Path of Exile 3.29.2 Hotfix 3 Patch Notes (10th August 2026)

Grinding Gear Games has revived its fan art competition after an extended absence, using the momentum of the recent Return of the Ancients and Curse of the Allflame expansions as its creative springboard. The competition runs from today until Wednesday 2nd September at 10PM PDT, with submissions restricted to original work created after the competition's launch. AI-generated submissions are explicitly barred, and Grinding Gear reserves the right to disqualify entries it suspects are machine-generated.

The prize structure rewards depth of engagement across a broad tier system. The top three winners receive signed posters, branded merchandise including Chaos Orb socks and a deskpad, a choice of armour set and cosmetic effects, and a forum avatar based on their winning submission. Places 4-5 drop to a single t-shirt and fewer cosmetic choices, whilst places 6-10 receive a portal or footprints effect. Runners-up who do not place in the top twenty still receive a Curse of the Allflame Mystery Box. Grinding Gear has explicitly stated it may expand the prize pool if submission quality and volume warrant it, signalling openness to rewarding exceptional community output beyond the listed tiers.

The scope is deliberately broad: entrants can submit paintings, drawings, or physical models inspired by either expansion, but video submissions are excluded. Multiple submissions per artist are encouraged. This openness to format variety, and the explicit permission for quantity, suggests Grinding Gear expects a wide range of creative responses and is designed to lower barriers to entry for artists working across different mediums.

The timing aligns with a period of significant expansion activity. Both Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2 have received major content updates recently, and a fan art competition serves both as community engagement and as free promotional content; winning submissions will likely appear on official channels and merchandise, extending their reach beyond the competition itself. The merchandise prizes (t-shirts, socks, caps, posters) also indicate Grinding Gear's confidence in physical goods as a retention tool alongside cosmetics.

One practical note: the deadline is strict. Submissions close at 10PM PDT on 2nd September, with no exceptions for late entries. Winners will be announced in the days following the deadline. For artists outside North America, 10PM PDT converts to 1AM UTC on 3rd September, so timezone conversion is essential to avoid missing the window. The requirement that all work be created after the competition's announcement (10th August) prevents artists from submitting pre-existing pieces, ensuring all entries are fresh responses to the current expansions rather than recycled work.