Gold plays a pivotal role in Last Epoch, influencing everything from crafting and gear upgrades to economy-driven events. Over the past several months, the gold landscape has undergone dramatic changes—from exploits that rocked the economy to developer-led events and balance adjustments. Here's how to navigate the current Last Epoch gold meta and make the most of your time in Eterra.

1. The Gold Duplication Crisis and Recovery
Earlier in 2025, a major exploit involving the Lightless Arbor zone allowed players to duplicate gold by disconnecting during zone transitions. Some accounts ballooned to billions in gold—or even negative balances due to overflow bugs. This led to massive inflation, with rare items skyrocketing in price.

Eleventh Hour Games (EHG) responded quickly:

Disabled trading temporarily to halt market abuse.

Banned accounts involved in the exploit.

Issued server-side fixes within 24 hours.

Enhanced monitoring tools to detect further abuse.

While prices have since begun to stabilize, the exploit highlighted the fragility of in-game economies and EHG’s commitment to transparency and swift action.

2. Gold Events and Economic Adjustments
To restore balance and encourage healthy gameplay loops, EHG launched a series of gold-focused events:

Golden Surge: Temporarily increased gold drops from monsters, treasure chests, and secret caches.

Double Gold Weekend: All gold earned was doubled, fueling exploration and build experimentation.

These events created a vibrant player economy, with the community sharing optimal farming routes and efficient gold strategies.

In addition, key balance changes were made—most notably the dramatic nerf to Arena Key vendor values (from 6,500g to 175g). This pushed players toward more diverse gold-generation methods and discouraged repetitive farming exploits.

3. Gold in the Context of New Content
The launch of Season 2: Tombs of the Erased added new layers of gold utility. New endgame echoes (Tombs and Cemeteries), the Memory Amber system, and expanded crafting tools (like Idol Enchants and Attribute Swapping) all provide fresh reasons to spend and manage gold wisely.

Even though not every feature is gold-specific, these systems create new “gold sinks,” giving your currency lasting value beyond simple purchases.

4. Strategic Gold Tips for Players
To stay ahead, players should optimize their gold strategy:

Farm during events: Double Gold weekends and Golden Surge events offer high-efficiency returns.

Run high-yield echoes: Focus on Monoliths like Tombs and Cemeteries for combined gold and loot rewards.

Utilize new crafting systems: Save gold by respec'ing efficiently and leveraging Idol enhancements.

Monitor the Bazaar: Buy low and sell high by tracking price swings around patches and events.

Time-efficient runs: Clear dense mob zones quickly to maximize gold/hour.

5. Looking Ahead: Staying Gold-Savvy
EHG has made it clear that gold will continue to be central to gameplay, with more seasonal events, crafting systems, and economic tweaks on the horizon. Transparent roadmaps, frequent community updates, and supporter-funded development ensure the gold economy will remain dynamic and player-driven.

Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer, now’s the time to engage with Last Epoch’s revitalized economy. Farm smart, spend wisely, and stay tuned for future cheap Last Epoch gold events that could redefine your Eterra journey.