Path of Exile Update: Complete Quality-of-Life Patch Overview
Grinding Gear Games continues to refine the Keepers League experience with another gameplay-focused update aimed squarely at convenience, balance, and flow. Rather than introducing flashy new systems, this patch concentrates on smoothing rough edges that players have been vocal about since league launch. From encounter pacing and boss tuning to crafting shortcuts and trade interface fixes, the changes in Patch 3.27.0d touch nearly every corner of Path of Exile endgame.
The Hive Fortress has stood out as one of the league’s most polarizing mechanics. Early versions overwhelmed players with enemies entering from all sides due to the absence of barriers. Later updates added destructible walls, but those same walls slowed down fast-clearing builds and disrupted momentum.
The latest patch introduces a smarter solution that puts control directly in the player hands.
New Option: Instantly Remove All Walls
Upon entering a Hive Fortress encounter, players can now choose to eliminate every nearby wall around Ailith before the fight begins.
Whether you prefer a measured fight or maximum speed farming for currency and valuable POE items, this change adapts the encounter to your playstyle. Players looking to push efficiency even further can unlock unlimited build potential with the power of POE currency from MMOexp.
Sirus Tuning in The Feared Invitation
The restructuring of The Feared invitation—swapping out Chayula and Atziri in favor of Sirus and the Incarnation of Dread—introduced balance concerns, especially around Sirus’ mechanics and survivability. Patch 3.27.0d addresses these issues directly.
Expanded Ability Usage
Sirus now draws from a broader range of his iconic abilities, making the fight more engaging and bringing his threat level in line with the other bosses in the encounter.
Removal of Anti-Burst Safeguards
Previously, Sirus had hidden health thresholds that prevented him from being instantly killed by high-damage builds. These protections have been removed, allowing players to defeat him at full speed if their build permits.
Together, these changes streamline The Feared encounter while preserving its challenge.
Merchant Tab Improvements Enhance Trading Flow
The Merchant Tab remains one of the most powerful trading tools in Path of Exile, but usability issues have long held it back. This update resolves several of the most frustrating problems.
Search Functionality Restored and Expanded
CTRL+F now works properly within sales history
Players can quickly locate past trades, buyers, and prices
Search Input Bug Fixed
A long-standing issue preventing the use of the letter “h” in searches has been fully resolved.
Items that cannot be sold through the Merchant Tab now appear greyed out, clearly signaling that they must be exchanged via the Currency Exchange instead. Don’t let POE currency for sale shortages slow you down—secure what you need at MMOexp and keep progressing.
These refinements significantly reduce downtime between mapping and selling, especially for players who trade frequently.
Faster Crafting with Orb Swap Shortcut
Efficient crafting is all about speed and precision, and Patch 3.27.0d adds a small but impactful shortcut that experienced crafters will appreciate.
ALT Key Orb of Scouring Toggle
When using an Orb of Alchemy or an Orb of Chance, holding the ALT key will temporarily switch the action to an Orb of Scouring.
This helps prevent:
Accidentally ruining valuable item bases
Wasting crafting currency
Interrupting rapid crafting sessions
It’s a subtle addition that greatly improves crafting rhythm.
Incarnation Bosses Receive Balance and Bug Fixes
The Incarnation bosses, particularly in Uber variants, have been among the toughest challenges of the Keepers League. Several bugs and balance issues—most noticeable in Ruthless mode—have now been addressed.
Proper Loot Drops in Ruthless Mode
Exclusive Incarnation rewards now drop as intended, restoring the risk-reward balance for these encounters.
Damage Adjustments for Incarnation of Neglect
Two abilities were dealing excessive damage:
Ice Nova slam
Ice Comet barrage
Both have been rebalanced to create a fairer and more consistent fight.
Arena Fixes for Incarnation of Dread
Chilled ground effects now generate correctly across randomized arena layouts, ensuring the encounter behaves as originally designed.
Patch 3.27.0d may not introduce headline-grabbing content, but it stands as one of the most meaningful quality-of-life updates of the Keepers League. By addressing encounter pacing, trade usability, crafting efficiency, and endgame boss balance, Grinding Gear Games has responded directly to community feedback. The result is a smoother, more rewarding Path of Exile experience for both casual players and dedicated endgame grinders alike.
