Eterspire adds co-op trials, new plague stat and gear crafting

Eterspire’s v75 Trials of the Plague patch landed on May 28, 2026, and it does more than add another dungeon run. For players at level 160 and above, the update opens the Infected Cavern from Sunfall Cave and folds in three co-op Trials built around Boliaph: the Infected, Choh-Bih: The Scourge, and Vexren: Source of the Plague. Eterspire says there are no previous endgame requirements to enter, so hitting level 160 is enough to step into the new loop.

That matters because the update changes how the late game actually plays. The Trials introduce mechanics Eterspire had not used before, including ranged enemies, dodgeable area-of-effect attacks, and a brand-new Plague stat system. Instead of asking committed players to repeat familiar fights for bigger numbers, the patch asks them to rethink builds and gear around a new combat layer. That is the kind of systems shift that can make an MMO’s back end feel alive instead of merely longer.

The reward structure follows the same logic. Each Trial can drop one of three new gear sets, Bane, Malady, and Blight, while Dust serves as a crafting material for a fourth set. That makes this the game’s first proper gear-crafting mechanic, and Eterspire says the Trials have the most generous drop rates of any endgame content it has added so far. The patch also brings four new non-tradeable unique gear sets, which gives the late game a clearer ladder to climb and a reason to keep running the same encounters with a specific goal in mind.

The update does not stop at the level 160 crowd. Two new quests, Poor Unfortunate Soul for level 78 players in Bogtown with Bighands and The Search for the Amulets for level 31 players in Firefly Grove, widen the path below the cap. The Majestic Sorcerer Set, based on a concept by community member Starcoat, is the first complete cosmetic set Eterspire is selling directly instead of through a loot box, and the studio says more sets like that may follow if it works. With Guilds still in active development, a June 15 update on the release schedule, and a roadmap stretching into June, July, and August, Eterspire is signaling that Trials of the Plague is meant to be a foundation, not a one-off. For a game built on “battle, loot, upgrade,” the real test now is whether this new Plague-driven endgame can keep veterans inside the loop after the main curve flattens.