Path of Exile 3.29 Guide: Curse of the Allflame - Release Date, Teaser, and New Transfigured Gems

Summary

Teaser season for Path of Exile 1's 3.29 expansion is officially underway. On July 5, 2026, Grinding Gear Games released a short trailer revealing the league's name: Curse of the Allflame. Day two of teaser season brought unexpected depth-not one but two new transfigured gems, complete with detailed mechanical breakdowns. With the launch just over two weeks away, this guide covers everything known so far: the release timeline, teaser details, lore surrounding the Allflame, and a complete breakdown of the two new transfigured gems-Holy Hammer of Spirals and Reap of Butchering.

Key Dates and Timeline

The 3.29 expansion follows a clear schedule. The GGG Live reveal stream is scheduled for July 16 at 1 PM PDT for those in the United States and similar time zones, or July 17 for players in Australia. The launch is set for July 24 at 1 PM PDT, which is July 25 in Australia. The Mirage League concludes on July 20 at 3 PM PDT, giving players a few days between events.

During the GGG Live event, Game Director Mark Roberts and Game Designer Octavian will host a Q&A session with ZiggyD. A Twitch Drops reward will also be available during the stream.

What We Know from the Teaser

The teaser trailer is brief and atmospheric. It shows a lone figure on a wooden boat drifting through dark waters, searching for "a bounty beyond the pale". A voice mentions "a curse in the deep," followed by a brief glimpse of something massive beneath the surface-resembling a giant angler fish or deep-sea horror.

The expansion introduces a nautical horror setting, suggesting water-based mechanics, new underwater environments, or Lovecraftian-inspired threats. The core premise warns that "beneath the deep, an ancient curse awaits," with players searching for hidden rewards while navigating this underwater threat.

Important note: Teaser trailers are often highly thematic and not direct gameplay footage. For example, the Mirage League teaser featured only an hourglass-a minor element that was not the league's central theme. The boat and sea monster could be literal or symbolic.

The Lore of the Allflame

The Allflame has appeared in Path of Exile's lore before, primarily through the NPC Fairgraves.

Act 1: The Betrayal

In Act 1, Fairgraves sends you on a quest to retrieve the Allflame. You fetch it, expecting to help him return to life-but he betrays you. You defeat him and earn a skill point. Most players have run this quest dozens of times.

Act 3: The Docks

Fairgraves reappears in Act 3's Docks with a quest that sends you on a lengthy diversion. The reward is a rare piece of jewelry-one of the game's most skippable quests.

Necropolis League Lore

During patch 3.24 (Necropolis League), there was an obscure interaction: if you carried the Allflame in your inventory by starting Fairgraves' quest but not completing it and visited Undertaker Aram's cemetery, Aramore would react negatively, calling the Allflame a cursed object. This dialogue was only accessible during that specific window and is no longer in the game.

The Kalguuran Connection

The Allflame also appears in the Kalguuran storyline from the Expedition expansion. According to the lore, the Allflame was taken by Orosh, leader of the Sun Knights. In one version of events, the Allflame was lost or destroyed during a confrontation with Orosh, who rose again as an undead threat. The Kalguurans believed Uthred betrayed them by stealing the flame, but the truth appears more complicated.

Understanding Transfigured Gems

Transfigured gems are labyrinth-exclusive variants of existing skills. While a few divination cards like Dying Anguish can bypass the labyrinth requirement, the labyrinth remains the primary source. In Path of Exile 1, specialized characters excel at labyrinth farming, making the trade league an efficient alternative for acquiring specific gems.

Players can either run the labyrinth themselves or trade for the desired gem-typically costing around one divine orb. How players acquire these gems is flexible, but they are valuable loot rather than vendor trash.

Holy Hammer of Spirals

Holy Hammer of Spirals is a slam skill with the slam tag. It consumes power, charges and calls down a holy hammer from above. Only power charges above the minimum are consumed.

Key Mechanics

Consumes power charges down to minimum: If maximum is seven and minimum is two, six charges consumed consume four charges.

Further hammers cascade in a spiral pattern: One hammer cascades for each power charge consumed.

Weapon requirements: Mace, scepter, or staff.

Base numbers: 85% of base attack speed, 244% of base damage-serviceable but unspectacular for a slam.

50% physical to lightning conversion: This is a nuisance. Players will want to reach 100% conversion to access reliable scaling vectors and immunity to physical reflect. Lightning mastery provides 40% conversion, reaching 90% total.

The Spiral Pattern

The most interesting aspect of this skill is the spiraling pattern. Multiple cascades radiate outward in a spiral. Each hammer explosion does not overlap with the previous one-they are nested together. The key unknown is how the increased area of effect scales this skill:

Does increased AoE increase the gap between cascades? If so, the skill covers more screen area, but each area is only hit once.

Does increased AoE cause overlapping areas? This would concentrate damage in a smaller area.

The likely outcome is the less favorable scenario-increased AoE increases gaps between cascades. This requires in-game testing.

Power Charge Generation

The skill has significant payoff if many power charges can be consumed. However, generating power charges quickly is challenging:

Spellcasters: Often at maximum power, charges naturally.

Attack builds: Do not have explosive power charge generation. Expenditure of 6-9 power charges on a single attack is difficult to automate.

Build Considerations

This skill does not fit into existing slam builds. It requires a new build archetype. The weapon requirements suggest staves are likely the best option at endgame, though maces and scepters remain viable depending on any rebalancing or new items introduced in the patch.

Reap of Butchering

Reap of Butchering is a transfigured version of Reap, but its identity is entirely different. This section covers the changes and what they mean for build planning.

Core Changes from Base Reap

Base Reap deals instant damage and applies a physical damage over time effect. Reap of Butchering sacrifices instant damage for significantly improved damage over time scaling.

Key differences:

Instant Damage: 40% less than base Reap

Cast Time: 1 second (base Reap is 800ms)

Physical Damage Over Time: 18% more than base Reap

Blood Charge Scaling: 25% more per charge (base Reap is 15%)

Base Duration: 2 seconds (base Reap is 1 second)

Skill Center: Centered on self (base Reap is a projectile)

Important: Reap of Butchering deals approximately 50% less instant damage than base Reap. Players scaling the initial hit should avoid this gem entirely.

The Payoff

The gem sacrifices instant damage for significant damage over time scaling:

18% more base physical damage per second than base Reap.

25% more damage per blood charge instead of 15%.

2-second base duration (doubled from 1 second).

Higher Vaal Reap scaling: 325% base damage at 9 charges versus 235% on regular Reap.

Damage Propagation

Reap of Butchering is centered on the player. It conjures a scythe that rotates 360 degrees around the character. The damage application is not instant-the scythe takes about 0.5 seconds to form and then sweeps across the area. The skill provides full 360-degree coverage, which is an improvement over base Reap's limited coverage.

Build Considerations

This skill requires characters who can survive being up close and personal with monsters. Key considerations:

Tankiness is mandatory: The long cast time and the period where monsters haven't yet died demand high survivability. Having enough POE currency can also be very helpful.

Cast speed is a utility stat: Since this is a damage-over-time effect, cast speed improves uptime, not damage per second. It helps players stay alive by reducing time spent stationary.

Armor and energy shield mastery: The mastery that doubles chest armor under certain conditions would be valuable.

Elementalist Golem package: Provides unconditional damage, damage over time multiplier, life recovery, energy shield, and armor through the Stone Golem.

Summary of Day 2 Teasers

Holy Hammer of Spirals is a slam skill consuming power charges with spiraling cascades, 244% base damage, and 85% attack speed. It requires a mace, scepter, or staff and is best with high power charge generation. Reap of Butchering is a transfigured Reap centered on self with 40% less instant damage, 18% more physical damage over time, 25% more damage per blood charge, 2-second base duration, and 360-degree coverage. Both gems require entirely new builds-they do not fit existing archetypes.

What to Expect Next

From now until launch, we can expect daily teasers from GGG. The biggest information dump will come during the GGG Live event. Expect a full league mechanic reveal, new skills, items, and balance changes, patch notes, and a Q&A session.

Conclusion

The 3.29 expansion, Curse of the Allflame, promises a significant shift in theme toward nautical horror and deep-sea threats. Day 2 teasers have already revealed two intriguing transfigured gems that will require entirely new build archetypes. With the full reveal just around the corner, players won't have to wait long to learn exactly what the next challenge league has in store.