Since 2013, Grinding Gear Games has slowly built a community around the free-to-play Path of Exile, a game by creators dissatisfied with the lack of dungeon crawlers available at the time. As Grinding Gear Games plans another Path of Exile expansion, it’s working hard on the next series entry: Path of Exile 2. The sequel introduces new gameplay mechanics and weapon classes, but doesn’t leave the community behind. In a nice touch, your Path of Exile character and purchases carry over into Path of Exile 2, letting you jump into the new PC game without losing a step.
Path of Exile 2 was initially revealed at Exilecon 2019. It will have a second, seven-act plot that will be playable alongside the original Path Of Exile campaign. Path of Exile is having a huge year in 2023, with ExileCon taking place in July and the beta date for Path of Exile 2 being announced.
Path of Exile 2 continues the plot of the first game, which is a dark fantasy set on the continent of Wraeclast. A forgotten Eternal Empire, ancient immortals, demons, and pacts to save or destroy the earth all exist. Naturally, the land is teeming with monsters to be slaughtered and looted in great numbers.
Path of Exile 2 will expand on the first game’s foundation by adding new and enhanced features such as upgraded graphics and music, a new campaign with a linked universe, and redesigned skill and item systems.
The skill gem system will be dramatically altered, with gem sockets from equipment being replaced with active skill gems. Other changes include a significant aesthetic overhaul with physics-based rendering, an undisclosed overhaul of the passive skill tree, and 19 new Ascendancy classes.
The game was supposed to be released in 2022, but due to the pandemic and a lack of environmental painters at GGG, Chris Wilson revealed during one of the 2022 Baeclast episode that the release date is more likely to be 2024, or slightly earlier.
