Tech Thoughts Daily Net News €? August 1, 2014

MMOexp-POE: Heist Contracts are About to Skyrocket in Value - Here's Why

Hey Exiles, strap in-teaser season for Path of Exile's next league is here, and GGG has quietly dropped a handful of previews that could reshape the economy, the Atlas, and even the way we trade forever. Between a complete rework of Breach, the introduction of asynchronous trading, and major quality-of-life (QoL) updates, this could be one of the most transformative POE1 patches in years.

Let's unpack what's coming-and who the real winners and losers might be in the next era of Wraeclast.

Breach 2.0: Keepers of the Flame POE currency?

The first teaser is short, cryptic, and oozing purple chaos. A mysterious orb pulses with tentacles and inner corruption before a clawed hand bursts through the screen. The community instantly connected the imagery to Breach-but this doesn't look like a simple repeat of 2016's content. Instead, it feels like a reimagined Breach, one that could serve as the lore bridge between POE1's Atlas and POE2's corruption systems.

The rumored title, "Keepers of the Flame," fits the theme perfectly-ancient forces, corrupted energy, and power sealed within something that should never be touched. The teaser's narrator hints at "the hive" and "flamekeepers," which doesn't sound very Breach-like at first. But the purple fire, disembodied hands, and overall design are unmistakable.

If this is Breach 2.0, it's not just a visual update. It could represent an evolution-possibly blending Beyond-style corruption mechanics from POE2 into POE1's endgame. With Beyond nodes moving and Breach disappearing from the Atlas tree, it's likely that this is the connective tissue tying the two games' lore and systems together.

Heist QoL Overhaul-Max-Level Rogues and Easier Contracts

GGG's second teaser revealed something players have wanted for years: Heist rogues will now start fully leveled. That means no more endless contract grinding just to make your crew usable. Whether you're cracking chests, farming blueprints, or running Grand Heists, this change dramatically lowers the barrier to entry.

Here's what this means in practical terms:

 Every rogue has maxed skills from the moment you unlock them.

 You'll only need to run a few introductory Heists rather than dozens.

 Heist contracts and blueprints instantly become valuable passive income sources.

Even if you don't run Heists yourself, mapping with Heist nodes on your Atlas now has new value-other players will want your contracts. You can sell them asynchronously (more on that in a moment) and rake in easy profits.

There's also speculation around a "lock" symbol on the rogue leveling icon. Some players think this might connect to a new automated gem leveling system, removing the need for constant clicking. If that turns out to be true, it's a small but powerful QoL update for long play sessions.

Full Passive Tree Refunds and Atlas Respecs with Gold

The third teaser showed something equally game-changing: full passive tree respecs for both your character and Atlas-using gold instead of orbs.

In the footage, refunding Atlas points cost around 2,000 gold per point, a surprisingly fair rate that should help keep Orbs of Unmaking cheap throughout the league. For anyone who constantly experiments with different farming setups, this change makes it far easier to pivot strategies mid-league without emptying your wallet.

The video also teased some subtle but significant Atlas tree updates:

 Breach nodes are gone entirely.

 Beyond wheels have been moved and expanded into Breach's former spots.

 Abyss, Legion, Harvest, and Delirium wheels shifted upward to maintain balance.

In short, GGG didn't just delete Breach-they rebuilt the tree's entire structure to fit a new meta. The positioning now creates new synergies like Beyond + Legion or Beyond + Abyss, while removing the old Alva + Beyond overlap.

This reshuffling hints strongly that Beyond will act as a "core corruption layer" going forward, possibly functioning like Breach once did-as a mappable, blockable mechanic with its own spawn chance.

Asynchronous Trading-The Biggest Economic Revolution Yet

And now, the massive one: asynchronous trading is coming to POE1.

Eagle-eyed players noticed a "Manage Shop" button in the passive respec teaser-the exact phrase used in POE2's async trading interface. This confirms what many suspected when GGG began transferring premium trade tabs between POE1 and POE2: the backend is being unified.

What does this mean for players?

 You'll be able to list and sell items while offline.

 No more needing to pause mapping, portal out, or chase trade whispers mid-run.

 Selling bulk items like contracts, beasts, or blighted maps becomes effortless.This update has enormous ripple effects across the entire economy:

 Gear quality across the board will improve, since players can more easily buy upgrades.

 Ground loot will drop in value, as better gear becomes more accessible.

 Currency flow will rise sharply, favoring players who trade frequently.

In short, trading becomes frictionless-and that means POE's economy is about to accelerate faster than ever before.

Winners and Losers in the New Meta

Larald broke down which league mechanics stand to gain (or lose) the most from these sweeping changes. Here's the rundown:

Winners (+1 and Up)

 Heist: Massive buff. Easier to start, faster to profit, and perfect for passive income.

 Beastiary: No more bulk-trading nightmares. Selling individual beasts becomes practical.

 Expedition: Easier to offload logbooks, giving steady profits without constant bartering.

 Abyss & Legion: Both gain synergy with Beyond. Expect new combo farming strategies.

 Blight: Blighted and Blight-Ravaged maps become liquid assets thanks to async trade.

 Maven/Conqueror Farming: Selling Shaper and Elder maps in bulk is now painless.

 Labyrinth: The biggest winner by far. You can't zone out during lab runs, so async trade means you can now profit continuously without stopping. Farming Transfigured Gems just got way more appealing.

Losers (-1 and Below)

 Rog (Expedition NPC): Crafting items will be easier to sell, but prices will drop due to higher gear availability.

 Harvest: Loses some early-league demand as basic crafting becomes less essential. Still powerful later.

 Delirium: Takes a small hit due to the removal of easy Beyond synergy routes.

Overall, the buffs far outweigh the nerfs. Many previously niche mechanics now shine under asynchronous trade-especially those that rely on volume and patience.

Quality of Life Updates Continue to Impress

GGG also teased smaller QoL changes, like the long-requested stacked deck improvement. Players can now Ctrl+Right Click to instantly move stacked decks into their inventory, or Shift+Ctrl+Right Click to drop them all at once.

This is a small change on paper, but it eliminates hours of repetitive clicking-and keeps wrists intact during massive div card openings.

There's also an intriguing mystery: a two-handed slam build was shown using a strange purple skill icon on the middle mouse button. Nobody knows what it is yet, but speculation ranges from a new chaos-infused slam to an early peek at a POE2 skill crossover.

Economic and Gameplay Impact: The Bigger Picture

These updates point toward a massive convergence between POE1 and POE2 systems. Beyond is now a core part of the Atlas. Gold is gaining more practical use. Trading is going async-a foundational POE2 system.

The writing's on the wall: GGG is methodically future-proofing POE1 so that its systems remain compatible with POE2's eventual live-service ecosystem. Players moving between both titles will share similar economic and interface structures, making the transition seamless.

This also sets the stage for an even more connected economy-perhaps even cross-game trading or shared account systems once both titles are fully active cheap POE divine orbs.

Final Thoughts-The Dawn of a New Era for POE1

The teasers might be short, but their implications are enormous. Breach 2.0 (or "Keepers of the Flame") looks like a story-driven bridge between games. The Atlas tree is evolving into a more interconnected design. Heist, Blight, and Labyrinth are all about to become far more profitable. And asynchronous trading? That's the kind of change that redefines how players engage with the economy itself.

It's the calm before a massive storm of change-and for once, that storm looks exciting rather than terrifying.

Patch 3.28 may not be the largest in terms of raw content, but it's arguably one of the most important updates in Path of Exile's long history. It modernizes the game's systems, flattens old pain points, and nudges everything closer to POE2's standard of polish.

As Larald put it: "It's not a huge amount of info yet, but what we've seen has been delicious. GGG-we're starving. Feed us more teasers."

Until then, polish those Beyond orbs, prep your Atlas trees, and maybe-just maybe-start stockpiling Heist contracts before prices go wild.