the expansion, which IGN hosts, along with teaser trailers titled 'Now.. It Is Our Time' and 'Please... Save Me' plus an official announcement teaser.

Both Nightfall and Redemption will drop as high-level uniques, meaning they will not be easy to obtain, the report notes.

What Else Is Coming in Patch 0.5.0?

According to the VPEsports breakdown, Return of the Ancients delivers a substantial content package beyond the two teased uniques. The update adds new Ascendancy classes, a new league, new bosses, endgame content, and a large batch of unique items.

The report summarized the scope in the following table:

Why Is This the Last Major Early Access Update?

VPEsports reports that GGG has confirmed Return of the Ancients as the final full-scale update before Path of Exile 2 officially exits Early Access and launches as version 1.0. At that point, the game goes free-to-play and the missing campaign acts arrive.

A version 1.0 trailer was later shown at gamescom 2026, as listed on IGN, alongside a Stonefist: Legends of Wraeclast Pack trailer and a video presenting the Duelist as a class option for the 1.0 release.

For now, the report points to May 29 as the date for Return of the Ancients, leaving players time to plan builds around the new items before the version 1.0 transition.

Nightfall vs. Redemption: Which Playstyle Suits You?

The two teased uniques serve noticeably different approaches, based on the mechanics described by VPEsports. Nightfall rewards close-range, momentum-driven play with its throw, teleport, and cooldown-reset loop, while Redemption centers on grenade-based ranged destruction with bypassed cooldowns and rising fire rate.

Both drop as high-level uniques, so neither is expected to be handed to players early. Which one a player chases first depends on the build and playstyle they prefer.

FAQ

What are the two new unique items in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.0?

They are Nightfall, a Breach shield tied to Breachlord Tul with throw, teleport, and cooldown-reset mechanics, and Redemption, a Terat weapon built around grenade skills on a crossbow base. Both were showcased by game director Mark Roberts, as reported by VPEsports.

When does Return of the Ancients launch?

VPEsports lists May 29, 2026 as the release date for Return of the Ancients, patch 0.5.0.

Is patch 0.5.0 the last Path of Exile 2 Early Access update?

Yes. According to VPEsports, GGG has confirmed that Return of the Ancients is the final full-scale update before Path of Exile 2 exits Early Access as version 1.0, when the game goes free-to-play and the remaining campaign acts arrive.

How hard are Nightfall and Redemption to obtain?

Both will drop as high-level uniques, meaning they will not simply be given to players, the report states.