To play a Descent: Champions event:

• Find an event on the Race Schedule that you'd like to play.
• During the event registration period (30 minutes before it starts), run Path of Exile and go to the character selection screen. You should see the event on the blue upcoming list.
• Click “Join" and choose a character name/class.
• You'll appear (unable to move) at the start of the event. Just wait until the starting time and then play!
• During the event, if you die, you can start a new character. Dead characters still count for points.
• At the end of the event, your character will stop moving. Monsters still finish their last attacks, so be careful.
• A few minutes after the event is over, prizes will be awarded to a new stash tab on your account. Be aware that Descent: Champions characters are not moved back to the regular leagues, so the (better than normal) items you received from chests during the event cannot be brought into the regular economy.

While progressing through the event, you will often encounter multiple exits from an area. Because you're unable to backtrack, the choice of which exit you take has several consequences such as access to a different chest of items after the branch. The branches also affect what monsters you'll face. Some branches lead to interesting side areas that allow you to obtain Leap Slam, a Quicksilver Flask, or boots with guaranteed movement speed, etc. For example, when you encounter The Freezing Chamber, you can skip it and go straight to the boss. By playing the Chamber, you could receive an important reward. It's up to you whether it's worth the time and risk.

You'll encounter powerful bosses that use different skills and effects than their regular counterparts do. When killed, these bosses drop books that grant two passive skill points. These bosses cannot be skipped.

Because characters and items can't leave Descent: Champions, we've been more generous with what crafting currency is given in chests. You may receive Exalted Orbs or even a Mirror of Kalandra.

Descent: Champions features new Rogue Exiles that represent other contestants in the dungeon. The ones that you meet depend on your class and are a great source of gear because they drop an item for every equipment slot.

Typically, our race events award points to players who were the first to complete certain goals (for example, completing a specific quest). In Descent: Champions, the points awarded for killing specific bosses are given to all players who killed that boss, rather than the first one to do so. There are also points given out to players who full-clear some of the side areas.