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With every major Path of Exile expansion, the meta shifts dramatically - some builds rise to dominance while others fade into obscurity. The upcoming Patch 3.27: Keepers of the Flame, launching on October 31, 2025, continues this trend. While the overall number of nerfs is lower than in 3.26, the changes directly affect some of the most-played Ascendancies and skill gems from the previous League.

This breakdown covers the biggest winners and losers of Path of Exile Patch 3.27, helping you decide which build to league start or abandon when the update drops.

Biggest Winners of Path of Exile Patch 3.27

Patch 3.27 brings a wave of buffs to several underperforming Ascendancies and skill gems. In particular, builds that struggled with consistency or scaling have received meaningful improvements - making this a player-friendly update overall.

Ascendancy Buffs: Stronger than Ever

1. Pathfinder

Once again, Pathfinder fans are smiling. The Master Distiller Notable has received a significant boost to its flask bonuses, reinforcing Pathfinder’s dominance as a top-tier League starter.

·Bismuth Flask: 25% Elemental Resistance penetration (up from 20%)

·Diamond Flask: 250% increased Critical Strike Chance (up from 150%)

·Amethyst Flask: 37% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage (up from 25%)

These upgrades make Pathfinder an even more efficient Ascendancy for flask-based elemental and chaos builds, especially for players who invest in high-end Path of Exile Items to maximize performance.

2. Necromancer

Corpse Pact’s new scaling has Necromancers celebrating. The node now grants 4% increased attack and cast speed per corpse consumed, stacking faster and doubling potential speed gains. This allows for a smoother gameplay loop and faster corpse-consuming builds, benefiting Reap, Volatile Dead, and Detonate Dead setups.

3. Assassin

Perhaps the biggest Ascendancy winner, the Assassin has received a complete rework focused on poison, crits, and consistency. The new Unstable Infusion now triggers Level 30 Assassin’s Mark on each critical hit, creating a near-permanent mark uptime. Combined with smoother power charge generation, the reworked Assassin will thrive as both a crit-based and poison powerhouse, particularly for Poison Blade Vortex and Venom Gyre builds.

Skill Gem Buffs: Rising Damage and Better Scaling

4. Cyclone

Despite buffs in 3.26, Cyclone lagged behind meta melee skills. In 3.27, the skill now deals 20% more base damage at all gem levels, immediately improving both early-level and endgame performance. This boost, alongside the new melee balance changes, puts Cyclone Slayers and Champions back into competitive standing.

5. Exsanguinate & Reap

Two staples of Physical Damage over Time builds have received a 15% boost to base Physical DoT damage per second. This solidifies Exsanguinate/Reap Occultists and Tricksters as top contenders for both mapping and bossing, offering consistent scaling without heavy investment.

6. Hexblast

Already strong in niche curse builds, Hexblast now delivers 200% more hit damage and 90% more ailment damage against Hexed enemies - up from 150% and 60%. While its two-second cooldown remains a limitation, its burst potential is now exceptional, making self-curse and Doom builds far more rewarding.

Biggest Losers of Path of Exile Patch 3.27

While Patch 3.27 contains relatively few nerfs, the few that exist will be felt hard. Some of the strongest Ascendancies and skills from 3.26 have been trimmed down to allow room for new builds to shine.

Ascendancy Nerfs: Meta Shifts Incoming

1. Trickster

The Trickster faces multiple nerfs this patch.

·Spellbreaker no longer provides spell suppression.

·Soul Drinker loses its 20% increased Attack and Cast Speed while leeching Energy Shield.

·One Step Ahead has reduced action speed.

While Heartstopper gained a minor numerical buff, it remains unpopular. These changes will likely push Trickster out of the top-tier league starter category and force players to explore more defensive or hybrid alternatives.

2. Elementalist

The Liege of the Primordial nerf halves the effectiveness of Golem buffs - now capped at 50%, down from 100%. This directly hits Golemancer builds, one of the last stronghold archetypes from 3.26. While Elementalist’s other tools remain strong, this will significantly lower both damage output and survivability for minion-focused characters.

Skill Gem Nerfs: Popular Skills Toned Down

3. Blink Arrow of Prismatic Clones

A favorite of BAMA (Blink Arrow Mirror Arrow) players, this variant has been hit hard. Clone duration dropped from 20 seconds to 5, and clone damage was reduced by 20%. While still viable for early mapping, it’s no longer the best low-investment league starter it once was.

4. Poisonous Concoction

Despite Assassin’s buffs, Poisonous Concoction has taken a raw hit to its added Chaos damage, now at 22-537 to 33-806, down from 30-716 to 44-1073. The skill remains fast and self-sustaining, but its peak damage ceiling has been noticeably reduced - making it less dominant in high-tier maps.

5. Volcanic Fissure of Snaking

One of the most powerful and flashy skills from 3.26, Volcanic Fissure of Snaking (VFoS), has been reined in. It no longer targets enemies hit by explosions from previous fissures and loses its 50% more Area of Effect bonus. This makes its clear speed and single-target potential far less explosive.

Final Thoughts: Who Stands on Top in 3.27

Patch 3.27: Keepers of the Flame may not be a massive balance overhaul, but it clearly rewards build diversity.

·Winners: Assassin, Pathfinder, Cyclone, and Hexblast.

·Losers: Trickster, Elementalist, and Volcanic Fissure enthusiasts.

Overall, the changes favor active, flask-based, and crit-oriented builds, while auto-scaling and pet builds see minor declines. Whether you’re planning to buy Path of Exile Currency from P2Pah for future investments or revisit your Path of Exile items setup before the next League, Patch 3.27 delivers a balanced shake-up that sets the stage for an exciting new season.