Path of Exile 1 (3.30): Atlas interface showing an Expedition Thread bonus on a map. Official image released by Grinding Gear Games.
Grinding Gear Games shared new details about Path of Exile 1 rewards during the ExileCon 2026 question-and-answer panel, held on November 7 in Brazilian time. The discussion covered old loot penalties, how Threads of Creation will work, and changes to Essences and Harvest. Update 3.30 — Covens of Umbra is scheduled for November 13, 2026.
This report complements ZAUS.GG’s coverage of the main ExileCon announcements. Here, the focus is on the technical clarifications from the second day. Specific panel details are attributed to a report published by Karui Polska; the full recording of this segment has not yet been located for independent verification.
In this article
Old penalties affected certain monster drops
According to the panel summary, developers described the removal of old internal penalties affecting specific reward categories that did not benefit from the previous Item Rarity calculation, such as currency, Scarabs and Divination Cards. The reported reductions were 80% for rare and unique monsters and 50% for magic monsters.
These figures describe historical restrictions on certain drop chances, not a general bonus granted to players. Removing such a penalty does not mean getting 80% more items overall, nor does it allow anyone to predict a specific increase in Divine Orb drops. It also does not mean that every monster will drop proportionally more items.
The goal of the loot overhaul announced for Covens of Umbra is to make the relationship between activity difficulty and rewards more consistent. The material reviewed does not explain why those old restrictions were originally introduced. Precise confirmation of their scope and values will depend on the original recording or the 3.30 patch notes.
Threads and modifiers change how maps are prepared
With Threads of Creation replacing Scarabs, map preparation will no longer rely solely on consumables with fixed effects. According to the panel report, each Thread invested increases the resistance and rarity of monsters tied to the chosen mechanic, while special modifiers are rolled independently. As a result, the same investment may produce encounters with different characteristics.
The developers also explained that the major mechanics associated with Threads will not simply appear at random: their presence will depend on the selected Threads or Atlas regions configured for them. Secondary activities, such as Strongboxes and Essences, may still appear independently. Rare map modifiers and enchantments will carry additional weight in map preparation.
During the discussion, four or five Threads per mechanic were suggested as a potentially balanced range for regular players; higher quantities may sharply increase both difficulty and potential rewards. This is not a tested or guaranteed profitable farming setup. For context on the previous system, see ZAUS.GG’s guides to the Atlas passive tree and map preparation with Scarabs. Both cover 3.29 and require updating for 3.30.
Essences and Harvest: what did the panel reveal?
Essences: according to the coverage, their rewards will scale with the new map difficulty system. Weaker variants will stop appearing in certain high-tier areas, reducing the number of rewards that are no longer very useful at that stage. Complete numerical data is still unavailable for comparing returns between tiers.
Harvest: the mechanic will take place directly in the map rather than requiring the usual entry into a separate Sacred Grove area. The report describes encounters with modifiers affecting monsters and rewards, as well as wisps associated with plant colors, in a design reminiscent of the Wildwood. This opens up more opportunities to combine Harvest with other map activities, but it does not prove that Harvest will be the best farming method in the new league.
What changes for players planning to farm in 3.30?
The main takeaway is to reassess difficulty, preparation costs and time spent per map instead of copying a strategy from 3.29 straight into 3.30. If different reward types do scale more closely with difficulty, a build’s efficiency against empowered encounters may matter just as much as the number of activities added.
There is not yet enough public data to name the league’s most profitable farm, estimate Divine Orbs per hour, recommend an optimal Thread combination, or project returns from Harvest and Essences. ZAUS.GG’s guide to choosing farming strategies and calculating profit remains useful as a comparison method—not as a 3.30 earnings chart.
GGG confirmed the expansion’s November 13 release in its official ExileCon announcement. According to the panel report, the full patch notes were expected on Wednesday in New Zealand time. Until they are published, percentages, interactions and economic decisions should be treated as pre-release information subject to clarification.
About the Author
