Path of Exile: Return of the Ancestors Event Guide

Summary

The "Return of the Ancestors" event brings back the beloved Trial of the Ancestors league mechanics for a limited three-week event starting June 25, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT (June 26, 2026 at 6:00 AM GMT+8) . This event combines elements from three different pieces of Path of Exile history: the current Mirage League, aspects of the Fresh Start events, and the original Trial of the Ancestors league .

Event Overview

The event runs until July 16, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT . It is available on both PC and consoles, with Standard, Hardcore, Standard Solo Self-Found, and Hardcore Solo Self-Found versions available. A Ruthless mode is also available using the same Ascendancy Classes as non-Ruthless versions .

Important: This event is not voided. Items and characters will transfer to parent leagues at the end of the event. Upon migration, characters' Ascendancy points will be respecced and you will be assigned one of the core Ascendancy classes .

Core Mechanics: The Trial of the Ancestors

During the event, you will find Silver Coins as drops across Wraeclast . These coins grant passage to the Karui Afterlife where you compete against Karui tribes by assembling your own team of warriors .

How Matches Work

The Trial of the Ancestors is an auto-battler style mechanic . Each match functions as follows:

You assemble a team of Warriors in different positions: Attackers (hunt enemy Warriors), Escorts (follow and support you), Flankers (ignore enemies to banish totems), and Defenders (guard your totems) .

The goal is to destroy all enemy team totems. You banish totems by channeling on them, but taking damage while channeling freezes you for 5 seconds .

When defeated, you and your Warriors respawn at your totems after a timer that increases with each death .

Each tournament is double-elimination—you can lose once without penalty, but a second loss ends the tournament and you must start over .

Tribes and Favour

There are 10 different tribes, each with associated Warriors and items . Winning matches awards tribe-specific Favour, which you use to purchase Warriors, Field Items, and Equipment . You can sell unwanted Warriors and items back for half their value .

The Phrecian Ascendancy System

All regular Ascendancy classes in Return of the Ancestors are replaced with 19 Phrecian Ascendancy classes . The Reliquarian Ascendancy does not have a Phrecian counterpart and is disabled in this event .

The balance for these classes remains the same as in the previous Phrecia event. The Atlas Idols system from Fresh Start events is not available in this event .

Tattoos: The Signature Reward

The legacy Trial of the Ancestors Tattoos return for this event, alongside a new variety of Tattoos that can be applied to your Ascendancy Classes. These new Tattoos are exclusive to Return of the Ancestors .

The Forbidden Tattoos

The new Tattoos replace an allocated Ascendancy Notable Passive Skill and grant a random Ascendancy Notable from a specific base class . Key mechanics:

Limited to one Ascendancy Tattoo per character 

Grants passives from regular Ascendancies, not Phrecian ones 

Can be applied across classes—for example, a Witch can apply a Ranger Ascendancy Tattoo 

The Forbidden Tattoos include variants for Ranger, Duelist, Marauder, Templar, Witch, Shadow, and Scion .

Legacy and Returning Tattoos

Numerous Tattoos from the original league return, including:

Loyalty Tattoos aligned to historical figures like Kaom, Utula, and Akoya 

Makanga Tattoos (Ngamahu, Kitava, Tukohama, Tasalio, etc.) 

Honoured Tattoos (Dove, Sky, Tuatara, Turtle, Oak, Hatungo, etc.) 

Ancestral Tattoo of Bloodlines 

Honoured Tattoo of the Makanga 

Journey Tattoo of Makanui (replaces a keystone on the passive tree with a random keystone from elsewhere) 

Note: During the event, Tattoos will not be available as a reward through Kingsmarch shipping .

Practical Applications and Build Synergies

The combination of Phrecian Ascendancies and Forbidden Tattoos creates unique build opportunities. The ability to replace a weak Ascendancy notable with one from another class can salvage underperforming Ascendancy paths.

For example:

The Behemoth Ascendancy has Rampager as a mandatory first notable that disables auras. A Forbidden Tattoo can replace this notable with something more useful .

The Gambler's Tenacity has weak two-pointers (Overly Confident, Risky Exploit) that gate strong four-pointers, which tattoos can replace .

Guaranteed Reward

By killing Kitava in Act Ten, you will be automatically awarded a Return of the Ancients Mystery Box. This is a guaranteed prize available once per account per event .

Challenge Progression

You can finish your remaining Mirage Challenges during this event, making it a good opportunity to complete outstanding objectives while farming valuable POE Currency. For trusted currency services, I recommend MMOEXP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play my existing character?
No—you must create a new character .

Can I change my Ascendancy class during the event?
Yes .

Is Reliquarian Ascendancy available?
No, as it lacks a Phrecian counterpart .

What passives will Forbidden Tattoos grant in Ruthless?
They will grant passives from the Ruthless versions of the regular Ascendancies .