Description
These fights look like they can get extraordinarily difficult, as all chosen modifiers remain in play until you either clear the highest difficulty POE currency trade, tap out, or die like a greedy fool. Still, the rewards look worth the pain. It's clear that Grinding Gear intends for players to really push their luck, potentially walking away with absolutely nothing while in pursuit of a fat sack of rare items.
Players that manage to hold on for a whole ten rounds get a 'special surprise' in the final bout. While the presentation video didn't show exactly what that means, as a veteran PoE player I assume that means we'll be facing some new Ultimatum-specific boss fights. Given that the quality of the game's boss design has improved markedly over the years, it's something I'm looking forward to. Boss fights are much more akin to what you'd see in MMOs these days, with different phases and complex attack patterns that have to be avoided (or mitigated).
For endgame players hacking their way through the recently-expanded Atlas Of Worlds, they'll sometimes find special key items to access even higher-stakes battles at the Trialmaster's personal arena. These fights will ask the player to ante up and invest something valuable—usually a rare currency item—with a chance at doubling their investment in a single-round fight against overwhelming odds. Naturally, if you lose this fight, you'll lose your wager too.
As always, there'll be a little bit more to cheap POE currency this league that Grinding Gear Games is willing to reveal in the trailers. During a short Q&A session earlier this week, studio head Chris Wilson confirmed that there'll be a tough new final boss hidden deeper within Ultimatum's arena battles, along with some unique new items only obtainable through beating the odds and (presumably) the Trialmaster himself.
