You’ve got an important choice to make before creating yourLast Epochcharacter: should you join the mad rush of the latest Cycle, or should you keep things casual with a Legacy character? The decision seems substantial to new players, but unlike some other action RPGs, it’s really not that big a deal.

There are indeed a few differences between Cycle and Legacy characters, but they’re relatively minor. That said, we’ve got some pointers to help you make the right decision on whether to start your Last Epoch journey as a Cycle or Legacy character.

Last Epoch character creation screen where you choose between Cycle or Legacy.

What Is A Cycle In Last Epoch?

Last Epoch’s Cycles aren’t quite the same as seasons in other games. Whileeach Cycle brings new content, so far at least,that content isn’t limited solely to Cycle characters. Once a new Cycle begins, both Legacy and Cycle characters can experience all the new content at the same time.

There’sone exceptionwhereCycle characters can access the pinnacle boss soonerthan Legacy characters. We’ll discuss that more later.

Last Epoch character creation screen where you select your main class.

So if Cycles aren’t really seasons, then what are they? Cycles in Last Epoch are best defined as theperiod between major updates. Once a new Cycle begins, all characters from the previous Cycle become Legacy characters, and players have the option to create entirely new Cycle characters.

Creating your first Cycle character means starting completely from scratch. You’ll have no items, no materials, and no gold.Item Faction loyaltyranks will be reset, and you’ll have to pick which faction to join once you reach that section of the main campaign.

Last Epoch’s Sentinel class during the first moments of the game.

However,all Cycle characters still share the same stashand—if they’re part of the same Item Faction—will share loyalty ranks. So there’s abenefit to creating multiple Cycle charactersjust as there is with multiple Legacy characters.

Leaderboards are also reset with each new Cycle. Leaderboards offer a bit of community competition to see who can reach the maximum level first, or who can defeat the most waves inLast Epoch’s Arena. Only Cycle characters are displayed in the Leaderboards, so if you want to compete, you must play as a Cycle character.

Orobyss holding the Last Epoch during the game’s opening cutscene.

The exactlength of each cycleis dependent on when a new major update is released butis generally expected to be around three to four months.

Why Make A Cycle Character?

If Cycle characters and Legacy characters get access to the same content at the same time, thenwhy make a Cycle character at all?

The biggest reason to start a Cycle character is totake part in Last Epoch’s thriving community. A new Cycle is anopportunity for everyone to experience all the new content from scratch, allowing individuals to share new builds and new-found items.

There’s also thecompetition involved in the Leaderboards, seeing where you stack up compared to the rest of the community.

Cycle characters also tend to make up a larger portionof Last Epoch’s player population. This means that if you want to have aneasier time playing cooperatively or trading items, creating a Cycle character is generally recommended.

Legacy characters can still play co-op and trade items, they’ll just have a slightly more difficult time finding other players.

There’s one other reason to make a Cycle character. As of the1.1 Harbingers update,Cycle characters can access the pinnacle boss right away, while Legacy characters have to wait until the first Cycle character kills Aberoth (or one week—whichever came first).

Last Epoch developer Eleventh Hour Games has stated thatfuture Cycles will have a similar limited-time incentive of exclusive content. However, relatively few players can reach Last Epoch’s pinnacle boss after starting a brand-new Cycle character, so this reallyonly incentivizes the most hardcore Last Epoch fans.

If you’re new to Last Epochand are starting fresh anyway, you might as wellmake all your characters Cycle characters. You’ll still have a shared access between them all, plus you’ll be playing with the largest number of people if you need help.

Why Make A Legacy Character?

If you don’t want to start from scratch every four monthsand don’t care to participate in the Leaderboards or the race to defeat the new pinnacle boss, then creating a Legacy character is perfectly valid.

Legacy Characters allshare the same stash,crafting materials, andcash, and this accumulation of loot only increases with every new Cycle. Every character from the previous cycle eventually becomes a Legacy character, adding their loot to the shared Legacy pool.

You’ll also be able tokeep increasing your Item Faction loyalty, which can provide some powerful bonuses at higher levels.

Players returning to Last Epoch might find it easierto enjoy the new contentas a Legacy character. You’ll still have access to all your old characters and loot, and you’ll be able to access the new content without first having to play through the main campaign again.

Summary: Cycle Versus Legacy Characters

Here’s aquick summary of the pros and consof Cycle and Legacy characters.