Trial of the Ancestors still comes up whenever players talk about side content that felt genuinely different, and that is probably why POE currency gets dragged into the conversation too. For some people, ToTA was the sort of league mechanic you could boot up before maps and lose an entire afternoon to. It had its own pace, its own rhythm, and none of the usual running around the atlas.

That's also why the idea of bringing it back as core content splits the room. A few players remember the mode fondly and want it preserved. Others hear "core" and immediately say no. They do not want another permanent system competing for attention, especially one that never really landed for them in the first place.

Why Some Players Still Miss It

The players who want ToTA back usually talk about variety first. They liked having something that did not feel like mapping, delving, or bossing. You could sit down, enter the tournament loop, and just play that for a while. For the right kind of player, that was the charm. It was simple to understand, but not shallow enough to forget after one run.

There is also a bit of nostalgia in it. When a mechanic gives people a distinct routine, they tend to remember it more clearly. ToTA did that. It had a setup phase, a tactical feel, and enough reward structure to keep people moving through one more round. That is a big reason the topic still pops up in forums and search trends.

Why Others Would Rather Leave It Out

The pushback is just as strong. A lot of players say they never clicked with the mode at all. Some found the fights awkward. Some just did not enjoy the loop. And if you already have a packed endgame, adding something optional that only a slice of the community likes can feel messy.

One of the biggest complaints is how the difficulty ramps up. Players who did enjoy it often still point out that the challenge can start to feel forced. You are not always choosing to push it harder, but the mode can still become a grind. That kind of scaling can wear people down, especially if they only wanted a fun detour, not a second progression system.

What Would Need to Change First

If ToTA ever returned as core content, most people seem to agree it would need work before that happened. The first thing many players mention is unit AI. If the helpers do not behave well, the whole thing starts to feel off. Balance is the other obvious issue. A mode like this lives or dies on whether it feels fair from one run to the next.

There is a pretty practical view in the community too: make it optional, keep it skippable, and do not force everyone into it. That sounds like a small point, but it matters. A lot of players would rather block content they do not like than be dragged into it. If ToTA came back, it would need to fit that mindset, not fight it.

How Players Keep Approaching It Now

Pick it up if you want a break from maps and a slower, round-based loop.
Watch how the difficulty climbs, because the mode can turn on you faster than you expect.
Only invest heavily if the unit behavior and balance feel good enough for your own taste.
If it is not your thing, treat it as optional and move on without guilt.

That's really where the whole debate sits. ToTA still has a fanbase, and some players would happily run it again as part of the core game. But plenty of others would skip it, sell it, or ignore it completely. If you're looking at POE currency for sale, you probably already know how selective players can be about the content they actually want to spend time on. Trial of the Ancestors would need to earn that time, not just get added and hoped for.

At u4gm, we get why Path of Exile fans still talk about Trial of the Ancestors - it's different, a bit messy, and honestly kind of fun when it clicks. If you're chasing smoother progress, smarter upgrades, or just less grind, take a look at https://www.u4gm.com/path-of-exile/currency for trusted PoE currency support that helps you keep playing your way.