Key Takeaways
1. Last Epoch’s Orobyss expansion is set to launch in 2026, after Seasons 4 and 5, with an expected release by August at the latest.
2. PC players who purchased Last Epoch will receive the Orobyss expansion for free, while the expansion will be bundled with the base game for PlayStation 5.
3. The introduction of ‘Paradox Classes’ in the expansion has raised community concerns, as these classes will be behind a paywall.
4. Players may need to pay separately for each Paradox variant of the classes, potentially costing between five and fifteen times to unlock all options.
5. The situation has drawn comparisons to Blizzard’s practices with paywalled classes, contrasting with Path of Exile’s approach of relying on cosmetic microtransactions.
Eleventh Hour Games has revealed its plans for Last Epoch in 2026, including details about the PlayStation 5 launch and the Orobyss expansion. Season 4 will be released first, followed closely by Season 5. Assuming each season lasts about four months, we can expect the new expansion to be ready by August at the latest.
Free Access for PC Players
Players who purchased Last Epoch on PC will have access to Orobyss without any additional cost. The expansion will also come bundled with the base game for the PlayStation 5. EHG has expressed its desire to steer clear of its parent company Krafton’s focus on ‘AI-first’ game design, assuring fans that the development of Last Epoch will remain unchanged. So far, everything seems alright.
Community Backlash Over Paradox Classes
However, the next announcement has stirred up significant concern among the community, and it’s hard to dismiss their frustration this time. Alongside the Orobyss expansion, Last Epoch will introduce what it refers to as ‘Paradox Classes,’ allowing players to experience each class in a new way. Unfortunately, these will be behind a paywall, and based on EHG’s statements, it seems that each Paradox variant of the classes might need to be bought separately.
Currently, Last Epoch has five primary classes (Rogue, Mage, Sentinel, Primalist, Acolyte), each with three masteries, totaling up to fifteen classes. It remains uncertain whether the Paradox class will refer to the base classes or the masteries. Regardless, it appears players might need to spend between five and fifteen times to fully unlock everything Last Epoch offers.
Comparison with Other Games
This situation is reminiscent of Blizzard, which has a history of placing new classes behind paywalls since the days of Diablo 2. In contrast, Last Epoch’s main rival, Path of Exile, does not impose such restrictions and survives solely on cosmetic microtransactions. Yet, serious players of POE or POE2 often end up spending extra on stash tabs, as the limited default storage makes it nearly impossible to play effectively without them.
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