Patch Preview: Beta 0.7.9

Our next content patch approaches, and today were spilling the beans on what you can expect! Patch 0.7.9 will be the largest update we have released for Last Epoch to-date. This patch is also the first to include a Phase 4 item from our Early Access Development Forecast.

Overview

Patch 0.7.9 focuses on the endgame, with changes and additions coming to both the available content and the rewards available for engaging with that content. Were also replacing and adding many new sounds and replacing all animations used by the Sentinel class.

Highlights

Systems

• Significantly fleshed out the Monolith of Fate system.
  • We are working on a Developer Blog to share with you later this week.
  • Monolith of Fate zones will no longer scale with character level. It is important that endgame content includes concrete goals, and the progression to higher level content makes improvements to your characters feel more rewarding.
  • It will be possible to empower lower level content in the Monolith of Fate, and the rewards for completing that content will become more powerful as a result.
• Implemented the Blessings feature.
  • This will be outlined in the above Developer Blog on the Monolith of Fate changes.

Items

• Implemented Tier 6 and Tier 7 affixes.
  • We are working on a Developer Blog to share with you early next week.Affixes above tier 5 are not craftable.
  • Tier 6 & 7 affixes are intended to be a long-term goal, and not an expectation at any point in the game.
  • The intention is to widen the gap between easily obtainable rares and close to perfect rares, in order to keep rare drops exciting for much longer and gives us more room in which to balance uniques.

Skills

Patch 0.7.9 includes multiple new skills, each of which has a full-sized specialization tree.

• The Acolyte class has a new skill called Bone Curse.
• The Necromancer class has a new skill called Assemble Abomination.
  • We have posted a preview of Assemble Abomination here.
• The Necromancer class has a new skill called Dread Shade.
  • We have posted a preview of Dread Shade here.

Some skills are also being removed in Patch 0.7.9.

• The Acolyte class has had its Exhume skill removed from the game.
  • This removal is intended to be permanent.
• The Acolyte class has had its Mark for Death skill removed from the game.
  • The base marked for death effect can still be applied through alternative means, such as class passives and other skills trees. Only the active skill is being removed.
  • This removal will be permanent, with Bone Curse intended as its replacement.

Animation

• All of the Sentinels animations have been replaced.
  • Weve posted a preview of some new animations here.

Level Design

• While a new Chapter is not included in Patch 0.7.9, there is a comparable number of zones being added in the update which will be available through the Monolith of Fate.
• The End of Time zone has received a visual upgrade.

User Interface

• Active quests are now shown on the world map.
• Some UI windows now close in response to movement.
  • For example, windows associated with a stash or vendor NPC now close if you move far enough away from the stash or vendor, respectively.
• Buy Back tabs can now be searched.

Quality of Life

• Improved targeting for users of controllers.

Optimization

• Improved game start-up time for most system configurations.
• Improved the performance of loot.

After This Patch

While Patch Preview threads focus on game updates, we are also currently investing significant resources into out-of-game projects. In the months following Patch 0.7.9's release we plan to completely replace the core https://lastepochgame.com website and our support site. Longer term goals include replacing the in-game chat system and the launcher for our standalone client