Path of Exile 2 ExileCon qualifier races kick off August 6

Grinding Gear Games is running four Path of Exile 2 qualifier races ahead of ExileCon this November, with the winners earning a trip to Auckland and a spot in the live finale on the main stage. All four qualifiers run on consecutive Wednesdays — August 6, 13, 20, and 27 — each starting at 2 PM PDT.

The format is Solo Self-Found on a fixed Runes of Aldur layout, and the goal is simple: be the first player to kill Tavakai in Act Four. It's not a Hardcore event, but death still hurts — you're frozen in place for two and a half minutes every time you die. Qualifiers are PC only, and you join directly from the Character Select screen. The catch: you must link your Path of Exile account to Twitch and stream your entire run on that linked account. No stream, no eligibility. The first player to kill Tavakai in each event wins flights and accommodation to Auckland, an Ultra VIP ExileCon ticket, entry into the ExileCon Path of Exile 2 Race Finale, and a Demigod's Virtue Unique Helmet. Win one qualifier and you're locked out of winning another — but you can still race.

Path of Exile 1 will also have its own qualifier series and ExileCon finale, though GGG hasn't announced those details yet. The ExileCon events will be broadcast live on twitch.tv/pathofexile with ZiggyD and RaizQT on commentary, and co-streaming is explicitly allowed.

Anyone can enter for free, but GGG employees past and present are ineligible for prizes. If a qualifier winner can't make it to New Zealand, the flights, accommodation, and ExileCon tickets roll down to the next fastest time across any event — though the Demigod's Virtue stays with the original winner.