Last Epoch’s free Orobyss expansion comes with a catch — paid ‘Paradox Class’ DLC

Why this matters: a free expansion – but not for all the gameplay

Eleventh Hour Games just dropped a roadmap that landed like a grenade: Last Epoch’s Orobyss expansion will be free for existing players when it launches in 2026, but the studio also plans to sell a new “Paradox Class” as paid DLC. That combination – generous on the surface, paywalled at the deepest gameplay layer – is why players are furious and why Last Epoch’s Steam review sentiment has already slid from “Mostly Positive” to “Mixed.”

• Orobyss expansion will be free to existing players when it launches after Seasons 4 and 5 in 2026.
• The new Paradox Class, a fully alternate playable class system, will be sold as paid DLC — not free.
• EHG cites unprofitable early seasons and rising development costs (and its Krafton acquisition) as reasons for the change.
• Players worry about balance, fairness, and precedent; Steam reviews spiked negative immediately after the reveal.

Breaking down the announcement

Here’s the plain English version: Orobyss — the big world-and-systems expansion — isn’t behind a paywall for current owners. Eleventh Hour CEO Judd Cobler confirmed Orobyss will be bundled into the base game for anyone who already owns Last Epoch, and that Seasons 4 and 5 will run ahead of it. Given typical four-month seasons, a late summer or early autumn 2026 window is a reasonable estimate.

Where EHG broke with its old promise is the Paradox Class: “a fully alternate playable class built on systems that work differently from anything else in the game.” Cobler frames them as experimental design choices — plausible for a studio that’s been praised for innovation — but making the first Paradox Class paid is what people are taking issue with.

Why now: money, acquisition, and player trust

This caught my attention because Last Epoch has been the indie success story that quietly scooted between Diablo IV and Path of Exile — offering a sweet spot of approachability plus build depth. EHG’s earlier stance was staunch: no paid gameplay content. That changed after Cobler admitted the first three seasons “weren’t profitable” and cosmetics alone didn’t cover long-term development costs. Add Krafton’s acquisition earlier this year and players immediately feared a monetization pivot.

To be fair, studios have to survive. But the optics of a small, community-driven studio announcing a paid class right after being bought by a large publisher is poor. It’s the sort of thing that stirs up Reddit threads and review-bombing — which is exactly what we’re seeing.

The gamer’s perspective: what to worry about

There are three concrete risks for players. First: balance. If Paradox Classes are mechanically distinct, will they be game-breakers or niche curiosities? We’ve seen paid-class problems before — players still point to paid class implementation issues in games like Warhammer 40k: Darktide as cautionary examples. Second: progression fairness. If endgame or seasonal rewards subtly favor Paradox mechanics, that creates a pay-to-win smell. Third: precedent. If paid classes stick, what stops future core gameplay from being gated?

On the positive side, EHG promises Orobyss itself will be free for current owners, and Cobler explicitly says the studio’s development approach won’t switch to some AI-driven, hands-off model despite Krafton’s “AI-first” rhetoric. That’s reassuring — but it doesn’t erase the salt players feel over purchasable gameplay.

Looking ahead — how this could play out

If Eleventh Hour wants to keep community goodwill, they need three things: transparency about how Paradox Classes will be balanced, clear assurances that seasonal or endgame content won’t favor paid classes, and a roadmap for non-gameplay monetization that actually works (better cosmetics, battle passes, or optional expansions that don’t gate core systems). If the Paradox experiment delivers genuinely new, fun experiences without unbalancing the meta, players will calm down. If it’s overtuned or pushed as a must-have, expect more backlash — and more mixed Steam reviews.

TL;DR

Orobyss will be free to existing Last Epoch players — good. The new Paradox Class will be sold as paid DLC — bad optics and a legitimate worry. EHG cites unprofitability and its Krafton acquisition as the why, but this still feels like a risky path that could harm player trust if handled poorly.