After missing the last few updates, Path of Exile 2's new druid class is finally ready to play in its next update

Even if Path of Exile 2 has no chance of having a full release this year, you can't say it's not making meaningful progress toward that goal. In a major update next month, the action RPG will finally get a class players have been begging for since it launched in early access: druids.

Path of Exile 2's The Last of the Druids update is coming on December 12. Druids will join the other seven classes and, because this is PoE, will come with a bunch of new skills that anyone can use. However, only the druids will be able to shapeshift into a bear and other animals on the fly.

Developer Grinding Gear Games previewed the druid two years ago, and that was the last time we saw them. They didn't make it into the game for its early access debut and narrowly missed the last update. And now, it looks like GGG is ready to release them out into the world.

In that preview video, you can see the pretty classic druid fantasy on display: In their human form they can call down lightning strikes and pull lava out of the ground, and then they can transform into a bear to pulverize packs of monsters.

Druids were still in an early state back when GGG dropped that footage, so I can only assume there will be a bunch of new skills and animal forms to play with in the new update. It's kind of funny to watch this footage and notice how much the game has changed since then. It's been a constant tug-of-war between GGG and PoE players as they've tried to settle on how fast-paced the game should be, and that druid gameplay looks like it's in slow-motion compared to the way things are now.

Like the last time a new update launched, PoE 2 will be completely free to play for the opening weekend. A few patches ago I wouldn't have much to say about this, but now that there's a proper fourth act, I'd urge any action RPG fans to give it a shot. The campaign might be one of the best out there, with its great atmosphere (arid deserts with skulls as big as mountains), inventive boss fights (a wizard who creates a maze of stone), and fun skills to play with (purple fireballs that destroy enemies and your frame rate).

GGG plans to share all the other stuff being added to the game in the update on December 4. It's already been promised that a full endgame rework is coming to give players more to do once the campaign is over.

Path of Exile 2 The Last of the Druids goes live on December 12.