Last Epoch Season 1 release date, Item Factions, new classes, roadmap & more

Last Epoch has spent a long time in early access, but with the 1.0 update around the corner along with the release of Season 1, you may want to know more on what to expect. 

Last Epoch belongs to the action RPG genre, with a big focus on hack and slash gameplay, loot, and tailoring the micro aspects of a build to create your perfect playstyle. Season 1 is set to expand this further with reworks to a bunch of existing content, new classes, Item Factions, and much more.

Read on below to learn some of what to expect, and when you can dive in and begin playing Last Epoch 1.0.

When is the Last Epoch Season 1 release date?

The game is set to leave early access for its 1.0 update on February 21, 2024. This means you won't have much longer to wait as of writing this.

Last Epoch Season 1 Item Factions explained

In an attempt to alter how the game's economy works with regard to loot you collect, two factions called Item Factions are being added to the game with the release of 1.0.

These are the Merchant's Guild and the Circle of Fortune. The former will allow you to trade and sell different items with other players, while the latter will give a passive boost to your item acquisition, letting you gather more valuable loot over time. 

You can only belong to one Item Faction at a time, but you can switch between them at any point. However, this is dissuaded by it taking a lot of effort to gain the max rank in a faction, enticing players to stick firmly with their chosen faction. 

What new classes are in Last Epoch Season 1?

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The Falconer and Warlock are two new master classes set to be added with Season 1 of Last Epoch. 

The Falconer's base class is the Rogue, while the Warlock's is the Acolyte. Falconers are designed around deploying expert traps and the help of their trusty bird of prey companion. 

The Warlock is all about the forbidden magic of the world, allowing you to utilise curses, hexes, and corrupting magic to twist the very essence of your foes. 

While not a new class, the Shaman is also set to receive some changes with a rework. Much of this comes from skill changes, such as Tempest Strike, Druid's Call, Frostbringer, and more.

What are the other changes in Last Epoch Season 1?

Finally, the game's release also sees the launch of a new and improves lighting and shadow system, giving better performance and more accurate lighting effects to create a better look across the board. 

Piggybacking onto this is the new scene variant system, which is a set of tools and shaders that let the developers make drastic aesthetic and visual quality changes to scenes.

This means even when visiting the same place, it could look wildly different, creating a new tone or atmosphere with both big and small alterations. 

For those who love the endgame portion of these experiences, there's also been a number of balance changes to polish this area of the game. 

The major changes are coming to Echo Modifiers and Corruption, and it should make for a smoother time.

We've also covered if Last Epoch is coming to console. For everything else, check out our Last Epoch homepage.