We are a couple of weeks into the massive 0.5.0 seasonal expansion, Return of the Ancients, and the meta for Path of Exile 2 is finally starting to solidify. According to the official Path of Exile Forum Two-Week Recap, player choices across all realms have carved out a fascinating leaderboard. While the expansion brought plenty of balancing shifts, three specific Ascendancy classes have completely dominated player representation.
Whether you are looking for your next build, trying to understand what is taking over the ladder, or just curious about what everyone else is rolling, here is a breakdown of the top 3 most played Ascendancies right now and why they are performing so incredibly well.
1. Martial Artist (Monk Archetype)
If you have spent any time in town or browsing community forums since launch day, this one won’t surprise you. Community veterans and ladder chasers have identified the Martial Artist as the single most popular individual Ascendancy during this initial league kickoff.
Rooted in the highly dynamic Monk archetype, the Martial Artist dominates the endgame leaderboards primarily through incredibly smooth, high-performing melee setups. The mechanical fluidity of the class makes it a blast to play, but the real draw is how efficiently it scales its damage and mobility. Right now, high-tier players are absolutely crushing maps using skills like Whirling Slash and Twister. If you love fast-paced, high-APM gameplay where you are constantly repositioning and tearing through packs at close range, the Martial Artist is the undisputed king of the current patch.
2. Spirit Walker (Huntress / Amazon Archetype)
Landing firmly in the number two spot is the Spirit Walker, a brand-new Ascendancy class introduced directly in the 0.5.0 patch. Whenever a fresh archetype drops, it is bound to see a lot of play, but the Spirit Walker is way more than just a temporary novelty. Its highly flexible gameplay loop propelled it straight into the top tier of overall player representation within days.
Drawing from the Huntress and Amazon themes, the Spirit Walker thrives on highly adaptable mechanics. Unlike some classes that lock you into a very rigid playstyle, this Ascendancy offers massive baseline advantages that seamlessly adapt to various active skills. Players are experimenting with a massive variety of builds under the Spirit Walker umbrella, utilizing its unique class perks to bridge the gap between survivability and raw offensive output. It is the perfect choice for anyone who likes to tweak their build on the fly and experiment with the expansion's newest mechanics.
3. Deadeye (Ranger Archetype)
Some things never change. Rounding out the top three is the Deadeye, a classic and consistent powerhouse representing the Ranger archetype. Even with the shiny new toys brought by the Return of the Ancients expansion, the Deadeye remains the go-to choice for players who value absolute efficiency above everything else.
Renowned for having the fastest map clear speeds and the most efficient projectile scaling in the game, the Deadeye is the ultimate currency generator. It is most commonly utilized for traditional, bow-centric loadouts that excel at off-screening enemies before they can even touch you. Currently, high-tier ladder setups are relying heavily on skills like Barrage and Ice-Tipped Arrows, alongside devastating combo mechanics like Ice Shot / Snipe. If your goal is to zoom through the endgame atlas and blow up entire screens of monsters in a fraction of a second, the Deadeye is still your best bet.
Whether you are looking for your next build, trying to understand what is taking over the ladder, or just curious about what everyone else is rolling, here is a breakdown of the top 3 most played Ascendancies right now and why they are performing so incredibly well.
1. Martial Artist (Monk Archetype)
If you have spent any time in town or browsing community forums since launch day, this one won’t surprise you. Community veterans and ladder chasers have identified the Martial Artist as the single most popular individual Ascendancy during this initial league kickoff.
Rooted in the highly dynamic Monk archetype, the Martial Artist dominates the endgame leaderboards primarily through incredibly smooth, high-performing melee setups. The mechanical fluidity of the class makes it a blast to play, but the real draw is how efficiently it scales its damage and mobility. Right now, high-tier players are absolutely crushing maps using skills like Whirling Slash and Twister. If you love fast-paced, high-APM gameplay where you are constantly repositioning and tearing through packs at close range, the Martial Artist is the undisputed king of the current patch.
2. Spirit Walker (Huntress / Amazon Archetype)
Landing firmly in the number two spot is the Spirit Walker, a brand-new Ascendancy class introduced directly in the 0.5.0 patch. Whenever a fresh archetype drops, it is bound to see a lot of play, but the Spirit Walker is way more than just a temporary novelty. Its highly flexible gameplay loop propelled it straight into the top tier of overall player representation within days.
Drawing from the Huntress and Amazon themes, the Spirit Walker thrives on highly adaptable mechanics. Unlike some classes that lock you into a very rigid playstyle, this Ascendancy offers massive baseline advantages that seamlessly adapt to various active skills. Players are experimenting with a massive variety of builds under the Spirit Walker umbrella, utilizing its unique class perks to bridge the gap between survivability and raw offensive output. It is the perfect choice for anyone who likes to tweak their build on the fly and experiment with the expansion's newest mechanics.
3. Deadeye (Ranger Archetype)
Some things never change. Rounding out the top three is the Deadeye, a classic and consistent powerhouse representing the Ranger archetype. Even with the shiny new toys brought by the Return of the Ancients expansion, the Deadeye remains the go-to choice for players who value absolute efficiency above everything else.
Renowned for having the fastest map clear speeds and the most efficient projectile scaling in the game, the Deadeye is the ultimate currency generator. It is most commonly utilized for traditional, bow-centric loadouts that excel at off-screening enemies before they can even touch you. Currently, high-tier ladder setups are relying heavily on skills like Barrage and Ice-Tipped Arrows, alongside devastating combo mechanics like Ice Shot / Snipe. If your goal is to zoom through the endgame atlas and blow up entire screens of monsters in a fraction of a second, the Deadeye is still your best bet.