Last Epoch's Minions Are Finally Getting Brains (And Blades!) in Season 3 – No More Wandering Wookies?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Last Epoch's upcoming Season 3, launching August 21st, is giving minion builds a much-needed tactical upgrade with the new 'Assassinate mode,' allowing them to intelligently target bosses and elites, alongside general AI improvements and Beastmaster-specific buffs. Plus, players can finally flaunt their cosmetics offline, and the Merchants' Guild is getting some handy quality-of-life tweaks, all showing Eleventh Hour Games is keenly listening to its player base.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're meticulously planning your ultimate build in an ARPG, theorycrafting all the synergies, and then your beloved minions wander off to punch a wall while you're getting absolutely thrashed by an elite? Yeah, me too. It's like trying to get a bunch of digital kittens to solve a calculus problem – adorable, but utterly chaotic and not particularly helpful in a boss fight.
Well, good news, fellow adventurers and digital puppet masters! Eleventh Hour Games, the clever chaps behind the surprisingly captivating ARPG, *Last Epoch*, are apparently tired of our minion-based woes. They've been tinkering with some serious upgrades for our spectral sidekicks, and it sounds like Season 3 – dropping on August 21st, by the way – is going to make our digital companions a whole lot smarter. And less likely to chase butterflies when there's an actual demon to be smited. According to a recent reveal from Bruna Telles over at Game Rant, the big headline is something called 'Assassinate mode' for minions.
Now, 'Assassinate mode' sounds a bit like something a shadowy rogue guild would teach their apprentices, doesn't it? But for our minions, it means they'll finally get a bit of tactical nous. Imagine this: your loyal skeletal mages, your hulking golems, or your pack of feral wolves, instead of just bum-rushing the nearest trash mob, will now be able to focus their attention on the more important targets. We're talking rarer enemies, the beefy elites, and – drumroll, please – bosses. And not just that, they'll be able to do it from further away, which is a godsend for those squishier ranged minions who usually get wiped out before they can even cast their second spell.
This is a rather significant shift from the current 'Protect mode' – which will still be an option, thankfully – where your minions generally stick closer to you, acting more like a personal bodyguard detail. It’s a classic ARPG dilemma, isn't it? Do you want your minions to tank for you, or do you want them to go for the jugular of the biggest threat? *Last Epoch* is giving us the choice, and that, my friends, is proper character customisation, not just a coat of paint.
How will you know which mode your digital army is in? They're making it clear with little UI icons next to your minion's portrait: two crossed swords for Assassinate mode, and a trusty shield for Protect mode. Simple, elegant, and avoids me accidentally sending my entire zombie horde to tickle the big bad instead of tearing him to shreds. Because, fair dinkum, nothing's worse than watching your meticulously crafted army fumble about like they've had too many pints of ether.
But wait, there's more! Beyond the shiny new Assassinate mode, Eleventh Hour Games is also tweaking the minions' overall target prioritisation. This means they'll be less likely to bounce between enemies like a startled gazelle in a lightning storm. Instead, they'll stick to a single target until it's properly pulverised, which should lead to much more efficient damage output and less 'oh, for god's sake, just hit *that one*!' moments. It’s a subtle change, but one that will have a massive impact on the feel of minion builds.
And for all you Beastmaster enthusiasts out there – and let's be honest, who doesn't love charging into battle with a loyal bear by your side? – Season 3 will bring new nodes for some of your favourite furry (or scaly) friends. The Raptor, Scorpion, and Bear are all getting some love, which suggests Eleventh Hour Games isn't just slapping a universal fix on things, but actually delving into the specific needs and desires of each minion type. That's the kind of attention to detail that makes a game truly shine, isn't it?
Now, not every exciting tidbit in the Season 3 update is about our little digital assistants. They're also addressing a long-standing request from the community: the ability to equip cosmetics in Offline Mode. Bloody hell, it's about time! For ages, if you wanted to strut around Eterra in your fancy new threads, you needed to be online. Now, a quick one-time sync online, and you're good to go, even if your internet decides to take a sabbatical. It's a small thing, perhaps, but it shows the developers are listening to their players, not just their quarterly reports. That's a good sign, a really good sign.
The Merchants' Guild is also getting a couple of quality-of-life bumps. Easier shopping filters (because nobody has time to scroll endlessly) and the introduction of tokens to buy items without needing to grind favours or unlock specific ranks. This last one is particularly interesting. It sounds like it could smooth out the early-game trading experience or provide an alternative progression path for acquiring gear. I'm gently skeptical about anything that involves 'tokens' in a modern game, given the... history of such things, but in this context, it seems to be genuinely about reducing friction for players rather than introducing a new monetization layer. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
So, what does this all mean for *Last Epoch*? Well, it looks like Eleventh Hour Games is continuing to polish their gem. While the big '2024 Release' hype might have settled down, they're clearly committed to refining the core gameplay, listening to player feedback, and making the experience smoother and more engaging. These aren't flashy, 'revolutionise the genre!' changes, but they're the kind of iterative improvements that build a truly great game over time. And for an ARPG that's already got its hooks in so many of us, that's exactly what you want to see. Maybe those minions will finally stop casting spells at empty space and start earning their keep, eh? We'll find out on August 21st.
*Original article by Bruna Telles for Game Rant.*
Tags: Last Epoch, ARPG, Gaming News, Patch Notes, Season 3
Original article: Game Rant