Grinding Gear Games has revealed major post-update changes to Path of Exile's Freia event, delivering sweeping adjustments to ascendancies, endgame systems, and balance across the board. While early community reactions suggested heavy nerfs, a deeper look at the patch notes tells a very different story—one filled with substantial buffs, meaningful reworks, and expanded build diversity.
For players new to Freia, this event fundamentally reshapes how Path of Exile 1 is played.
What Is the Freia Event?
In the Freia event, traditional ascendancy classes are replaced with entirely new ones. For example, instead of a Marauder ascending into Juggernaut or Berserker, players now choose options like Ancestral Commander, Daughter of Ashabi, or Bog Shaman.
Additionally,with POE currency for sale,the usual Atlas passive tree is replaced by a new endgame system built around Idols:
Idols are collectible items that form a customizable endgame set
Players craft and recombine them using Recombinators
Each Idol setup is tailored toward specific farming strategies
The goal of Freia is freedom: letting players design their own endgame rather than following a fixed Atlas meta.
Ascendancy Changes: Far More Buffs Than Nerfs
Despite early concerns, the Freia update heavily buffs many ascendancies, often improving their identity, survivability, or scaling.
Daughter of Ashabi: Massive Power Gains (With One Catch)
Daughter of Ashabi receives some of the most eye-catching improvements:
Spell Slinger is now separated from the previously dead Illuminating Wisps node
Spell Slinger now effectively costs fewer points, making it far more viable
Oath of the Magi grants 20% more resistances and 10% more life
Roots of the Grove now adds extra poison chance on the same target
Forest Striking scales damage per evasion
Shrine bonuses were initially exciting—but shrine effect scaling has since been nerfed
Even with shrine interactions toned down, Daughter of Ashabi remains one of the strongest and most flexible starters in the event.
Ancestral Commander: Still a Hardcore Favorite
Ancestral Commander saw targeted nerfs, but remains extremely strong—especially for Hardcore:
Slight reductions to Warcry uptime and endurance charge bonuses
Retains powerful multi-hit mitigation and survivability tools
Slam builds still reach extremely high damage early in the campaign
Given how easily high physical DPS weapons can be crafted early in Freia, Ancestral Commander is expected to remain one of the best league starters, particularly for players aiming to reach Tier 16 maps quickly.
Wild Speaker, Rampager, and Strength-Based Builds
Several previously underused ascendancies received welcome upgrades:
Wild Speaker gains stronger Tailwind and spell suppression interactions
Rampager no longer disables spells, only auras—a massive quality-of-life improvement
Goliath Knuckle, Turtle Shell, and other strength-based nodes received raw stat buffs
These changes significantly expand build viability beyond just early leveling.
Caster, Minion, and Chaos Builds Get Love
Herald Ascendancies: Huge Damage Scaling
Herald effects now grant minion damage and critical chance
Conflux mechanics and elemental mitigation greatly improved
Multiple Herald nodes received large numerical buffs
Bog Shaman and Chaos Builds
Increased chaos resistance, life scaling, and curse effectiveness
Improved poison duration interactions
Rotten Core and curse nodes heavily buffed
Minion Builds
Puppet Master and zombie-focused ascendancies now grant higher gem levels
Falling Zombie interactions introduced
Better scaling for late-game minion survivability
Overall, caster and minion players are seeing some of the biggest relative gains in the event.
Gambler, Paladin, and Defensive Ascendancies Shine
Gambler now features powerful block chance, ailment avoidance, and unlucky damage mechanics
Paladin gains improved Consecrated Ground effects and Discipline scaling
Defensive ascendancies now offer easier access to ailment immunity and block caps
The result is a much healthier defensive landscape across both Softcore and Hardcore.
Area Modifiers: Risk Without the Worst Frustrations
Freia maps roll random modifiers on rare monsters, but many of the most frustrating effects are excluded:
No reflect
No no-regeneration
No reduced recovery
No leech immunity
No twin bosses
Dangerous mods like Steel-infused enemies and accuracy reduction remain, keeping risk high without making content unplayable.
Meta Outlook: Strong Starts, Fast Progression
With ascendancy power levels this high,with POE currency,early progression is expected to be extremely fast:
Strong starters can reach Tier 16 maps within hours
Early economy dominance will matter significantly in trade
Efficient starts enable faster rerolling into experimental builds
For many players, Ancestral Commander and Daughter of Ashabi Spell Slinger are shaping up as top-tier starters once again.
Final Thoughts: A Clear Win for Freia
Contrary to initial reactions, the Freia event update delivers:
Broad ascendancy buffs
Better build diversity
A flexible endgame system
Reduced frustration from map modifiers
The nerfs that did occur primarily targeted already-dominant mechanics and remain playable. Meanwhile, dozens of underused ascendancies are now competitive—or outright powerful.
For players who enjoy theorycrafting, fast progression, and unconventional builds, Freia is shaping up to be one of Path of Exile's most exciting limited events yet.
