Check Before Season 5! Last Epoch Season-by-Season Recap

It has already been over two and a half years since Last Epoch officially launched out of early access in February 2024. With multiple seasons having passed since then, players returning for Season 5 will likely feel like almost everything is brand new. For those returning to Last Epoch after a long break, here is a summary of the key season-by-season changes from Season 1 post-full launch up to Season 5.

Season 1

■ Nemesis System

A new endgame item farming feature, the Nemesis system, was added. While exploring Echoes, clicking on a tomb-shaped piece of equipment displays four gear items. From here, you can choose between three options: Empower, Challenge, or Banish.

If you want the items, select Challenge and defeat the Nemesis. If you don't need the items, hit Banish to skip the fight without engaging the Nemesis and reset the item list for your next encounter—making it a straightforward mechanic.

Empower upgrades the items currently on the list. The same item can be empowered up to two times. Defeating the Nemesis causes it to flee, allowing you to acquire the empowered items upon your next encounter. Items upgrade in various ways, such as gaining new affixes, raising affix tiers, or adding Legendary Potential.

■ Evade Key

Since around July 2024, dodging using the Spacebar became available. It holds up to two charges by default and differs from typical dodges in that it does not provide invulnerability frames. It is strictly a feature to help evade enemy attacks and ground AoEs more easily. The base cooldown is 4 seconds, which decreases as your character levels up, scaling down to 2.7 seconds at level 100.

■ Endgame Faction - The Forgotten Knights

The first endgame faction was introduced. Defeating a level 90 Timeline boss leads to your first encounter with a Harbinger, and defeating it unlocks the endgame faction "The Forgotten Knights." Afterward, you can raise your faction rank by defeating Harbingers at higher corruption requirements across each timeline.

The faction offers perks such as granting increased Timeline Stability, empowering Nemesis effects, and allowing you to reroll Blessings for higher stats.

Season 2

■ Endgame Area - Crypts

A procedurally generated endgame area called Crypts was added. Entering a Crypt found randomly inside Echoes and defeating the boss allows you to add random tiers of affixes and stats to Class Idols. Up to two affixes can be applied to Class Idols.

The first enchantment on an idol is free, but subsequent enchantments consume Memory Amber. Memory Amber can be acquired by destroying cocoons inside the area and defeating the emerging enemies.

■ Endgame Feature - Woven Echoes

Woven Echoes, obtainable from Crypts and Cemeteries, were introduced. Woven Echoes are stored in a separate tab and come in dozens of unique types. After clearing the Cemetery area within the Monolith, manually socketing Woven Echoes into your desired zones introduces new encounters and powerful bonuses, enhancing farming variety.

■ Endgame Faction - The Woven

The endgame faction "The Woven" was added. Unlike regular factions where you can only join one, players can belong to multiple endgame factions at the same time.

The Woven faction unlocks access to the Weaver Tree, which influences Echoes inside the Monolith. You gain various benefits, such as increasing Woven Echo drop rates or boosting monster density inside Crypts and Cemeteries. Members of The Woven can also purchase Woven Echoes from vendors.

■ Set Item Crafting System

Shattering set items yields set affix shards, which can be used to craft new set items. Rather than wearing set items with fixed set bonuses, this crafting method allows you to apply desired set effects directly to existing equipment.

■ Mastery Respec & Sentinel Rework

Previously, once chosen, masteries could not be changed. Starting in Season 2, masteries can be respecced using gold. You can easily switch via an NPC, and because the cost is lower at lower levels, it is best to change early if you plan to do so.

The Sentinel's base skills, mastery skills, and weapon mechanics underwent major overhauls. The Paladin and Void Knight received extensive passive reworks, while the Forge Guard gained the ability to dual-wield a two-handed weapon and a shield. Base class skills also introduced time-manipulation mechanics like Volatile Reversal and Anomaly, alongside numerous other adjustments.

Season 3

■ Rift Beasts

Rift Beasts appear across gameplay and in a new campaign tied to the Ancient Era. By following tracks on the map, you encounter a Rift Beast; winning the fight lets you choose one of three evolutions. While the Rift Beast's mechanics grow more complex, the rewards also increase. This evolution applies starting with the next Rift Beast encounter.

Defeating a Rift Beast yields a currency called Ancient Bones, which is used to purchase Primordial Unique items from vendors. Only one Primordial item can be equipped at a time.

■ Acolyte Mastery Reworks - Necromancer and Lich

The Acolyte masteries, Necromancer and Lich, were reworked. The Necromancer gained minion behavior toggles, allowing players to choose between aggressive and defensive stances. In aggressive stance, minions target enemies further from the player, prioritizing bosses and rare enemies. In defensive stance, they target closer foes. Damage scaling and damage reduction based on player level were buffed, alongside major passive and skill overhauls.

The Lich also received passive and skill overhauls, increasing build flexibility and enabling the use of two-handed weapons. A new whip-style skill was also added.

■ Merchant's Guild Improvements

Two types of tokens were added to improve trading convenience. Merchant Tokens allow purchasing items without Favor costs, while Black Market Tokens lower the reputation rank requirement to buy items. Tokens are awarded based on faction rank and have a small chance to drop when slaying monsters.

■ Chapter 10 Campaign Added

Chapter 10 was added following Chapter 9, introducing new stories and enemies centered around the Ancient Era. Completing it also grants a +1 All Attributes reward.

Season 4

■ Corruption

The concept of Corruption was introduced, adding Runes of Corruption and Corrupted Items. Items crafted with a Rune of Corruption undergo unpredictable changes and can no longer be forged. Their Forging Potential and Legendary Potential are also entirely removed.

Corrupted items may gain new modifiers, have affix values randomly increased or decreased, or undergo shifts in rarity or stats. Note that items can also be rendered completely unusable, making the risk quite high.

■ Idol Altars

Idol Altars were added, changing the shape of the Idol Grid and providing special bonuses. Because each Idol Altar features a different internal layout, you must use an altar that matches your current idols. Placing idols into glowing slots on the Idol Altar grants additional effects.

■ Spear of the Harbinger

A new farming mechanic called Spear of the Harbinger was introduced in zones. Interacting with it triggers enemy waves alongside a powerful foe called an Omen. Surviving the enemy waves enables you to attack the Omen; defeating it rewards you with Corrupted Items, Idol Altars, Runes of Corruption, and more.

A currency dropped upon defeating an Omen, Hourglass Shards, can be brought to endgame NPCs to trade for Runes of Corruption or Corrupted Items, or used to generate special Echo Chains.

■ Echo Chains

Echo Chains enhance rewards in endgame zones. Put simply, they generate multiple consecutive Echoes that share the same special mechanic. Each Echo features variations like Nemesis encounters or Rift Beast spawns. The final Echo in an Echo Chain grants enhanced rewards.

■ Rogue Rework

Two new skills were added for the Rogue: Shadow Rend and Bladestorm. Shadow Rend performs a short dash and leaves behind a shadow at your previous location that mimics your attack, while Bladestorm hurls spinning blades at a targeted location to deal continuous AoE damage. Shadow Rend unlocks via character level, while Bladestorm is unlocked through the passive tree.

Season 5

■ Endgame Boss - Morditas

A new endgame boss, Morditas, is being introduced. While specific details have not been fully revealed, he appears to be a boss that pressures players with cold- and blood-based attacks.

■ Wrath of Morditas

A new farming mechanic added for Season 5, this system lets players acquire "Wrath of Morditas" from frozen blood crystals to gain new powers and claim rewards. Although detailed specifics remain unannounced, participation in the event reportedly strengthens Morditas over time, leading up to a final showdown.

■ New Skills

New skills have been added: Radiant Lance for the Paladin, Dreamslash for the Bladedancer, and Summon Tide Elemental for the Shaman. Radiant Lance infuses light into the shield to fire a beam at enemies in front, while Dreamslash dashes forward to strike enemies along the path. Summon Tide Elemental summons a minion that utilizes cold spells.

■ Item Faction Improvements

The Merchant's Guild and Circle of Fortune are receiving major reworks. For the Merchant's Guild, search and trading convenience have been improved, along with price offer options and an automatic price reduction feature. Additionally, rank requirements previously needed to purchase new item types have been removed.

For the Circle of Fortune, players can now directly select Prophecy rewards, making targeted farming much easier. Obtaining rewards is now more reliable, and Prophecy scopes have been broadened to let players focus on their desired loot.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of AI. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. [Read Original]